7 Innovative Products That Will Make Your Period Slightly More Bearable
Periods are the worst. As much as the commercials try to romanticise it, there’s no going around the fact that they’re painful, inconvenient, and did we mention how they’re the worst?
READ: Are Period Blood Face Masks The Secret To Glowing Skin?
Aside from cramps and the very real possibility of ruining your cream, linen pants forever, periods can also cause bloating, mood swings, diarrhoea, and skin breakouts. Not only that, but use of plastic pads, which are the most affordable and accessible option for most people, causes irreparable damage to the environment and long-term damage to your body too. Now while we’re not living in Spain, where you can take guaranteed days off of work during your period and spend them drowning in chocolate and Katherine Heigl movies (it’s a cliche for a reason, you guys), we can rely on products that can help ease you through the week-long cycle of misery every month.
We have rounded up some of our favourite menstrual health products that are eco-friendly and super comfortable to use. From menstrual cups to pain relieving patches, here’s everything you need before your next cycle rolls around…
Avni Reusable Menstrual Cups
This gynaecologist-approved menstrual cup is easy-to-use and claims to last up to five years. Menstrual cups have gained popularity over the past few years for being a better alternative to both tampons and sanitary napkins, in terms of ease-of-use and the impact on the environment. The homegrown brand Avni also directs a percentage of their profits towards empowering women with education and access to safe menstrual products.
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Bumpadum’s Reusable Cloth Sanitary Pads
Super comfortable to use and easy to clean, these reusable cloth sanitary napkins, with their adorable prints, are a great way to go sustainable and budget-friendly with your menstrual product choices. You can pick from different size variants depending on your needs and usage patterns. The outer covering is waterproof, so it prevents any staining as well.
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Azah Organic Sanitary Pads
If you’re not keen on washing your sanitary pads every cycle, you can still be sustainable and eco-friendly with your choices of period products. Opt for organic pads, like Azah’s, to reduce the consumption of non-biodegradable plastic pads that might be less expensive than their organic counterpart but do more harm to your body and to the environment. These pads are soft, absorbent, and breathable.
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Lemme Be Tampons
These tampons are biodegradable and 100 percent chemical free. The cotton is ethically sourced and you can select from a variety of options, based on your flow patterns. So along with the cute packaging, these tampons are as sustainable as they come.
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UNIQLO AIRism Absorbent Sanitary Shorts
Japanese lifestyle brand Uniqlo has also launched its first line of sanitary underwear with their AIRism Sanitary Shorts. The fabric is smooth and comfortable to wear and the special construction allows functions like quick-drying and odour-control. The seamless design makes it easy to wear on a regular basis as well. It’s a great alternative for using sanitary products like pads and tampons, especially if you don’t have an especially heavy flow.
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Nua Cramp Comfort Heat Patches
Heat is a natural and efficient way to reduce period pain. Wellness brand Nua has come up with a solution to ditch the unseemly large hot water bottles that you have to refill and use every time the cramps hit. These portable heat patches claim to emit heat up to eight hours to relieve period pain and are are made entirely of natural ingredients.
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Carmesi Menstrual Cup Sterilizer
This menstrual cup sterilizer claims to be more efficient than regular methods of sterilization, ie. boiling them in water. The compact and minimalist design makes it easy-to-use and portable. It also reduces the hassle of heating water on a stove to sterilize your cups every single time.
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