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Thinking about giving your backside a little more attention but not sure where to start? You're in the right place. This guide covers external booty care only — cleaning, hair, hemorrhoids, safer anal prep, and a bit of pampering along the way. No judgment, no gatekeeping, and definitely no pressure to have a "perfect" butt. Whether you're prepping for anal play, just want a cleaner routine, or you're simply booty-curious, here's everything you need.
⏱ 12 min read
Quick Answer
Booty care is basically skincare and hygiene for your backside: cleaning the outer area properly, keeping things comfortable, staying ahead of hemorrhoids, and deciding what — if anything — you want to do about butt hair. If intimacy is part of the plan, it also means prepping safely: consent, clean hands or toys, the right lube, and going slow. None of this needs fancy products. A gentle, fragrance-free cleanser, a bidet or cleansing bottle, some fiber in your diet, and a calm, unhurried approach covers most of it. The big rule to remember: this is all about external care. Internal cleaning (douching) is a separate topic with its own risks, and it's optional, not required.
📌 Key Takeaways● Booty care is about comfort, hygiene, and safer habits — not about chasing a "perfect" butt.● Squats and other lower-body moves can support glute strength, but they can't promise you a specific shape. ● The anus doesn't self-clean the way the vagina does, so a gentle, fragrance-free external cleanser matters — but more scrubbing isn't better. ● A bidet, sitz bath, or cleansing bottle makes rinsing after bowel movements (or before play) easier and gentler on the skin. ● Butt hair is completely normal and protective. If you want it gone, a licensed professional beats DIY every time. ● Enough fiber and a gentle approach to anal play help keep hemorrhoids at bay — and they're common and treatable if you do get them. ● If you're prepping for anal play: consent, clean hands or toys, compatible lube, and going slow matter more than any product. |
What Counts as "Booty Care," Really?
Booty care — sometimes called butt care or anal care — is just a simple wellness routine for your buttocks, butt crack, and the external anal area. Think washing, rinsing after bowel movements, wearing breathable underwear, moisturizing your cheeks if they're feeling dry, and prepping safely if intimacy is on the table.
It shouldn't feel like a chore or a beauty standard to live up to. You don't need harsh scrubbing, bleaching creams, numbing gels, or strong fragrances anywhere near this area. And it's worth knowing your cheeks and your external anal skin aren't the same — your regular skincare routine can handle the cheeks, but the delicate skin right around the anus needs a much gentler touch.
Give Your Sphincter Some Love Too
Here's one most people never think about: your external anal sphincter. It's the ring of muscle that controls bowel movements, and keeping it strong matters for comfort — especially if anal play is part of your life.
Finding it is easy: just tighten your butthole. That's it, that's your external anal sphincter. A patient exercise guide from a UK NHS Foundation Trust lays out a simple routine — squeeze tightly, hold about 5 seconds, relax, repeat 5 times, then add a few quick pull-and-release squeezes. Aim for the full set 4 to 6 times a day. Consistency beats intensity here.
If you deal with IBS or other digestive issues, check with your doctor before starting any new routine like this.
How to Clean the Outside Properly
Your butthole is a hotspot for bacteria — that's just biology, not a reflection on you. Unlike the vagina, which mostly self-cleans, the external anal area benefits from actual washing since this is where waste exits the body.
Stick to warm water for daily cleaning, and if you want a cleanser, reach for something mild and fragrance-free. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, fragrance and harsh soap are common triggers for contact dermatitis, and using mild, fragrance-free cleansers reduces that risk — so less is genuinely more here. After a bowel movement, wipe gently rather than scrubbing — if toilet paper alone leaves you irritated, a rinse can help remove residue with way less friction.
And to be clear: this is external cleaning only. Nothing goes inside the anus during a regular hygiene routine.
Simple external routine:
1. Rinse with warm water.
2. Add a mild, fragrance-free cleanser on the outside only, if you want one.
3. Rinse it off completely.
4. Pat dry with a clean towel — no rubbing.
5. Wear breathable underwear if sweat or friction tends to bother you.
If cleaning ever causes persistent burning, rash, or pain, stop whatever's causing it and check in with a healthcare professional.
Get a Bidet, Sitz Bath, or Cleansing Bottle
Honestly, these are a game-changer. A bidet, sitz bath, or simple cleansing bottle sprays water directly over the area, giving you a much more thorough rinse after bowel movements — or anytime you want to freshen up before play. They don't sterilize the skin or guarantee some perfect level of cleanliness, but they do cut down on the repeated wiping and friction that causes irritation in the first place.
If booty play is part of your sex life, it might be worth the investment. Plenty of people feel a little self-conscious about staying fresh down there, and these tools take a lot of that worry off the table.
(BEISAR product placeholder: link a cleansing bottle here if applicable.)
Tame — or Don't — the Fuzzy Butt
Hair around your butt and anus? Completely normal, and it actually protects that delicate skin from bacteria and irritation. If you like it, keep it. If it's not your thing, that's fine too — removing it is a personal choice, not a hygiene requirement.
If you do want it gone, book a licensed professional rather than DIY-ing it. Shaving or using depilatory creams yourself on such sensitive skin is a fast track to nicks, burns, and irritation. After a wax or other professional treatment, use a soothing gel and skip thongs, tight clothes, or anal play for about 24 hours — though really, listen to your skin rather than a fixed clock.
Worth knowing: a clinic-based study published on PubMed found that people who groomed their anal hair were roughly three times more likely to be diagnosed with a rectal STI than those who groomed elsewhere or not at all. That's an association, not proof that grooming causes infections — small nicks or irritation may make transmission easier — but it's still a good reason to use barriers with new partners and get tested regularly, groomed or not.
Prepping Safely for Anal Play
If anal play is on the agenda, the real prep work starts before any product touches your body: it's a conversation. Talk with your partner about comfort, boundaries, STI protection, lube, and what "stop" looks like — and keep checking in throughout, not just at the start.
Use clean hands (trim those nails) or toys designed specifically for anal use — look for a flared base or another safe retrieval feature so nothing gets stuck. Lube is non-negotiable: Planned Parenthood notes that using barriers like condoms and dams alongside plenty of lube is one of the most effective ways to make anal, oral, or vaginal sex safer. Use plenty, reapply as needed, and make sure it's compatible with your toy material and any barriers you're using.
For beginners, keep it slow and low-pressure:
● Start externally before even thinking about insertion.
● Use generous amounts of compatible lube.
● Start small, go light on pressure.
● Check in often.
● Stop immediately for pain, bleeding, numbness, or panic.
● Skip numbing products — they mask the pain signals that tell you to slow down or stop, and can make small tears harder to notice.
Mistakes Worth Avoiding
Over-cleaning. More scrubbing isn't better hygiene — it's just more irritation. Dry, itchy, cracked skin is not the goal.
Scented everything. Perfumed wipes, deodorant sprays, heavily fragranced body wash — they might smell nice, but they're rough on sensitive skin. Keep anything fragranced or "active" well away from the anal opening itself.
Random household objects. Anything you insert should be designed for that purpose, with a flared base or safe retrieval feature, made from a material you can actually clean.
Powering through pain. Sharp pain, bleeding, or ongoing irritation during grooming or play is never something to push past. It's your body's way of saying slow down or stop.
Caring for Sensitive Skin Around the Area
Your outer cheeks and the skin right around the anus are not the same thing, and products don't always translate between the two. Something totally fine for your cheeks — a scrub, a scented lotion, an acid-based serum — can easily irritate the far more delicate skin near the opening.
For your cheeks, a simple wash-and-moisturize routine is plenty. Patch-test anything new on a small area first, and go easy on exfoliation if you're dealing with bumps, ingrown hairs, or irritation. For the anal area itself, simpler really is better: warm water, fragrance-free products only if needed, pat dry instead of rubbing, and skip heavy creams directly on the anus. If irritation keeps coming back, think about what might be triggering it — detergent, tight clothes, a new lube, shaving.
Want More Shape Back There? Here's Where That Fits In
Everything so far has been about hygiene and comfort. But if part of what brought you here is wanting your butt to look a certain way, that's a fair thing to want too — it just belongs in a different category than washing and skin care.
Squats, hinges, step-ups — these lower-body moves can genuinely help with glute strength, mobility, and general fitness. They're a great habit to build if it's something you enjoy.
Just don't expect a guaranteed shape, size, or lift out of it. Bodies respond to training differently, and no routine can promise targeted fat loss or a specific look. Training is a nice complement to booty care, not a replacement for it — hygiene and skin comfort still matter regardless of how your squats are going.
Booty Facial: For the Enthusiasts
Want to take things a step further? Some people treat their booty like their face — full skincare routine and all. Here's a simple version:
1. Cleanse — In the shower, wash your hips, butt crack, and outer anus gently with your usual gentle cleanser. No need to rinse inside the butthole.
2. Exfoliate — An exfoliating glove or loofah works well for the hips and cheeks. Circular motions, extra attention where cheeks meet thighs.
3. Serum (optional) — Nice if you want it, but this is one area where a more affordable option is totally fine.
4. Moisturize — Your regular moisturizer works; no special "butt cream" required. Just keep anything heavily fragranced away from the anus itself.
Understanding Hemorrhoids
Hemorrhoids are swollen veins in or around the anus, and they can cause itching, tenderness, or bleeding. They're common, usually temporary, and treatable — but not something to ignore if symptoms persist.
Cleveland Clinic recommends getting 25 to 38 grams of fiber a day and avoiding straining during bowel movements, and notes that anal intercourse is itself one of the recognized risk factors — so gentleness during play matters too. If you're dealing with active hemorrhoid symptoms, dial back anal play, shaving, waxing, and anything else that adds pressure or friction to the area. Listen to your body — anal play shouldn't hurt, and pain is a stop sign, not something to push through.
If hemorrhoids show up often, it might be worth talking to your doctor before resuming anal play. And if receiving isn't an option right now, giving might be a great way to stay involved while things settle.
Choosing Intimate Products for Anal Use
Skip the vague "body-safe" label and actually look at material, design, and cleaning instructions. You want a smooth, easy-to-clean surface, clear info about what it's made from, and — for anything inserted — a flared base or another safe retrieval feature.
Steer clear of anything damaged, oddly sticky, hard to clean, or vague about its materials. Double-check that your lube plays nicely with both the toy material and any barrier method you're using, and always clean toys before and after use per the manufacturer's instructions.
(BEISAR product placeholders: link relevant prostate massagers or anal-use products here, e.g. Petalwish 2 Thrusting Prostate Massager, Petalwish 3 Triple-Function Prostate Massager, once you send real product URLs.)
Your Booty Care Checklist
● Squat regularly if you're after more glute shape and strength.
● Do a set of sphincter squeezes most days — hold, release, repeat.
● Clean the outer anus with a gentle, fragrance-free cleanser after bowel movements.
● Consider a bidet, sitz bath, or cleansing bottle for an easier, gentler rinse.
● If removing hair, book a licensed professional rather than DIY-ing it.
● Eat enough fiber and go slow during anal play to help prevent hemorrhoids.
● If intimacy's on the table: consent, clean hands/toys, compatible lube, and patience.
● Save the deeper exfoliate-serum-moisturize routine for whenever you want extra pampering.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it normal to have hair around my butthole?
Completely normal — everyone has some, and it actually protects delicate skin from bacteria and irritation. Removing it is a personal choice, not a hygiene requirement.
How often should I clean before anal sex?
A quick external rinse with warm water — plus a gentle, fragrance-free cleanser if you like — is generally enough. A bidet, sitz bath, or cleansing bottle makes it easier and more thorough.
Can shaving or waxing down there increase my STI risk?
Research has found an association between anal hair removal and STI risk — one clinic-based study found groomers were about three times more likely to be diagnosed with a rectal STI than non-groomers. That's an association, not proof of direct cause, but it's a good reason to use barriers with new partners and test regularly regardless of grooming habits.
Do I really need a bidet for booty care?
No — it's a convenience, not a requirement. A gentle rinse and pat dry works fine for most people; a bidet or cleansing bottle just makes it faster and can boost confidence before play.
How many sphincter exercises should I do, and how often?
A commonly recommended routine: a tight squeeze held about 5 seconds, repeated 5 times, plus a few quick pull-and-release squeezes, done 4–6 times a day. Consistency matters more than volume.
Can I have anal sex if I have hemorrhoids?
It depends — active or frequent hemorrhoids are a good reason to pause anal play until they settle. Talk to your doctor if you're unsure, and remember fiber and avoiding straining can help prevent them in the first place.
Do I need special "butt creams"?
Not really. Your regular moisturizer is fine for the hips and cheeks — just keep heavily fragranced products off the anus itself, since that skin is much more sensitive.
Do you need to douche before anal sex?
No, it's not required. The San Francisco AIDS Foundation's safer-douching guidance puts it simply: in a perfect world, no one would need to douche at all. Some people choose a gentle rinse with plain water for personal comfort, but soap, bleach, and other cleaning products should never go inside the anus, and you should stop if it causes any pain or irritation.
Medical Disclaimer
This article is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. If you have persistent hemorrhoids, digestive issues, pain, bleeding, STI concerns, or any other medical condition, consult a qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your routine or sexual health practices.
References
● North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust — Anal Sphincter Exercises
● Cleveland Clinic — Hemorrhoids: Symptoms, Causes & Treatment
● PubMed — Pubic Hair Grooming and Sexually Transmitted Infections: A Clinic-Based Cross-Sectional Survey
● American Academy of Dermatology — Contact Dermatitis: Causes
● San Francisco AIDS Foundation — Anal Douching Safety Tips
● Planned Parenthood — How Do I Make Sex Safer?
About the Author
JoyAnario is a sexual health writer with 3 years of experience covering anal wellness, sex education, pleasure products, and LGBTQ+ intimacy. This article was reviewed by BEISAR Editorial Team.
Last Updated: [2026-07-27]
