Sustainable period products: good for the environment, better for your wallet – it seems like they’re just an all round good thing to invest in.
But, the concept of washable, reusable period products can seem kind of intimidating and off-putting. So, Bondi Beauty trialled 3 revolutionary products so that we could tell you what we thought.
PERIOD UNDERWEAR BY MODIBODI
Initial Reaction: The material was really soft and nice, and the undies were comfy (I especially loved the feel and look of their seamfree briefs).
Practicality: Wearing only my underwear and nothing else did make me a bit anxious throughout the day, and I found myself constantly going to the bathroom to check nothing was amiss. But, my anxieties were unnecessary because the undies didn’t leak – I even wore them overnight and there was no problem (disclaimer: my period is relatively light, so this may change for other women).
Ick Factor: It does take a bit of getting used to seeing blood going straight onto your underwear and accepting that you don’t need to grab a pad or tampon to stop the mess. But, the underwear are machine washable so it’s a super simple wash and wear process.
Final Verdict: I’ll definitely be using my ModiBodi underwear in the future, but on heavier days I’ll probably just wear them for extra peace of mind alongside other products. To be honest I might even end up wearing the seamfree underwear day-to-day just because they are so soft and comfortable!
MENSTRUAL CUP BY JUJU
Initial Reaction: The cup was smaller than expected, but at the same time we did wonder how this squishy, foreign device was going to be comfortable to use. The cup came with a cute little travel bag which was a nice touch.
Ick Factor: Inserting and removing the cup is a much more ‘hands-on’ process than when using a tampon. However – I only needed to change the cup twice a day, so it’s a small amount of gross-ness for a long pay-off.
The White Undies Test: I did a HIIT workout with the cup on my second day of bleeding (which is my heaviest). 45 minutes of intense exercise later my undies were completely unscathed, so five stars to JuJu for producing such a leak-free (and therefore worry free) product!
Final Verdict: I absolutely ADORE my JuJu cup and plan on using it as my main period product in the future. After I got used to inserting it and taking it out (which I found was easiest in the shower) the cup was so convenient and comfortable.
WASHABLE COTTON PADS BY JUJU
Initial Reaction: The pads were super soft and much comfier than throw-away pads because they are 100% fabric. It was really nice just popping together the snap-button wings and not having to deal with all the excess packaging and sticky-ness of regular pads.
Practicality: One practical issue is that you can’t really change your pad in public unless you’re happy to carry around a used pad in a plastic bag all day (which is pretty off-putting). Another issue is that you would need to purchase quite a lot of pads to last a week, as you have to account for washing and drying them after every use.
Ick Factor: If you’re the squeamish type, you wont like washing the cotton pads, as I could not completely remove the blood stains from them.
The White Undies Test: I found the cotton pads had a similar leak-tolerance to regular pads – not terrible, but not completely leak-proof.
Final Verdict: I loved the soft comfort of these pads, but the extra effort made them a little too impractical long-term. In the future I will probably only use them as an overnight option, because they are very soft and comfy and can then be easily washed in the morning.
So there you have it. Overall, I loved the menstrual cup the best, primarily because you don’t have to change it for so long and because the process of washing it is a lot easier then washing and drying a fabric product.
I am officially a renewable product convert, and definitely reccommend that all women jump on the sustainable bandwagon.
To find out more about specific brands and products I used, and how much they cost, click here for Bondi Beauty’s article on Australian brands making sustainable feminine hygiene.
