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Intact adult males who wash their penis and glans daily with clean water usually do not have smegma between the inner foreskin and glans. In infants and boys whose foreskin cannot yet be pulled back (natural [[phimosis]]), smegma doesn't matter, while the foreskin protects the glans. The illustration "Smegma on a human penis" is therefore not typical for intact men who wash their genitals regularly.
Excessive washing and the use of soap inside the foreskin should be avoided, because soap removes the [[skin ]] oil so it can cause non-specific dermatitis that may be mistaken for balanitis.<ref name="birley1933">{{REFjournal
|last=Birley
|init=HDL
==Beneficial aspects of smegma==
Smegma contains natural [[skin ]] oils that are beneficial to the health of the [[mucosa]] that covers the [[glans penis]] and the inside of the [[foreskin]]. The oil also has lubricating advantages.<ref>{{REFjournal
|last=Wright
|first=Joyce