How To Have A Greener Period

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• Okay, time to talk about one of my least favorite subjects: periods. Much like pooping it’s pretty gross that our bodies do that, but it’s even grosser to not take care of it the right way. So, let’s talk for a minute.
•   It’s obviously pretty nuts that in some countries women are actually shamed for having a period, even forced to sleep outside of the house in a red tent until they are done with their “women problems”. So, thank you Western World for all the many options we have to stay clean and keep doing our thing.
•   That being said, some options are better than others for the planet and our own health.
•   Plastic applicator tampons are so much easier to use than cardboard or no applicator tampons… but they suck. Seriously. It’s a decent amount of plastic for one second of your time and then right into the trash. Multiple times per period, each month, for most of your lifespan, times however many women are doing it. So. Much. Plastic.
•   It took me finding a used plastic applicator washed up on my local beach to really get it. There is no away. Repeat it. No more of that, my friends.
•   If I’m going with tampons it’s the no applicator kind. I’ll be honest though, it’s not something I do much of lately.
•   There are tons of toxic shock warnings on the box that I never took seriously. So many friends of mine agreed and confessed to leaving theirs in way longer than they should, usually over a weekend of drinking and revelry. I had a micro-scare and went to the ER once with a terrible headache that cleared up a few hours later while I was in the waiting room. (Side bar, why is everyone complaining about Canada?) But not long after that, a model was in the news for losing her entire effing leg to toxic shock. Tampons are worse than sharks?! Wtf!??! So yeah, only for emergencies these days on that. I guess tampons are classified as a “medical device” and do not have to list ingredients, so they have all sorts of weird stuff stored in there and you end up putting it in an extremely sensitive place. Not for me. Now that I know…
•  Pads don’t have this problem, but they are still pretty shitty for the planet too. There’s a ton of plastic adhesive stuff going on there, and the whole thing just gets tossed, tossed, tossed, and tossed some more. It’s not a pretty thought but seriously think about all those used pads and tampons rolled up in toilet paper just stacked up. There is no away, so let’s all face reality.
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•   This it what led me to give the Thinx period panty a try. I was so far beyond skeptical, you have no idea. But I’ll tell you, they worked, at least for me… I was super happy with them. They we’re very thin, moisture wicking, and really absorbent. They were comfortable enough for sleeping and didn’t have a bulky diaper feel at all. And when all was said and done, I just put them in the washer and then the drier and it was all good. Couldn’t be more easy and they actually effing worked. I had terrible visions of discomfort before trying them out. I’m such a fan now. Maybe everyone wouldn’t agree, but my experience was very positive.
•   No trash is a huge bonus, but I honestly love these so much better than messy inserting devices and keeping track of hours etc. It’s comfy, easy, clean and I feel so much safer and healthier. Seriously. My body feels so much better without a tampon corked up in there.
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•   And it’s not so hard to just take it easy on a flow day. If I really need to go horse back riding and surfing on those specific days for some emergency reason I might grab one again from an organic brand (Thinx does also offer a healthier tampon with a reusable applicator) but the easy wash undies are magic in my book.
•    Thinx are great because they also do a one for one program, handing out these in those places I mentioned earlier where women and girls are put down for menstruating and not granted permission to learn things like math and science for simply being female. It might really help in shifting the mindset out there.
• You can find knockoff Thinx on Amazon that are a little less expensive and still do a pretty good job, but I do like the Thinx better. They just have a little more strength and structure to them.
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•   Similarly they do also make reusable pads. Shaped in the same way as a regular pad, these puppies can also be washed and dried just like regular laundry. Instead of a sticker to hold on to your underwear, they have a snap that wraps around and holds in place. It’s pretty great too. No trash, and they are cheap, about $15 for a pack made with some kind of bamboo absorbency layer. They won’t last forever but they beat the heck out of disposables. You could always use the Thinx and these at the same time if you need double protection.
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•   Last item I can mention here is the cup. I have not tried it and I don’t want to. It freaks me out. I barely even tampon these days and I’m not feeling adventurous. Some people swear by it and it is not a single use plastic. Try it if you want. There will be no review on here any time soon. #SorryNotSorry.
•   So in summary, get yo self some Thinx. It’s not just good advertising they’ve got a great product and it ends up serving a bunch of causes from women’s empowerment to healthier oceans and it might just save you from losing a leg. Or give those other items a go, they help too.

 

Let us know what you think of Thinx or whatever greener option you swear by.