5 Ways of Switching to Eco-friendlier and Safer Periods
To start us off, here are some crazy facts about feminine hygiene for periods. The average woman will throw away 200kg of menstrual products in her life-time and spend around £5000 on them. She will use 11,000 disposable sanitary products, and the average woman will die long before the first disposable product she ever wore has fully disintegrated. This is because these products contain high percentages of plastic. In a menstrual pad, 90% of it is plastic and one packet of pads is the equivalent of buying 4 plastic bags. The tampon string contains plastic as well and applicator tampons contain polypropylene and polyethylene. Given that plastics in sanitary products are not medically necessary, and their bleached appearance does not mean they're actually sterile, the plastic is simply a waste. Speaking of the hygiene aspect, periods are such a taboo that feminine hygiene products are filled with nasty chemicals and fragrances in the hopes of successfully masking any trace of them. The Chem Fatale report showcases around 3,900 different chemicals found in disposable menstrual products. These can be carcinogens, allergens, irritants and endocrine disrupting chemicals (can cause breast cancer and infertility or fertility disorders like endometriosis). Non-organic pads and tampons even contain chemicals like paint stripper. No wonder women are afraid of toxic shock!
Luckily, there are lots of sustainable period options that are much safer for you and will likely be a substantial long-term saving. These are 1) The Menstrual Cup; 2) The Sponge; 3) Reusable Pads; 4) Reusable Pants; 5) Organic Tampons and Pads...
The Menstrual Cup
Definitely my favourite option, menstrual cups are silicon-based and do not contain any harmful chemicals. You are not at risk of toxic shock with the menstrual cup, it will not affect the natural pH of your vagina or cause it to feel dry or irritated. Rather than being limited to 4 hours as with pads or tampons, you can leave a cup in for up to 12 hours!
There are also many different brands and shapes out there, so that you can find the one that will fit you best. The length of your cervix, age, whether you have had children and menstrual flow will determine which cups will best suit you. I recommend before purchasing one that you do this quiz: https://putacupinit.com/QUIZ/
There are many insertion possibilities, three are most famous: the C-fold, the Seven-fold and the Push-down.
I would take some time to figure out what works best for you personally. You can also cut the stem if it is too long for you (some cups come with a freakishly long stem but don't let that scare you). It is much more cost effective than pads or tampons, where one £15-40 cup will last for as many years as you like. I kept mine for 6 years before deciding it was time to exchange it.
When you take your cup out, wash it with pH neutral soap that has no fragrance. You can pick up wipes for cleaning if you have a heavy flow and need to change the cup in a public place but out of 8 years of personal use, I haven't felt the need to buy them. At the end of your cycle, boil your cup for five minutes with some bicarbonate of soda. This will mainly deodorise your cup but may also keep it unstained for longer.
You can also get menstrual discs which look like a female condom. It's the same principle as the cup but a different shape, but I have personally never tried these. Although I have little to comment on this, I still felt it was worth a mention.
The menstrual sponge
I would not recommend this product. It is a natural sea sponge which is very absorbent. It is meant to act like a tampon and be cleaned out frequently and thrown away after around 12 months. However, medical experts worry that sea sponges are not sanitary; they can cause yeast infections and toxic shock syndrome. As they come from the sea, they are at risk of containing sand and grit, plus they are incredibly difficult to clean properly.
Reusable pads
These are very useful alternatives to pads. They can be purchased for very reasonable prices, at around £5 each or a little more. There are now many brands selling these, some like the EcoLily will be deodorising; others like the Natissy focus on being organic and chemical free. Wash these with pH neutral and fragrance-free soap by hand or put them in the washing machine (recommended after periods at least). The minimum you should buy is two pads, one to wear and one to wash but having a few more will save you a little time, especially if you plan on wearing them at night as well. These pads usually come with an opaque silicone bag that zips up tightly, in case you need to change it and are out of the house but can't wash your used pad quite yet.
Reusable pants
I would say these are best for night-time use or for sport. Period pants claim they will last you all day, but after a few hours you will feel uncomfortable and wish you could change them. If you're at home this is fine (and if you have extra) but these are generally a more expensive and impractical option compared to reusable pads. What they are great for though is ensuring that you do not leak! This is why for a few hours of sport or for sleeping, these pants are a great option! These will also usually cost about three or four times more than a reusable pad will.
If you only want to use pads, I would recommend one pair of pants and two or three pads to start off with. It will still be cheaper than purchasing disposable products in the long-term.
Organic tampons and pads
If all of this seems a little intimidating and you just want something that resembles traditional pads and tampons but that are still a sustainable step up, brands like Freda (you can follow them on insta @myfreda) boast a monthly subscription to chemical-free, organic pads and tampons. Price-wise these are costlier than the other options on this list but you do have the advantage of home delivery. Though sustainable and made up of organic cotton, this is not a zero-waste alternative like the others because you do dispose of these. However, it does provide the least amount of change to your normal routine and can be a good starting point for anybody who is a little afraid to try products like the menstrual cup. For example, it could be perfect for teenagers who want to start off small.
If you don't like inserting a tampon but don't want to buy them with applicators, DAME provides a reusable one!
Hopefully this list has helped you understand more about the alternatives to traditional pads and tampons, as well as inspired you to choose an eco-friendlier and safer option for your next period. You may also find yourself saving a lot of money too! I bought my first menstrual cup at the age of fifteen and I have never worn a tampon since.
If you'd like to learn more:
picture 1 source: www.travelwithsun.com
picture 2 source: https://menstrualcups.wordpress.com/category/comparisons/
picture 3 source: daisymensturalcup.com
picture 4 source: www.etsy.com
picture 5 source: www.babipur.com
picture 6 source: www.ikiwn.com
picture 7 source: www.glamourmagazine.co.uk
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