Finding the ideal pad, whether for light, medium, or heavy flows is paramount to your comfort. A good pad should feel soft on your skin without chafing and protect you from leakage.
They come with various absorbencies to suit your flow rate and include features like breathability and comfort.
Comfort
Sanitary pads are worn outside of underwear and help manage periods. They’re easy to use and come in various shapes and sizes ranging from short slender panty liners to overnight pads with wings for additional protection. The best sanitary pads absorb fluid quickly while remaining secure against leakage or odor.
Pads are typically composed of cotton and may include synthetic fibers for additional comfort. Organic cotton varieties offer additional environmental and health benefits.
Pads should be changed every few hours or more frequently during periods with heavy flow, and as directed to prevent toxic shock syndrome (TSS). Washable menstrual towels provide an alternative to disposable pads; these can be found at many natural health stores.
Absorbency
Pads are an integral component of menstrual management. They keep you dry and comfortable while helping prevent leaks or odour, and come in various shapes, sizes, absorbency ratings and wear-over-night designs that provide additional leakage protection.
Most disposable sanitary pads are constructed of materials such as cotton and cellulose fibres; however, more environmentally-friendly materials like bamboo could provide an economical and sustainable alternative. Bamboo also reduces landfill waste.
This study focused on four biodegradable fabrics – cotton terry cloth, linen, hemp and bamboo wadding – to test their absorbency index against commercial sanitary pads using gelatine solution. Results indicate that bamboo wadding proved most absorbent compared to hemp and linen with lower absorbency index values.
Breathability
Girls often find that using cloth menstrual pads requires them to change them less frequently due to being more airy and soft, however, these should still be changed every three or four hours to prevent odor build-up and leaks.
Sanitary towels are rectangular pieces of absorbent material worn beneath women’s underwear during menstruation to catch menstrual blood and prevent leakage. Some pads feature wings to cover edges of underwear and help prevent any possible leakage issues.
Sanitary napkins are composed of key materials like wood pulp, nonwoven fabrics derived from polymers, sap (superabsorbent powder), adhesives made of natural and synthetic resins and hot melts – often coated with hot melts to reduce irritation due to friction of the pad against skin.
Disposability
Disposable menstrual pads work by absorbing blood and locking it away from the skin, with an anti-leak layer to ensure no leakage occurs. They come in many different sizes, shapes and materials to meet various flow and comfort preferences.
Today’s disposable pads for women typically utilize rayon, a material made of cellulose fibre extracted from wood pulp obtained from sustainable forests. Cellulose gives this material its integrity while superabsorbents increase its absorbent capabilities.
Some of the latest sanitary napkins feature thin cores crafted using air-laid technology, making them lighter and thinner than traditional products. Their low SAP loading enables them to absorb blood while still remaining sturdy; additionally, these designs aim to remain discreet so you can wear them anywhere from work environments to fitness classes.
Cost
Pads come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, from slim to super-thin. Their main function is funneling fluid to their absorbent core for absorption, thus minimizing leaks and controlling odor. In addition, pads feature a top sheet which protects skin irritation as well as special glue that’s typically hot-melt construction adhesive or an elastomeric adhesive in order to secure leg and waist foam elastics to the pad.
Women who opt for washable menstrual pads often do so for both cost and environmental impact reasons, saving both money and waste in landfills by choosing them over disposable ones. Washable pads have many advantages that disposable ones cannot – including reduced costs over time as well as less waste created.
