Guide To Eco-Friendly Period Products

Menstrual cycle or Periods (as we all like to call it) is something everyone with a vagina probably hates. And with good reason. This not-so-friendly monthly visitor surely brings a lot of discomfort along with it. Painful cramps, mood swings, constant fear of staining the sheets, the list goes on. In India, when someone gets their period for the first time, they are usually introduced to a sanitary pad and taught how to use one. Anything other than a pad, like tampons or menstrual cups, are still a mystery to many, many menstruating humans in our country. Even though people have started using tampons, they are still not openly talked about or advertised as much.

Why you should switch to eco-friendly period products?

Sanitary pads and tampons might be easy to use but they are not very good for the environment or your health. They take hundreds and hundreds of years to decompose which means that every single pad or tampon you have ever used, is still somewhere out there; filling up water bodies, landfills, etc. Even though many brands claim that their pads or tampons are made up of cotton (which is biodegradable), most of them barely have any cotton and are almost entirely made up of plastic (not biodegradable) and the chemicals that are used to make them super absorbent have serious side effects on your health. Tampons are also known to be associated with Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS) which is a potentially fatal illness. Leaving the pad on for too long may also cause irritation, rashes, vaginal infections, and in some cases even cervical cancer.

Also read: 6 Tips for Good Menstrual Hygiene

Many people don’t know about these health and environmental hazards because of the lack of awareness and education about menstrual hygiene and the taboo surrounding menstruation. It is high time we start having open conversations about it and the products we use. So, here are some eco-friendly alternatives that will keep you and the environment safe:

 

1. Menstrual Cups

   

You have probably heard all about this magic cup that works wonders and makes you forget about your periods. A menstrual cup is a small, reusable cup made up of silicone that you insert into your vagina and it collects all the blood. It comes in different sizes depending upon the age range.

Here’s why a menstrual cup is so much better than your usual sanitary pads or tampons:

• Easy disposal and reusable! Unlike pads and tampons that do not decompose, with the cup you only have to take it out, dump the blood in the toilet, wash it, wash yourself and put it back in. Menstrual cups minimize the amount of waste produced by a very large number.
• No infections! It is made up of medical-grade silicone and, unlike tampons, it only collects the blood instead of absorbing it, hence eliminating the chances of bacterial infections.
• No bad odour or staining! If inserted properly, it creates a vacuum inside and does not allow the blood to come in contact with the air, hence no period blood smell or leakage.
• Super cost-effective! One menstrual cup on an average costs around 500-600 INR and one cup can last up to 5-10 years! Pads and tampons cost almost the same amount for just 2-3 cycles. That’s a lot of money you save. In the long run, cups are a very good investment.
• Lasts up to 12 hours! You need to change pads or tampons every 5-6 hours, which is a task in and of itself, whereas you only have to take the cup out and put it back in twice a day.
• You can enjoy your physical activities like hiking, swimming, yoga, etc. without any pain or discomfort!

Some people even claim to have experienced reduced cramps while using the cup!

Menstrual cups have a lot of pros and little to no cons. It takes at least 2-3 cycles to get used to it. Once you get the hang of it, it can be your new best friend. All brands provide an instruction manual but you can also watch some videos on the internet just to be sure on how to insert, remove and wash it.

Brands you could try are: Boondh, Sirona, PeeSafe and Sanfe.

Do watch: How to use a Menstrual cup

So, if you are planning on cupverting, just do it!

 

2. Reusable cloth pads

There is still a lot of taboo around using period products that are internal. People fear that they might “lose their virginity” by inserting a cup or a tampon.  The answer is NO. You can’t lose your virginity to a cup. But there are a lot of people out there who might find using the menstrual cup scary. If you are one of them, you can switch to reusable cloth pads instead!

Here’s why you should use cloth pads:

• Breathable material! Cloth pads are made up of cotton or hemp which enables airflow to your vagina. In your regular sanitary pads, the airflow is blocked due to the plastic layers which results in rashes and irritation later on.
• No harmful chemicals! Cloth pads do not expose you to any harmful chemicals or synthetic substances especially since the area is so sensitive.
• Easy to use! They work just like any other sanitary pad so it is quite easy to use.
• Reusable! You can easily wash and reuse them. Instead of spending every month on pads, you can buy a couple of these and then you are sorted.

These pads can last up to six months to one year depending on the flow and how often you use it. Hence, they are definitely cheaper than your usual sanitary pads or tampons.

Brands you could try are: PeeSafe, Soch and EcoFemme.

 

3. Organic Pads

It might not be easy to switch to a menstrual cup or cloth pads overnight. Organic/bio-degradable pads are a very good alternative! There are a lot of brands that use highly absorbent banana fibres, corn starch, bamboo fibres and cotton to make these eco-friendly pads.

Here’s why you should switch to organic pads:

• Bio-degradable and easy disposal! Regular sanitary pads made up of 90% plastic take almost 500 years to decompose whereas these organic pads take only about 6 months to decompose. Most brands also provide a bio-degradable disposal bag as well which helps reduce the waste. That’s a big win considering there are tonnes of plastic pads already that are clogging up the sewage and water bodies.
• Easy to use and no harmful chemicals just like cloth pads!

These pads do cost just a little bit more than the regular pads but in the end it is better for the planet and your vagina!

Brands you could try are: Carmesi and Saathi.

 

4. Period Panties

If you don’t want to deal with the hassle of pads or menstrual cup, period panties might just be what you are looking for! You can wear it with or without another period product depending on your flow.

Here’s why you should use period panties:

• Breathable material! These are usually made of cotton and it lets your vagina breathe and does not cause irritation.
• Reusable! You can easily wash these and reuse them once dried.
• No waste produced! This is great for our planet because this does not produce any extra waste.
• Easy to use! You don’t have to deal with pads or cups and they are leak proof.

If you have a heavier flow than usual, use these with other products like cloth/organic pads or interlabial pads.

Brands you could try are: Lavos and Soch.

 

5. Interlabial Pads

You have probably not heard about interlabial pads but they are great for people with heavy flow. These are small, leaf-shaped cloth pads. You either fold or roll it and place it on your labia. You need to pair it with a cloth/organic pad or period panties as they cannot hold all of your period blood. These are also great for the environment, of course, because the material is cotton and you can easily wash and reuse them. No waste produced. So, if you have a heavy flow and too many cloth pads to wash, definitely try interlabial pads.

Brand you could try: Soch.

Do watch: Interlabial Pads: Period Products Everyone Should Know About

 

I hope this was a helpful guide! People with bleeding vaginas, please switch to eco-friendly products for your own and the environment’s sake!