Women and girls require reliable, safe, and cost-effective feminine hygiene products in order to stay healthy. Unfortunately, accessing these essential items may be challenging; those without enough money to purchase them may resort to using items like rags, toilet paper or diapers from public bathrooms instead.
Choose sanitary products that match your flow level, lifestyle and comfort preferences. It is also essential that you wash your hands prior to using any new or used ones as well as discard used ones in an environmentally responsible manner.
Pads
Pads absorb menstrual blood to ensure girls remain comfortable and leak-free throughout their periods. There are different sizes available for lighter or heavier days as well as options with scent.
Many conventional pads and tampons contain synthetic materials treated with dioxins and furans that have been linked to cancer, reproductive health issues and endocrine disruption. If you want safer, eco-friendly alternatives it’s easy with direct-to-consumer brands like Lola or Thinx that offer them as direct alternatives.
Tampons
Tampons are menstrual hygiene products designed to absorb blood during your period. They may be made of cotton, rayon or both.
Plastic or cardboard applicators with outer barrel and finger grip, an absorbent core, and string for easier insertion are available to you to meet lighter to heavy flow rates and are FDA regulated medical devices.
Tampons and pads allow women to go about their lives without worrying that someone might notice their menstrual blood. Unfortunately, concerns over ingredients in tampons as well as plastic applicators lead to alternative such as cloth napkins and menstrual cups being offered as solutions.
Pantyliners
Panty liners, the thinnest version of pads, can help absorb everyday vaginal discharge, unexpected light period flow, staining or spotting at the beginning or end of periods and post-intercourse discharge. There are various kinds of panty liners on the market today ranging from waterproof ones to those made with breathable materials.
Sirona panty liners are an ideal solution for people experiencing lighter periods. These thin and convenient panty liners protect against urine leakage while helping keep underwear fresh – they even make for convenient outdoor foreplay!
Feminine Wash
Feminine wash is a gentle soap designed specifically to clean and soothe the delicate vulvar area. Hypoallergenic and soap-free formulations ensure it remains gentle on sensitive skin while effectively cleaning it.
Regular soap can alter the natural pH balance of a woman’s vulva, which should range between 3.5 and 4.7 on the pH scale, leading to irritation, itching, and inflammation. Washes also eliminate harmful bacteria while supporting healthy probiotic levels in their bodies – an essential requirement. The key is finding non-drying products without perfumes or fragrances for maximum benefit.
Feminine Wipes
Feminine wipes offer an effective and portable solution for intimate hygiene. These handy wipes can eliminate odor and soothe sensitive skin while helping balance pH levels in the vulva.
Avoid fragranced feminine wipes that can irritate delicate skin by opting for pH balanced natural wipes with soothing ingredients like aloe vera extract and camellia sinensis leaf, such as camellia sinensis leaf water hydrator. Be sure to use feminine wipes front-back so as to prevent bacteria transference between hands and vulva and dispose of used wipes responsibly to avoid clogging up plumbing systems or harming the environment.
Douches
Douches are typically sold to women as a way of refreshing and cleansing the vagina. Their ingredients might include vinegar, baking soda or even iodine for maximum effectiveness.
Douching disrupts the delicate balance between good bacteria and healthy pH in the vagina, and an overgrowth of pathogens that could potentially lead to bacterial vaginosis (BV) or pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), particularly among adolescents. The risk for BV is particularly elevated.
Douching increases the likelihood of sexually transmitted diseases such as chlamydia and gonorrhea for women.
Incontinence Products
Women can select from an assortment of internal feminine hygiene products like tampons and vaginal sponges that meet their internal hygiene needs, from disposable options to those that can be cleaned and reused again later.
Absorbency capacities of incontinence products determine their duration; greater capacities may increase the risk of leakage if worn incorrectly.
Many individuals manage incontinence using flexible pants or pads that can be easily changed out and reusable underwear, and insurance coverage usually includes essential skin care products to support healthy skin when managing incontinence.
Yeast Infection Products
An unpleasant yeast infection can be uncomfortable, yet is usually treatable and non-life threatening. Many over-the-counter (OTC) antifungal medications are available as creams, tablets or suppositories to provide relief.
These products can help soothe itching and irritation caused by yeast infections on any soft, damp area of your body. Most are easy to use and come equipped with an applicator so you can apply exactly the amount needed.
MONISTAT is an antifungal medication available without a valid doctor’s prescription and applied directly into the vagina to treat yeast infections and provide relief.
