How My Personal Journey Inspired EcoBalance Cleanser™
I originally invented the Wild & Pure patent-pending EcoBalance Cleansers™ to address below-the-belt issues for my family. I have had life-long genital psoriasis and vulvodynia, my aging mother had new hygiene needs, and my grandchildren were facing chronic diaper rash, even when using "natural" and "water" based wet wipes.
Through this journey, I learned how damaging wet wipes are to our environment and our body surfaces.
Because many wet wipes are made from spun plastics, and all of them need to contain high levels of preservatives to prevent bacterial growth, I learned that even natural-based wipes can be damaging. It saddens me to think how many plastic and chemical-laden wet wipes our family unknowingly buried during outdoor adventures when we were trying to do the right thing to manage our waste with products bought from outdoor stores that seemed eco-friendly before I learned more. NEVER AGAIN!
Dr. E is getting ready for her 65th birthday in a few weeks!
The Sensitive EcoBalance Cleanser is my favorite product to recommend for new users in sensitive ages or stages, because of its unique surfactant-alternative cleansing system and a polymer commonly used for burn patients. This gentle formulation means it works well for infants and toddlers during diaper changes, individuals prone to urogenital irritation for cleansing and toileting, and aging adults—offering a level of care that many other cleansers cannot provide.
As scientists, Dr. C and I were stunned to learn of the link between common urogenital infections and the risk of dementia in our respected elders.
Both of my parents benefit from the Wild & Pure products for daily hygiene as they age. This has led to word-of-mouth growth for our woman-owned small business and a growing number of users in retirement homes or with disabilities that require personalized care. Everyone feels better and more confident when unwanted odors from below-the-belt hygiene and toileting aren't an issue!
This is the first of a three-part update on how the most common of vaginal infections, bacterial vaginosis, impacts women over 60. Please let us know if we can help you better understand how to use our products by contacting us at hello@wildandpure.com.
Blessings,
Dr. E
Our products are extensively safety reviewed—safe for your skin, and kinder to the planet!
Age-Related Vaginal Infections and Inflammation in Women (Part 1)
Women 65 years of age and older are at increased risk of developing the most common of vaginal infections, bacterial vaginosis (BV), and vaginal inflammation – that together are part of the “genitourinary syndrome of menopause” (GSM) which increases in disease prevalence with increasing age.1-3 About 80% of older American women have GSM, with symptoms that include:
- a loss of protective vaginal acidic pH due to decreases in the abundance of healthy Lactobacillus bacteria,
- urinary incontinence, and
- vulvar/vaginal mucosal inflammation and microtrauma with intimacy and/or chaffing from dryness.4-9
In health, the beneficial microbiome (good bacteria) are shared across the vulva, vagina, and urinary tract. Age-relate losses of these good bacteria also increases risk of pelvic organ prolapse and recurrent urinary tract infections. These age-related urogenital changes are due to “inflamm-aging”, like that found in other body systems, and associate with frailty, cognitive decline/dementia, and a worsening Quality of Life, similar to that found with chronic arthritis.6, 9-12,16-19 20-22
In contrast, “effective aging” adapts optimal function even with health changes.23,24 Current management of aging-related urogenital changes in women fails to support effective aging with urogenital symptoms occuring in over 50% of older women that include: urinary incontinence, frequency, and pain; vulvovaginal itching, burning, pain, and dryness; and a BV-related fishy vaginal odor.6,9,25-27 The vulvar entrance to the vagina is especially sensitive to aging with high moisture loss and discomfort.10,28,29 Many urogenital genes increase expression with age, resulting in changes to vulvar and vaginal immunity and hydration such that 90% of women in their 80s not on hormone replacement have a BV infection.4,28,30-32 33,34 Inflamm-aging and BV also increase risks of sexually transmitted infections by 6-fold.34,36-41 And similar to inflammation and bacterial imbalance in the gut and mouth, urogenital bacterial imbalance and dementia occur together due to high levels of inflammatory products from women with BV being shed to the brain and other body regions.9,16,18,19,42-46
Support of healthy bacteria and mucosal function for the vulva, vagina and urinary tract, can reduce urogenital inflamm-aging and may include oral probiotics, hormone replacement, and below-the-belt personal care products that don’t harm healthy systems such as the patent-pending, prebiotic Wild & Pure EcoBalance Cleansers™. In everyday life, good bacteria for the vaginal and urinary tracts come from our vulva and then spread up to higher regions. We develop these healthy bacteria through our daily care choices, our sexual partners, and other women we are around – so ditch the hand sanitizer if you are older and around healthy younger women! Products for below-the-belt daily hygiene that cause burning or itching or that INCREASE unwanted vaginal odors should be avoided. These symptoms are your body’s way of telling you such products don’t work with your health.