A healthy vaginal microbiome is composed of 90% “good” bacteria, primarily of the Lactobacilli family, with the species Lactobacillus crispatus and Lactobacillus iners being in greatest abundance.

Why is this important?

These “good” bacteria help the vagina to self-clean and fight off infection by producing lactic acid and hydrogen peroxide which maintains a pH of 3.5.

In this acidic environment, it is difficult–if not impossible–for bacteria to bind to epithelial cells and pathogens such as E. coli, candida and Staph to grow.

However, this vaginal environment is a fragile one and can get disrupted by any host of environmental and lifestyle factors, causing the pH to rise and the vaginal biome to enter a dangerous state of “dysbiosis”, or imbalance, increasing the risk of diseases like STI’s, Pelvic Inflammatory Disease and ovarian cancer. There are some common reasons for Vaginal Dysbiosis.

Learn more about the Benefits of a Balanced Microbiome