An Acidic Environment Protects Your Vagina – The normal pH of the vagina is 3.8 to 4.5 which falls on the acidic side of the pH scale. In comparison, things like water and sperm have a more alkaline pH, in the 7 to 8 range. Your vagina tries to maintain an acidic environment because it helps ward off unhealthy bacteria and keeps yeast from multiplying too quickly.

We believe we are making it better by shielding ourselves from our own pain. This is a fool’s errand, for the pain we refuse to feel and acknowledge doesn’t dissipate from our lacking attention, but rather collects in our heart center with a weightiness that we often cannot name or discern. So fearful are we, of the potential of a broken heart, that we inadvertently refuse to open our hearts at all. 

I used to think I knew about courage. I would often write and talk about it as a defining attribute that allowed you to explore and wonder about your life. And referred to it as the backbone of what gives relationships the strength to evolve. Those things are true, but in a more fundamental way for more people than I probably ever recognized before this massive loss, our capacity for courage is actually proportional to our will to keep living.

When our friends at Dame recently appeared on “Megyn Kelly TODAY” to talk about the pleasure gap, we knew the term had officially gone mainstream. And for good reason. The statistics on how often women reach orgasm compared to men are striking, especially in heterosexual relationships. And yet, to many women this news isn't all that surprising. Why is that? And what can we do to elevate and validate women's pleasure?

I lost my son Ian and life has become a deep haze of grief. Time is meaningless except for the vast swaths of the future that is lost to us. All the plans, all that was saved and counted on dissolving like salt in a watery broth of tears. And the inability to reconcile reality – the immediacy and permanence of death seems impossible for my beautiful 26-year-old boy.

August was declared National Breastfeeding Month by the United States Breastfeeding Committee. Breastfeeding has been a controversial topic as mothers are expressing their right to publically breastfeed. Mothers who are able to breastfeed want to do what their bodies are intended to do rather than teach the baby to break off of the tata’s just to satisfy others. Many people do not realize how important it is to breastfeed, not only for the baby but for the mother as well.

Many relationships suffer from a lack of self-esteem. A relationship’s self-esteem is connected to that of the partner’s, but it also has a life of its own. Genuine esteem is founded in the courage to see oneself truly, both the positive and negative aspects of who we are and how we function and malfunction in the world.

Everyone always talks about becoming environmentally aware in their home or business, but what about becoming aware while on a date? Here are 4 ways to make that transition now! 

Lubrication is a fact of life – it is the grease that keeps the crank turning, the fluidity of a conversation that goes late into the night, the moisture that transforms the friction of skin-to-skin contact into a glide. I have spent much of my adult life thinking about lubricants, specifically sexual lubricants – and how to make them better. When I first began studying lubes, it was personal. I was searching for something that didn’t create so many negative side effects. The itching and burning from using them not only killed the mood but was threatening my desire to have a sex life. 

Last year, we collaborated with MADE SAFE on a list of the top five ingredients to avoid when purchasing body, skin, and hair care products. It continues to be a great starting point for anyone looking to reduce the role of toxins in their daily life. But with summer upon us, we’re likely using products like sunscreen, deodorant, or dry shampoo, and these all have ingredients we didn't cover two years ago. Here is your guide to the five ingredients to avoid in products this summer.

Many women are unaware of the risks of bacterial vaginosis (BV), and many don’t even know what it is. BV is a condition that occurs when there is too much of certain bacteria in the vagina. This changes the normal balance of bacteria in the vagina. BV is one of the most common vaginal infections.

 Here are three things you may not know about BV:

According to Baby Center, 85 percent of couples who actively try to get pregnant will conceive within about one year, or 12 menstrual cycles. If they are not able to conceive after one year, it is recommended at that time that they may want to consult a fertility expert. (This time period is reduced to six months before seeing an expert if the woman is over 35 years old.) 

Regardless of whether you’re in the early stages of trying to conceive or have been trying for a while, here are a few science-backed tips that may help get your body primed for fertility success.