Period Products without the PFAS!!

Goodmorning powgirls! Hope you had a lovely long weekend and are off to a great start of the week. I really loved summer and am still enjoying the heat, but part of me cannot wait for fall. You get me? Like I’m ready for a bit of a change and for cooler, cozier weather. 🤭

Anyways! I’ve seen so much information circulating lately about a topic I don’t feel people are talking about as much as we should be–tampons. I think we’ve all seen some scary information come to light about even the organic tampons we thought were safe having high concentrations of lead and other metals. If you’re anything like me, you’ve been asking yourself how you’re going to get around it. As always, I wanted to bring you some info that might be harder to find and chat about some options/ my thoughts surrounding different options and alternatives. Reminder that these are all my own opinions and you should definitely chat with your doctor/naturopath about what might work best for you! 🤎

Let’s start with Menstrual Cups
I feel like these are starting to become a lot more popular and common to use. I’ve seen them in various everyday places like Target + my local healthfood store, so I love how easily accessible these have become. Menstrual cups are basically these small, flexible + reusable little cups that are inserted almost like a tampon. They’re generally made from medical-grade silicone, latex, or rubber and come in different sizes to fit your body best. 

These are a great option because they can be worn for up to 12 hours, depending on the heaviness of your flow. I do really like this option because they’re so cost effective, allow for more time between changes & are as secret as tampons–meaning they can be used for activities you probably wouldn’t want to wear a pad for, like swimming or working out. 

And get into Menstrual Discs
These are super similar to menstrual cups in the way that they’re inserted and can stay in for up to 12ish hours, are generally made with medical-grade silicone, come in different sizes and options, and are usually reusable.

The main difference between a cup and a disc is that a cup uses a bit of suction to stay in place, while a disc rests a bit higher up, staying in place by being inserted behind your pelvic bone. I like this option just as much as the menstrual cup because I think it has the same, if not more benefits, just in a different option for you to experiment with.

Are we feeling Reusable Cloth Pads?
I get that this is a bit more of a traditional approach, but honestly sometimes I think the old-school way of doing things might be onto something! Especially if you’re just lounging around and relaxing at home, I think these are a really great and safe option.

Reusable cloth pads act exactly like a traditional pad (which I don’t necessarily think is the worst option, especially because they’re very accessible–I just worry about the microplastics and heavy metals that might be used to make those as well). If you are open to using pads, I really like this option. So many brands are making great reusable pads with a little snap on the bottom to secure them to your underwear, and I do really feel like these might be one of the safer options. This leads me to our next option:

Hear me out–Free Bleeding
I’m not sure how you might feel about this, but as a wellness girly, I honestly don’t think this is too crazy! 🥹 Free bleeding is essentially exactly what it sounds like. Intentionally menstruating without blocking or collecting your period flow by using period products. While I think this idea might look different to everyone depending on their flow, comfort levels, and what feels good to them, to me it might be having a dedicated few pairs of cotton underwear that I’d wear on lighter flow days or days I know I’ll be keeping to the comfort of home. I definitely don’t think this would be an option for me if I’m on a heavier flow day or know I’ll be out and about, but I do like the idea of playing with this option because it’s essentially like wearing a reusable pad, just a bit more cost effective and one less step.

Okay so you might be thinking, Mari you know period underwear exist, right? Of course I do. But I have thoughts here, so let’s talk about it. 👀

My thoughts on Period Underwear
I’m up for debate on these, because I’ve seen reports of certain brands having high plastic concentrations in their period underwear as well! I’m conflicted though because many brands do go as far as doing third-party testing to ensure their products do not contain PFAs, but being a girl is truly so unfair, I feel like we have to be so extra careful. This option is one I feel like I have to do a bit more research on to fully feel comfortable using.

I do, however, think these might be a good option for swimming if you’re not into using a cup or disc, as many companies have rolled out waterproof + period-proof swim bottoms. I would just really suggest doing the work to find a company you feel comfortable with and like you can trust. 🧘‍♀️

Honestly, this is such a huge topic that I think will require many many more chats as we find more information. The biggest thing is to find a product you feel good about and comfortable with in your own body. We already have so many hormone disruptors in our everyday lives, so I wanted to provide you gals with some options and safer alternatives to tampons with added toxins. Let me know if you find a product you really love, because I’m on my own journey to find what works best for me as well. As always, we’re all in this together.

Chat soon!
x Mari 🤎