sustainable period products
How much emphasis do you put on the kinds of period products you use? Nowadays, at Bare Health Studio, we use sustainable period products, but we used to use sanitary products with harmful chemicals. The kind of chemicals that, these days, would have us running in the opposite direction. We’re talking about generic period products containing a list of chemicals like bleach, chlorine, coatings, pesticides and perfumes that have no place anywhere near our bodies. Thankfully, with a bit of research we were able to make informed choices, and choose more sustainable sanitary options that have transformed our periods forever.
Why don’t we want chemicals in our period products?
Standard period products like pads and tampons are often coated with dioxins, bleached, made of plastic and if not organic have been sprayed with pesticides and scented with fragrance. These chemicals are endocrine disruptors (xenoestrogens), and may interfere with the body’s endocrine (hormone and cell signalling) system and produce adverse reproductive, developmental, immune and neurological effects. Xenoestrogens strongly mimic oestrogen, some examples include dioxins, polychlorinated biphenyls and bisphenols (found in pesticides, petrochemicals and plastics).
Want to go deeper? Read our article: why are female sex hormones so important?
Why should we use reusable and sustainable period products?
Standard period products can create a lot of waste. The sanitary items, their packaging, wrappings and even applicators all end up in landfill. This is why we have swapped to more sustainable and reusable period products including cloth pads, menstrual cups, organic pads and tampons and period undies. Reusable period products are a one time investment that your wallet, your hormones and the planet will thank you for.
Let’s take a quick look at some of our favourite sustainable menstrual products!
Cloth pads
Cloth pads are a wonderful alternative to disposable, single use pads. They are made from absorbent natural cotton with clips and snap button fastening, so there’s no need for chemical adhesives. They’re completely free of the plastics and chemicals that regular menstrual pads contain. You don’t have to worry about leakage because they have a water resistant backing layer. Use them just like you would a normal pad then rinse, soak and machine wash before drying in the sun. They’re also great alternative for people who have sensitive skin. When taken care of your cloth pad will last 1-3 years, saving you money and preventing hundreds of sanitary products form heading to landfill.
One of our favourite brands is social enterprise, ecopads. These are available in different sizes and absorbency and come in amazing, fun patterns and designs.
Menstrual cups
Menstrual cups are an amazing alternative to a tampon. It’s a small, flexible funnel-shaped cup made of medical-grade silicone that you insert into your vagina to catch and collect period fluid.
They are long lasting, leak-free (when inserted correctly), easy to use, comfortable and safe for your body. Good menstrual cups are made from medical-grade silicone, making them hypoallergenic and latex free. One cup can last up to ten years with good care, making them incredibly cost effective and environmentally friendly.
Learn the ins and outs of a menstrual cup in our article: Menstrual cups
One of our favourite brands is Lunette. They are available in a variety of sizes and sizes to suit your flow, age, births and cervix height.
Period undies
Period undies are underwear designed to protect women from period over flow, spotting, light bladder leaks and even sweat. They work by absorbing liquid through the top layer straight through to the middle layer, with a waterproof layer that protects your clothing from leakage. They can be worn on their own or for a heavier flow in conjunction with a menstrual cup. You can wear you period undies all day then change into a fresh pair to sleep in. Soak and then wash them with your normal load of washing.
We love the period undies (and menstrual cups) by Juju as they have so many options for different women, bodies and flows.
Get to know more about period underwear in our article: Period undies
Organic pads and tampons
If you still prefer to use standard style menstrual products then natural organic cotton pads and tampons are the best, eco-friendliest option. It’s important to get menstrual products that are free from bleach, chlorine, coatings, pesticides and perfumes, as these nasty chemicals have no place inside our bodies. Organic tampons are biodegradable, just cut them up and they can be composted, their boxes can be recycled and soft plastic packaging can be taken to a REDcycle.
One of our favourite brands is Tsuno, a social enterprise, with 50% of their profits going to charities focused on empowering women with education and menstrual support.
Read our article: Organic pads and tampons
Choose the period product that you feel the most comfortable with. No matter what alternative you choose it’s easy to make the swap for a low-tox and sustainable period. You’ll love creating less waste and your hormones will thank you for it.