The number of men and women in the world is roughly equal. This means that if they live long enough, half of the world’s population will get their period.
The average person born with female reproductive organs gets their period at age 12 and goes into menopause at age 52. So they get their period for about 40 years or so.
11 thousand disposable pads and tampons are used by people who get a period over their reproductive lifetime, and 20 billion menstrual products are disposed of annually in the U.S. alone.
When you think of this at a global scale, it’s a significant amount of waste.
Tampons & Pads
Those of us who bleed are familiar with the most common period products – pads and tampons.
They’ve been around forever and they are expensive.
A box of 34 Tampax will cost you roughly $8 at Target. A box of 26 Always pads will cost you about $8. You add that up month after month for over 40 years and you’re talking about some serious cash.
Also, pads and tampons suck. I won’t get into it because those who bleed know exactly what I’m talking about, and those who don’t bleed probably aren’t reading this post and don’t want to hear about it anyway. So I’ll just say tampons and pads suck and I’ll leave it at that.
Fortunately today we have alternatives to tampons and pads. I’ve tried several of them and I encourage you to give them a try too. In fact, this is one sustainable alternative that I find to be MORE convenient than disposable products. I don’t make that claim very often.
All of these alternatives are reusable. So they create very little waste (only the packaging they come in) and are therefore much better for the planet. Bonus – they will save you a lot of money over the years, and like I said, they are more convenient than “traditional” period products.
Reusable Period Products
Period Underwear
Period undies are undies you free bleed into. Yup, they are just like regular underwear except they will hold up to 5 tampons worth of blood.
These undies are kind of like a reusable pad, but better. I have yet to find a pad as thin and comfortable as period undies.
They don’t crinkle when you walk. They are thin so they don’t show a bulge through your pants. They don’t shift and slide and expose your underwear to blood.
Also, they are easy to care for. You toss them into your washing machine and wash on cold. You are supposed to hang them to dry, but I accidentally tossed mine into the dryer a time or two and they came out just fine. (Although I wouldn’t recommend intentionally drying them time after time.)
For those who don’t like to use pads and free bleed into anything, period undies can be used as backup instead of a pad or panty liner on your heavy flow days.
They can also be worn on the days leading up to your period, so you don’t get caught off guard and end up with a mess.
In addition, they can be worn on the days your period is trailing off and you can’t get away with nothing, but you don’t have enough going on to justify a tampon or pad.
I am a huge fan of period underwear. Huge. They are a game changer.
Cost
Full disclosure, period undies are an expensive upfront investment.
One pair of Super Leakproof Bikini period undies from Knix will run you $30. But that one pair of undies will hold 3-5 super tampons worth of blood, and it will last for years.
I have had my set of period undies for over a decade and they still work as good as they did the day I first wore them. Think about it, you’re only wearing them once a month, so they don’t get nearly as much wear as your regular undies. This means they last longer.
Styles & Absorbency
Another cool thing about period undies is they come in all styles and sizes. From boy shorts and briefs, to bikinis and thongs, period undies have got you covered.
And they come based on absorbency rating. Some hold only 1 tampon worth of blood (thongs). Others hold up to 5 tampons worth of blood. Pretty amazing!
I WISH period underwear were around when I was young and first got my period. It makes my heart happy to know that younger generations have this option.
Interested in giving them a try for yourself or getting them for a younger person in your life? Here are some brands to check out:
- Knix – They even sell shapewear and period swimwear.
- Period – Calls itself “the most affordable” period underwear in the world.
- Thinx – Most highly rated brand from Wirecutter.
- Modibodi – Cute styles for young bleeders.
Menstrual Cups
Menstrual cups have been around for decades but they haven’t really caught on in the U.S. yet.
In countries where women don’t have as much access to pads and tampons, menstrual cups are the norm.
Menstrual cups are made out of medical-grade silicone and can last up to 10 years. Think about that. One product to cover all of your period needs that you can use for 10 years!
Full disclosure – I’ll use mine for more than 10 years. I like to throw caution to the wind! I like to live on the edge! Obviously you should do what feels right for you 🙂
The cost of your average menstrual cup is about $35 dollars. Given that the cost of a box of pads or tampons is about $8, if you went with a menstrual cup you’d be saving money after only 4 months or so. Pretty incredible.
Another advantage of menstrual cups is how long you can wear one. Pads and tampons need to be changed after just a few hours (depending on your flow). And tampons aren’t supposed to ever be worn for more than 8 hours.
You can keep your cup in for 12 hours! So you only have to change (clean out) that sucker twice a day.
Also, this means that if you insert your cup in the morning before you leave your house, chances are you won’t have to empty it until you return home. So no public bathroom emptying or cleaning. Yes!
And no lugging around period products with you everywhere you go and worrying that you’re going to run out. Double Yes!
The Nitty Gritty on Cups
I am a fan of menstrual cups and have used one for years so I’ve got experience and am going to lay it out for you. If you read my post about bidets you already know that over-sharing isn’t a thing for me. I’m an open book, so imma tell it to you straight. Skip on down to Reasons I’m a Fan of Menstrual Cups if you can’t handle blood related details.
There is a learning curve when it comes to menstrual cups. If I’m being completely honest, I don’t think I would have been comfortable using one when I was a teen. You’ve got to be pretty darn comfortable with your body to successfully insert and remove a menstrual cup.
For those of us who have been bleeding for decades, this shouldn’t be a problem.
Once you’ve got the hang of it, it’s no big deal, but getting the hang of it takes some time. Or at least it took me some time.
A friend of mine told me she had no problems right from the beginning. She is a Rock Star in my book.
The first time I used a menstrual cup I tried a Diva Cup. It comes in sizes. One size for those who have had children, and one size for those who have not had children. I’ve got two kids so I naturally went with the larger size.
When I first pulled it out of the box I was a bit surprised by how big it was. I thought, “There is no freaking way this thing is going to fit into my….. and I’m not going to feel it.”
I watched a couple of videos on how to insert it, and I went for it. (I like the pinch and fold method.)
I’m not gonna lie, it was a bit rough that first time. I felt like I had to kind of cram it up in there. But eventually I made it work and I couldn’t feel it at all. Hooray!
Then came removal time.
Let’s just say it was…….challenging.
Again, I referred to the manual and tried, and tried, and tried. I did have a minute of panic when I thought, “I’m going to be one of those women who gets a menstrual cup stuck up her….and has to have it removed in the emergency room”.
Um…. hell no!
Eventually I figured it out and ripped that sucker out, but by that point I was sweating and my entire hand was covered in blood.
Reminder – TMI doesn’t exist for me. Oversharing? What is that?
After that first experience I felt defeated and almost gave up on menstrual cups.
But I’m no quitter.
I knew some of my girlfriends were using them, and I told myself, “If they can do it, I can do it.” So I kept on trying.
I’m happy to report that the first time using my cup was BY FAR the hardest. Eventually I taught myself a couple of tricks that worked for me and then using my cup felt like a piece of cake.
Reasons I’m a Fan of Menstrual Cups
After using one for years here are some of the reasons I’m a fan:
- I love that one product is all I need to cover my period needs for more than a decade. This is a huge cost savings.
- I never have to run to the store to buy tampons. My one cup is all I need.
- When I travel, and I know I’m going to have my period, I bring my cup and that is all I pack in my suitcase. Prior to using a cup I’d try to count out how many tampons I was going to need, and often I’d still end up having to find a grocery store somewhere to buy more. Boo!
Running around looking for a place to buy tampons is not how I want to spend even a few minutes of my precious vacation time.
- As an environmentalist, I feel good knowing that I’m not going through tons of tampons each month and creating lots of waste.
Now that I’ve gotten used to using my cup, I find it much more comfortable than a tampon. Just thinking back on how it felt to remove a dry tampon makes me shudder. Never again!
Care and Cleaning of Your Cup
When you buy your menstrual cup the instructions say to boil it in water for a certain amount of time before you use it for the first time. I think it even says you can boil it between uses to sanitize it.
Call me gross but I think this is completely unnecessary. I boiled mine the first time then I never did it again.
Boiling it is an over the top step you can take if you’re hypersensitive and think you need to sanitize everything, but let’s think about this. For those of us of a certain age, are you sanitizing everything you insert into your body? Um, no you are not.
I assure you, your lady parts are not that sensitive.
When I’m done with mine for the month, I wash it off with some soap and warm water and put it away until my next period. It’s been years and I’ve never had a problem with this approach.
Interested in trying a menstrual cup? Here are some brands to check out:
- Flex Cup – This brand is my personal favorite. The patented pull-tab makes ALL the difference. I find this cup much easier to remove than others on the market.
- Diva – You can buy a Diva cup at Target which is super convenient. Diva has been around for a long time. I think they might be the first on the market and they are still going strong.
- Saalt – Less expensive. Designed with a longer tip for easier removal.
Menstrual Disk
To be honest, I have zero experience with menstrual disks. They were on the market back when I bought my menstrual cup, but at that time they were not reusable. Each disk could only be used once. Given that I was looking for an eco-friendly option, I never considered a disk.
Today, you can find reusable menstrual disks so I’m mentioning them here. Hooray for yet another option for people who bleed!
Similar to menstrual cups, disks are made out of medical grade silicone, and they can be used over and over for up to 10 years. They also can be worn for up to 12 hours at a time. All good stuff.
Why buy a disk rather than a cup? From what I’ve read, some women cramp when they use tampons or cups and they do not cramp when they wear a disk. So, if you have a lot of cramping you might want to try a menstrual disk.
Another bonus for the disk – they can hold up to 6 super tampons worth of blood. I mean…THAT is impressive. So if you’re a heavy bleeder, this might be a great option for you.
If you want to check out some reusable menstrual disks check out:
- Flex – They claim you can have mess free sex with this disk.
- Saalt – Made in the U.S.A.
- Cora – Their patented groove design supposedly makes for easy insertion and removal.
Bottom Line
Having your period is uncomfortable and inconvenient. And those of us who bleed can be managing our period for 40 years or more. Ugh!
Do what you’ve got to do to get through it. No judgment.
But I am thrilled to see that more and more period products are coming onto the market. People today have more options than previous generations and this is fantastic.
Even better is that these options can be reused which saves the user money, it is better for our planet, and is more convenient.
Have you tried any reusable period products? What was your experience? Would you say it was easy-breezy from day one? Or were you on the struggle bus like me?
