Q: I’ve got vaginitis – again! I am so tired of this. Have you got anything that will help?

A: A mild solution of boric acid has been used as a home remedy for decades to treat vaginitis.

I can hear you now, thinking, “I don’t want to put acid in my vagina!”

I don’t blame you, but I assure you that this same mild acid solution is so gentle it’s commonly used to treat eye irritations, eye infections and sties. It’s safe for your eyes and then it’s safe for your vagina. Boric acid has even been used in ointments and salves to treat diaper rashes that are fungal in origin.

If you Google “boric acid,” you’ll find references that say it is toxic. Yes, it can be in very strong doses, but you’ll be using a mild solution.

The antifungal properties of boric acid have been well researched. Primary among the research supporting boric acid’s effectiveness is a Cornell University study of 100 women with chronic yeast vaginitis who had failed to respond to various over-the-counter or prescription anti-fungal medicines, 98% successfully treated their infections with boric acid suppositories over a period of 2-4 weeks. Now, that’s impressive!

The authors said the lack of effectiveness of conventional antifungal agents appears to be the main primary reasons for these recurring vaginal yeast infections.

The authors concluded that boric acid is “clearly the treatment of choice.” [Antifungal agents vs. boric acid for treating chronic mycotic vulvovaginitis. J Reprod Med 1977;36: pp.593-7]

Using boric acid can be a challenge – or not.

Generally, make sure you’ve cleansed all areas of your genitals carefully and dried them.
A boric acid douche used to be the only way to address is the most commonly recommended means of addressing vaginal yeast. Make up a douche using 1 teaspoon of boric acid powder (available at most drug stores) dissolved in a pint of warm water (You have to boil the water first for 15 minutes to make sure it is sterile). We all know douching can be a real messy nuisance, so the good news is that there’s an easier way.
Try a suppository, like our Yeast Arrest, to deliver the right concentration of mild boric acid exactly where it’s needed without mess or hassle. Yeast Arrest is available through the YeastConnection.com store.

The suppositories melt at body temperature, coat the inside of the vagina and the outer area of the labia and even the hood of the clitoris, where yeast organisms tend to accumulate, killing the yeast easily and painlessly, and relieving external itching.
Use the suppositories or douches once a day for a mild infection and twice a day for a more severe infection for at least a week and keep using them at least two days beyond when your symptoms are gone.

If recurrent vaginal yeast infections have been a problem, you can use a suppository vaginally at bedtime, beginning one week before your period.

In any case, you’ll probably want to use a panty liner, since there can be some a slight amount of discharge from the suppository not to mention your ongoing vaginal discharge, which will soon be a thing of the past.