Your Guide to Zero- Waste Period Products
Want to make the switch from conventional tampons or pads but need some questions answered first? You’re in the right place! Read on to learn about three popular options that can save you money, keep your body free of toxins, and even help ease period woes!
Are you sick of spending $13 on a box of toxic cotton each month? Of course you are! Fortunately, we have more crazy cool options for managing our flow each month than ever before. From menstrual cups to period underwear, stepping away from the tampons and pads previous generations relied on is getting easier all the time.
With that being said, soooo many women are still trudging to the store and laying down money for products that:
*Contain toxic chemicals
*Fill our landfills with more plastic
* Disrupt a natural and normal body process
*Encourage disconnection from your flow
Why? Because new is scary sometimes. Because we’ve been taught to think that our “time of the month” is gross, and shameful, and a secret to keep.
Talking about it (in public, without shame) is the only way to smash those old stories. So let’s talk! In this post, I’ll give an overview of 3 different reusable period products (menstrual cups, period underwear, and cloth pads), include tips just for new users, and break down why switching to reusable has so many fantastic benefits.
Menstrual Cups
Menstrual cups are a huge game changer! When properly inserted, you can’t even feel them, and they can be worn for up to 12 hours. That means sleeping, exercising, whatever you’re up to-you can just go on about your day and not worry about it. They can hold about 1 oz of fluid (29 ml). To give you a comparison, a super absorbency tampon can hold up to 12 ml.
Most cups are made of medical grade silicone, which is safe for your body and much friendlier to your yoni than bleached cotton. Also, a cup allows blood to flow rather than be stuck in your body like a tampon.
How To Choose a Cup
There are so many different brands and sizes of cups out there. My first recommendation to anybody wondering what kind of cup to choose is to head over to putacupinit.com and take their quiz. This is how I ended up with my current cup, and I’ve been very happy with it. The quiz will ask questions like if you’ve given birth, how heavy your flow is, and so on to determine which cup is best for you.
Another great thing about this quiz is that it’s only going to point you towards reputable brands. If you hop on Amazon and start searching for menstrual cups, you are going to get a lot of results. Some of these may be from manufacturers that are not necessarily following the safety standards that you would like to see for a product like this. I bought my 1st cup randomly chosen off Amazon and was horrified to find out that this company wasn’t even legit enough to have any kind of customer service contact information. Needless to say, that cup was immediately thrown away, never to be used again.
So choose wisely! You obviously don’t want to be putting questionable materials into such an important and intimate part of your body.
Safety Concerns
Can it get lost up there?
No. Nothing can get lost in your vaginal canal because of your cervix. It does take a little practice to get the cup in and out, but I promise, there is no way it’s getting lost inside of you.
Can I use a cup if I have an IUD?
You sure can! I just recently had my IUD removed, but I used a cup with an IUD for two years with no issues. You do need to be sure that you break the suction of the cup before trying to pull it out, but that is the advice for anyone- not just people who have IUDs.
Cloth Pads
For many of us, pads were the first period product that we used. Young girls may be intimidated by tampons, or possibly just weren’t shown how to use them, so pads it was.
If your experience was anything like mine, once you figured out how to use a tampon, you swore off pads forever!
Now, I adore cloth pads. These are not the bulky, plasticky, things that you remember from your childhood. The first time that I tried a cloth pad, I was in love.
So soft and comfy! Your vulva will thank you. 😉
Cloth pads are super easy to use. There’s really no learning curve here. They will usually come with a button or snap on the wings so that they can easily attach to your underwear. If you find that they’re still moving around too much you could try safety pins to keep them in place.
These can be purchased from brands like Lunapads and found on many different Etsy shops. If you know your way around a sewing machine, why not make your own? Here’s a tutorial with patterns and everything you’ll need.
Period Underwear
Period underwear is the new star in the zero-waste period game! Thinx was the first brand to get popular, but new ones are popping up all the time, giving plenty of options for every woman to find a style/size/absorbency that works best for her.
If you haven’t heard of them yet, period underwear are simply absorbent underwear that you bleed right into. Yep, it’s just that easy! Basically, it’s like using a pad, but with one less step.
I don’t have any personal experience with these yet, but I can’t wait to try them. I can tell you that everyone I have spoken to who has use these absolutely loves them!!
Benefits Of Switching to Reusable
Better For Your Body
SO MUCH better for your body! First of all, let’s look at some of the chemicals in conventional tampons and pads:
- Bleach
- Fragrance
- Pesticides
- Dioxin
- BPA
These can screw with your hormones, irritate your skin and yoni, and cause cancer. Nuff said.
Organic tampons solve the chemical issue, but still could cause your vagina to get a little angry with you. See, menstrual blood is meant to FLOW. Tampons are like a cork, stopping that flow. Some theories propose that the reason women tend to experience more cramping and heavier periods when using tampons is that using them doesn’t allow tissue to be expelled from the uterus as well.
Additionally, the absorbent nature of tampons means that they’re going to absorb *any* moisture that is present- not just blood. This dryness coupled with inserting and removing a tampon multiple times a day can leave you vulnerable to microtears in this area, which in turn raises the risk of bacterial infection.
Dry, infected yoni = pretty much the WORST thing ever.
Better For the Earth
It’s estimated that a single menstruating person will use (and throw away) anywhere between 5,000 and 15,000 pads and tampons in their lifetime.
That’s a LOT of trash.
Not only are conventional period products filling the landfills, but all of those nasty chemicals I mentioned above? They’re leaching out and running right into our soil and groundwater, remaining a health threat even after we’ve thrown them out.
$$$
How much do you think you’ve spent so far on single use period products?
Say, on average, that a box of tampons costs $7. 7 x 12 (months in a year) x 30 years (could be less or more, of course)= $2520. And these are just numbers I grabbed out of the air. If you need more than one box per cycle, the cost is even higher.
Menstrual cups run about $20-$40, and last for up to 10 years. Cloth pads and absorbent underwear last as long as any cloth product lasts. And I own a washcloth that I remember from CHILDHOOD sooo… pretty long. 😉
If a person were to use only reusable products, theoretically, they could spend under $100 for the entire time between menarche and menopause.
Connect With Your Flow
If you’ve read some of my other posts about treating cramps naturally or embracing the seasons of your cycle, you may already know that I am absolutely, 100% team #periodpositivity.
Our cycle isn’t something to be ignored. It’s actually an extremely valuable indicator of our overall health. Using a cup or cloth products allows you to get an up close and personal look at exactly what’s coming out during your period- color, amount, consistency. It all makes a difference.
Some folks I’ve talked to are grossed out by the idea of having to be so hands on with their bleeding experience. This is because all your life, you have been sold a story that your blood is disgusting, your yoni is shameful, and you should avoid them as much as possible. Keep things clean and tidy and floral scented.
Cool thing is, you can always pick a new story.
If you’re feeling apprehensive, start small. Maybe use period underwear as your backup instead of a cotton liner, or at least browse the Put A Cup In It site and start learning. Some people feel more comfortable trying these new products at home before wearing them out and about. Take your time. It’s your cycle and your journey. Have fun experimenting with all the cool products available to you!
Have you tried reusable period products ? If you’re still on the fence or over there holding on tight to the Tampax you’ve used since you were a teenager, what’s holding you back?
Continue the conversation- leave a comment below or share this post. Don’t be afraid to talk about it and #normalizeperiods!