Sex is beautiful, exciting, and heart-pounding. The aftermath is blissful, sweet, and... a little icky. 

As much as we love sex around here, we can't deny that it gets a little messy. Not to worry, it's all natural and nothing for you or your partner to be embarrassed about. We just want to make sure that you're using proper hygiene and cleaning yourselves up afterwards. 

The Benefits Of After Sex Hygiene 

When you've finished having glorious sex or even just a lovely little masturbation session by yourself, cleaning up may be the last thing on your mind. You're tired (in a good way), and all you want to do is lay there with your partner. You may even want to fall into a luxurious nap, snuggling up to the one you love. 

But before you get too relaxed, it's important to perform some basic after sex hygiene. While you were having a great time with your partner (or with your favorite sex toy), you built up a lot of sweat, discharge, and lube in your vaginal area. All these fluids combined can seep into your pores, as well as your vagina, and cause some irritating health issues. That's why it's important that you can clean yourself up as soon as you can after you're finished having sex. 

There are some wonderful health benefits of establishing a simple after sex hygiene routine, including: 

- Preventing of urinary tract infections (UTIs) 

- Prevention of yeast infections

- Prevention of bacterial overgrowth 

- Prevention of acne

This last benefit isn't exactly health-related, but it's one of our favorites: after you clean yourself up, you just feel so much better. You can actually enjoy your afterglow, instead of feeling wet and sweaty and sticky all over. 

4 Best After Sex Hygiene Habits

Here are the 4 best after sex hygiene habits so you can maintain peak sexual health. 

1. Use The Bathroom 

One of the first things you should do after sex is use the bathroom. This goes for both sexes, but especially for women. The reason is that bacteria may have gotten into your urethra (the hole in your genitals where the pee comes out), and if you allow it to grow, you could have a painful UTI on your hands. 

So, even though it's hard to tear yourself away from your comfortable bed and partner, try to get up and pee as soon as possible after sex. 

2. Wash Your Vaginal Area With Warm Water

When you wash your vaginal area, doctors recommend you only use warm water. No soaps, sprays, or scented wipes as these can irritate your skin and disrupt your vagina's natural bacteria. 

3. Use Aloe Vera To Soothe Burns Or Tears

It's common for women to experience mild tears or chaffing after sex, especially if it's been a while since they have done the deed (or if  they have never done it before at all). As long as you are not allergic to it, use aloe vera to soothe those burning spots. This all-natural plant gel is cool and soothing and it helps your body fight yeast infections (yeas infections are also common when you change partners so don't fret!). 

4. Drink Water 

Staying hydrated after sex is essential. After all, you just finished a strenuous (albeit sensual and delightful) physical activity. Drinking water will help you feel refreshed and energized, as well as improve the quality of your skin. It will also help you pee out any bacteria you may have collected in your urethra or vaginal area. 

Use these four hygiene tips to improve your health and well-being, and remember to always take good care of yourself (and your partner) after sex.