Dependent upon your flow level and lifestyle, you may use multiple menstrual hygiene products. Switching products on heavy days may help prevent leaks or stains.
As well as considering cost and sustainability when selecting period products, make sure they offer comfort, absorbency and odor-fighting properties – these features should all help find your ideal period product! It may require a bit of trial-and-error until you find one suitable to you.
Menstrual Cups
Menstrual cups are small flexible tubes made of medical-grade silicone that can be inserted into your vagina during your period to collect menstrual blood. Unlike pads and tampons that absorb menstrual fluid, cups are designed to collect it – offering a sustainable yet comfortable alternative to traditional period products.
Tampons and pads that last 12 hours or more may provide significant cost savings over disposable options, while also being more eco-friendly than their disposable counterparts by being reusable and thus reducing landfill waste and saving trees cut down for paper production.
Menstrual cup brands in the marketplace come with various features like grip rings, stem designs and firmness to meet individual needs. Some may require trial and error before finding your ideal fit; once found however, they’re easy to use and should last years with proper sterilisation by boiling for 3-5 minutes between cycles.
Bamboo Pads
Bamboo pads make an excellent alternative to disposable menstrual products, as they’re soft and absorbent – not to mention eco-friendly! Crafted with eco-friendly natural fibres from food waste and crop remnants, bamboo pads provide sustainable period management while being quick-drying and comfortable options.
Bamboo fabric offers superior breathability over cotton, helping reduce overheating and rashes during your period. Plus, bamboo material is three times more absorbent!
Bamboo reusable menstrual pads can last for years when handled correctly! Simply rinse and wash in hot water using anti-bacterial washing liquid to maintain hygiene, free from harmful chemicals, and stop blood transfer between pads. So make the switch today; bamboo pads come in multiple sizes to suit every flow. Plus, The Pink Lemonade Shop even offers undyed bamboo Velour Pads with fleece backs – for optimal comfort!
Pinkie Pads
Reaping the rewards of puberty can be both exciting and daunting, which is why Pinkie founders Fiona Simmonds and Sana Clegg designed organic, toxin-free pads made specifically for tweens and teens. To use one, girls simply peel off the paper strip covering its adhesive side and press it against their underwear with wings that wrap around their crotch area – it is recommended that girls change their pad at least every three to four hours even if their flow is light in order to prevent leakage or reduce any associated odor.
As well as selling pads in their reusable drawstring bags, the company also uses social media such as TikToks, Youtube videos, and Facebook to educate parents and girls on menstruation through TikToks, Youtube clips, and Facebook to demystify periods and empower young girls, particularly as the average age for first periods is declining over time. According to Euromonitor data this shift explains why overall demand for menstrual products has remained flat while baby care sales decreased and adult care rose over this period vs declining baby care products which saw growth while baby care products sales declined sharply over this same time period as baby care declined while baby care products saw growth over this same timeframe (despite declining baby care needs but growing adult care spending by comparison).
Reusable Cotton Pads
Cotton pads have become an indispensable component of menstrual hygiene for centuries. According to one recent study, each person consumes between 108-504 disposable pads in their lifetime – something which could easily be avoided with reusable cloth pads like those provided by Lunette.
Cotton day and night pads from this company provide similar absorbency as disposables, yet can be washed and dried multiple times before reuse. Furthermore, they come with a wet bag to store used pads when on-the-go.
Cleaning reusable pads is easy and doesn’t require special laundry detergent or treatment products – simply put used pads into a wet bag (supplied with Trade for Aid pads) or sealable container, then into your washing machine as normal. For more stain-prone pads, soak them first in cold water prior to washing or pre-treat them with The Laundress Stain Solution ($16). Alternatively they can also be air dried.
