I don’t care if I’m getting *Best of Fall TV Guide” magazines in the mail or emails full of ankle boots and camel-colored coats — summer ain’t over till we say it is, dammit!! Especially if you live in a place like New York where humidity makes the whole city feel like a really dirty butterfly enclosure at the zoo. There’s so many things to remember to take care of in warmer weather — shave your legs, keep your toes sandal-friendly, sunscreen always, keep hydrated, remember to always be having as much fun as everyone else is on Instagram – that we can sometimes forget about one of, if not *the most*, important part of our bodies: our vaginas!

So, we’re dedicating this blog post to everything your V needs to survive these last dog (or pussy??) days of summer:

You’re too cute to chafe!!

OK, so this isn’t technically your vag, but it’s your vag-region and that’s good enough for us. Summer is all about filling your weekends with too many activities and rushing around like a certain crazy someone (me) at a Reformation sample sale. But all that running around + hot weather + humidity + thighs that touch = the pain of one thousand hot suns. I don’t want to be ~dramatic~, but I feel like the inside of my thighs can relate to the victims of Daenerys’ dragons.

Luckily, this summer, we found a solution to the crappiness of thigh-chafe in Megababe. Founded by 12ish Style blogger Katie Sturino, Megababe’s Thigh Rescue is a super-cute, effective, non-toxic, chafe-battling balm that’s breaking down beauty industry taboos. After taking it for a spin all the way from Chinatown to Harlem on a subway sans AC, I can *confirm* it works! (And they also make Bust Dust for sweaty boobs!!) For a full run down, check out our post here.

How to not swamp vadge 101:

We’ve broken down yeast infections on the blog before, and chances are if you’re reading this, you’ve had one — the CDC says that nearly 75% of women have! Yeast infections just loooovveee warm, moist places, so during a hot and sweaty summer, your vagina becomes the perfect place for them to thrive. But there *are* some things you can do to make sure your vagina doesn’t become a brewery by Labor Day. I know this is literally advice your grandma gave you, but don’t sit around in wet swimsuits! Embrace your inner Mariah Carey and bring an ~outfit change~ to the beach. (Also, don’t ride a motorcycle).

If you’re working out (go you!), make sure your gear is moisture-wicking, so you aren’t sitting around in sweat. Lighter, cooler fabrics can also help air circulate (think cotton!), and keep away from using vaginal soaps or deodorants because that can kill off bad bacteria and totally disrupt your natural vaginal bacterial/pH flow, making you extra prone to yeast infections.

Summer lovin’, give me a chaaaance

Summer is the perfect time to let your flirty/freaky flag fly, and while you might feel a last minute kick to get yourself out there before the proverbial lights come on in the bar, that doesn’t mean you should ignore your vagina. If you’ve found a Danny to your Sandy, make sure you’re giving your V the love and attention it needs (unless you’re doin’ it DIY of course, and if you are, check out our sex toy review for some inspo). So, make sure you sort out which contraception works best for you (our posts on the pill and the IUD are good places to start). And if you’re having casual summer sex, you gotta wear a condom anyway to prevent STIs and other sexually transmitted diseases. I know, I know__, but you gotta. So what happens if you’re on a boat in the middle of a lake with the love of your life and you absolutely can’t get a condom...or something – and end up freaking out about something that feels NQR down there? Don’t panic! And don’t Google. Check out our guide to the next steps when you think you might have an STI.

You gotta make something to go with that margarita, right?

Earlier in the summer, we spoke to Parsley Health about recipes that could combat period symptoms (bloating, cramps, that general-I want to eat everything-mood) but were appropriate for tropical weather (I just can’t turn on the oven in my apartment between June and September). The fan (and blog-writer) fave was definitely the baked salmon with a ginger-almond crust, full of anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids and naturally cramp-reducing ginger. Perfect for your *end of summer* BBQ. Sorry. I mean, it’s never over. Summer break forever.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup raw almonds

2 garlic cloves

½ inch fresh ginger, peeled

¼ cup fresh herbs (cilantro, mint, parsley, or chives)

6 tablespoons extra virgin coconut oil, at room temperature (i.e. not melted)

1 tablespoon gluten-free tamari or soy sauce

Zest of 1 lemon

4 (5-ounce) sockeye or coho salmon fillets

Sea salt

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

In a small food processor, pulse the almonds, garlic, ginger, and herbs until finely ground. Transfer to a medium mixing bowl and stir in the coconut oil, tamari, and lemon zest. Arrange 4 pieces of parchment paper, about the length of a baking sheet, on a clean work surface. Fold each piece of paper in half, length wide. Making each packet one at a time, arrange the salmon on half of the parchment paper.

Season with salt and smear with ¼ of the almond crust. Fold the top half of the paper over the salmon and fold the edges, origami-style, until the packet is sealed. It will look kind of like an empanada. Don’t worry if it comes unraveled slightly. So long as you’ve made clean creases, no air can get out.

Arrange the packets on 2 baking sheets and roast in the oven for 15 minutes for medium rare.

Serve the salmon directly from the packets with lemon wedges on the side. Some simple roasted broccoli and quinoa fried rice would make an excellent healthy side.

What are your vagina-related summer survival tips? Are you praying summer never ends, or are you secretly excited for pumpkin-spiced season to start?

by Mia Abrahams