What's Growing In Your Undies? Hint: Not Flowers
We all learned in middle school science class that yeast and bacteria require two things to grow: moisture and warmth. Eww, but true: your underwear has that going for it in spades.
What can grow down there?
Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae: These are the most two common bacteria that causes urinary tract infections. A UTI occurs when that bacteria crawls up the urinary tract. Eww but true fact #1.
Trichophyton rubrum or T. mentagrophytes: These are fungi that cause a skin conditions including tinea cruris (which is basically athlete's foot in your groin). Because this fungus thrives in warm, moist areas of the body it often affects the genitals, inner thighs and buttocks especially in the warm summer months. Eww but true fact #2.
Candida albicans - This is a naturally-occurring yeast found in the vagina that if grown in overabundance causes vaginal Thrush, or better known as a yeast infection. Ewww but true fact #3.
The best way to prevent all of this activity in your underwear? Choose cotton. Underwear made from synthetic materials restricts airflow to the genitals. Natural cotton, in contrast, is porous and allows air to flow through the material, which helps to keep the genitals drier and cooler. Even if your cute nylon or lacy pair has a cotton crotch, it still traps more heat than cotton. Want to make a big change? Choose organic cotton underwear. Organic cotton is grown without synthetic fertilizers which are often petroleum based and contain additional chemicals and dyes. Eww but true fact #4.
But isn’t organic expensive?
By using organic cotton grown in a place ripe for cotton production, companies like Pact reduces the cost of making them (and harm to the planet) and passes on the savings versus marking them up just because they are organic. At that famous sexy-pink-lingerie store, you’ll pay $10.50 to $16.50 for non-organic cotton panties. At Pact, everyday, you only pay $12 for organic undies or can stock up and get 3 pairs for $9 each.