There's no trick to it—it's really just like cleaning any other part of your normal skin. Lather up your washcloth, sponge, or loofah and gently scrub your belly button. Dry off the area and follow up your belly button cleaning with a lotion or body oil to keep the skin soft, supple, and smelling good!
Those with deeper navels may need to get a little more aggressive about cleanliness. Dip your finger or a soft washcloth in a solution of saltwater (about a teaspoon of table salt in a cup of warm water) and gently massage the inside of your navel. This should loosen stubborn germs that can cause odor.
Using warm water and mild soap, use a washcloth to gently clean around and just inside the belly button. Rinse with clean, warm water and dry with a towel to make sure that all water has been removed from the belly button. Showering or bathing regularly can help to prevent skin problems and odor.
It's important to be gentle, as vigorous scrubbing can irritate the skin, which may increase your risk of infection. If your belly button is particularly dirty, you can dip your finger into some table salt and gently massage your belly button before rinsing it thoroughly.
Navel stones are usually dark brown or black. They are also dry and hard to the touch. When doctors examine them under the microscope, they can whether the stone is made up of dead skin, hair, sebum, or other debris that has built up in the navel. Navel stones aren't usually painful.
"All flesh holes can build up with sweat, dead skin cells, oils, clothing fabric, bacteria and forbidden cheese," he says in the clip, which has since been viewed over 400k times. "If not washed out on a regular basis, this material can accumulate and harden into an omphalolith – a belly button stone," he adds.
Belly buttons are most people's first scars, which form when doctors cut their umbilical cord after birth. Most innies are full of dozens of kinds of bacteria, fungi, and lint - especially if they're on a hairy belly.
“You should gently clean your belly button regularly with soap and water,” says Dr. Sperling.
It's better than nothing and will still remove some germs, lint and sweat, but it will not fully clean our navels. Got an 'innie' belly button? You need to swab your navel with a cotton bud dipped in warm, soapy water or alcohol once a week. Make sure you dry the entire area thoroughly afterwards.
Massaging the belly button with essential oils can have astounding benefits for the skin. If you want to reduce pigmentation, prevent excessive dryness, enhance skin texture, maintain hydration, and desire a natural glow on the skin, then do the simple trick of navel therapy.
You don't need anything fancy to wash your navel. Warm water and gentle soap will do the trick just fine! Apply some soap and water to your fingers or a washcloth and gently rub it into your belly button to get rid of dirt, grime, and lint. When you're done, carefully rinse away all the suds.
Pain within the bellybutton can sometimes result from a skin infection. This could be fungal or bacterial. Injuring the skin in the area, a buildup of bacteria from sweat, or friction can cause the skin to become inflamed or infected.
The shape and dent of your navel essentially determines how the umbilical cord heals. Belly buttons don't necessarily mean anything in particular about your health, however some people would argue that your belly button says a lot about you as a person.” Belly buttons are low-key gross.
“This structure is exquisitely sensitive and its sensory nerve fibers relay input back to the spinal cord at the same level as the nerves that relay sensation from your bladder and urethra.” You'll only get this weird tingly feeling if you really dig deep into your belly button, though.
“I recommend patients clean their navel daily in the shower with gentle soap and water,” says Dr. Bard. “A washcloth or Q-tip may help." Unlike with your ears, your navel is a "blind pouch" (does that make anyone else think of teeny, tiny kangaroos?)
Misconceptions about belly buttons
Others believe their belly button is somehow connected directly to their uterus or the placenta or even the baby's belly button. This isn't the case. As you can see in the picture below, the belly button normally isn't connected to anything in adults.
Yeast infections don't just happen in your nether regions. They can actually show up almost anywhere on your body, including your belly button. A belly button yeast infection is a yeast infection within the skin of your belly button (navel). A yeast infection of the skin is called candidiasis.
If you can't touch it, can you pour something in? Try peroxide followed by rubbing alcohol. The rubbing (isopropyl) alcohol will evaporate more quickly than water and after maybe 15 minutes you can pour in a teaspoon of cornstarch which will absorb the moisture of sweat and keep it dry unless you sweat way too much.
The treatment for a belly button yeast infection usually involves applying antifungal creams or ointments to the infected area. In severe cases, oral antifungal medications may be prescribed. It is also important to keep the belly button dry and clean, and to avoid tight-fitting clothing that can trap moisture.
Because of its shape and tiny skin folds, belly buttons can collect dirt, sweat, and bacteria. In fact, the average belly button contains about 67 types of bacteria. 1 This buildup can lead to a smell and even infection. Your belly button may smell because of a hygiene need or an infection caused by bacteria or fungus.
Keep your hands off your belly button
“The belly button harbors a high population of bacteria,” Dr. Richardson says. “It is largely inaccessible, so it remains dirty even after showering.” The shape of your navel makes it easy to collect dirt, which can even cause a strong smell. Dr.
Directly behind the navel is a thick fibrous cord formed from the umbilical cord, called the urachus, which originates from the bladder. The navel is unique to each individual due to it being a scar, and various general forms have been classified by medical practitioners.