Alrighty... if you are A) Male or B) Squeamish I suggest you click away now. Hehe.
Now that we got that out of the way, those of us left are adults who don't mind discussing the realities of life, right? Good :) Menstruation is something we all have to deal with (unless you are before or beyond it and if that's you, you are so. stinkin. lucky). Every month we have to figure out how we're going to control the flow, and if you look on a grocery store shelf, in a magazine, or anywhere else in mainstream media there are very few choices. Pad or tampon. Playtex or Tampax. Well guess what? Not only are there a million other options, those mainstream options are full of nasty chemicals!* I mean, they come with a warning pamphlet (tampons anyway)! Plus they're expensive! There are, like anything else 'green' so many options, of varying crunchiness. If you are just starting out on your crunchy journey you may want to stick to the most familiar options.
Natracare offers organic chlorine free liners, pads, and tampons. I liked the tampons without applicator since they were the most comfortable for me with the least waste for a disposable product. Seventh generation has some chlorine free products too, but they are loaded with plastic and unnecessary waste and are not organic cotton so I personally don't like them much.
If you're ready to try something with a little more crunch to it there are all sorts of fun options!
Jade and Pearl offer sea sponge tampons that can be washed out and re-used for up to 6 months. That is not only going to prevent a lot of pollution but also save you a ton of money (disposable feminine hygiene products are SO expensive!). If you're worried about getting it out you can tie a string around it. It can even be used with spermicide as a contraceptive. Although I haven't tried these I'm very intrigued and think they'd be a great option.
Another great option is the menstrual cup. It's basically a little latex or silicone cup that is inserted in the vagina to catch the blood and washed out for re-use. There are many different brands out there and what works for one person might not work for another. If you are interested in this option there is a wealth of information available here. There are something like 20 different brands, but I'll link to a couple of the more well known ones.
 | |
| Diva Cup |
Diva cup seems to be the most well known brand and is even carried in a lot of the crunchier grocery stores these days. While it seems to be very popular I've read that it's not necessarily the most comfortable cup out there, so again, read up on that site mentioned earlier before you buy.
 | |
| The Keeper |
The Keeper is made of natural latex and made in the USA (bonus!). It's also been around since the '80s and is very popular. If you're allergic to latex it's most likely the synthetic latex you react to, not the natural rubber latex this is made of but if you still don't want to risk it you can try the keeper's silicone counterpart:
 | |
| The Moon Cup |
The moon cup is identical to the keeper in form and function, the difference being the moon cup is made of medical grade silicone. Both are washable/reusable and can last up to ten years... now THAT is gonna save you money!! Again, I've heard good things about this brand and because of that and the fact that it's made in the US I'm going to be ordering this one for when my period returns (really hoping that's a long way off!).
The last option I'm going to mention is only last because I personally dislike pads. Always have. Maybe it's the dancer in me, but I just can't do it. Anyway, for those who do like and/or use pads cloth pads are an awesome option!
 | |
| Glad Rags |
Glad Rags are kind of the big name out there as far as mama cloth (an affectionate term for cloth pads) goes, and I'm sure they're great. If you're looking for another option I highly suggest checking on etsy as there are many mamas there who make beautiful cloth at reasonable prices. These are just washed out after use like you would with a cloth diaper or family cloth.
I hope that gets you thinking about the options out there! I wish I'd known years ago that there were so many alternatives! Lets educate and empower ourselves ladies, we need not be slaves to the disposable feminine product industry, and we definitely don't need to expose the most sensitive parts of our bodies to harsh nasty chemicals!*
As a side note I also believe that women should really know more about the way their bodies function. I find it terribly fascinating. I recommend three awesome resources to you to start out:
*If you're wondering about my chemical claims chlorine and dioxin are the most common ones found in these products, but please feel free to google it or check out these links for more info:
**I was not compensated in any way for this post. I shared only my genuine opinion and experience.
0 comments:
Post a Comment
Your kind comments are greatly appreciated!