Eco-Friendly Menstruation Products
Period Hipster Underwear. Photo courtesy of Aisle.
Did you know that the typical disposable menstrual products that folks with uteruses use are terrible not just for the environment, but for the user, too? With cotton being an extremely "thirsty" crop — meaning that it requires plenty of water, six pints per tiny bud, to grow — it comes as no surprise that today's disposable menstrual products leave a massive negative impact on our environment. They also use polyethylene plastic on pads and liners to help them stick in place to your panties.
Thanks to the pesticides used to grow the cotton, along with the typically added dioxin, chlorine, and rayon, your vulva and vagina are exposed to all of these chemicals during your period.
It wasn't always like this. In the past, menstruators often placed a reusable rag between their legs (hence the phrase "on the rag" to describe being on your period) or pinned fabric pads to their undergarments. So, why can we not revert to the eco-friendly options of the 'olden days,' but with a modern twist for added convenience, comfort, and personal hygiene?
We can! These are our favourite eco-friendly menstruation products that you must try for yourself!
Aisle’s Period Bikini and Hipster Underwear
Retail at about $40 USD ($42 CAD) for bikini and $42 USD ($44 CAD) for hipster
Period Bikini Underwear. Photo courtesy of Aisle.
Aisle is the creator of so many people's favourite period underwear. There's a quick-wicking mesh top layer, a bonded Truetex™ technology core, and a breathable Tencel™️ Organic Cotton exterior. Regardless of the design you choose (more on that in a bit), the fabric can be machine washed and dried without worry. Just rinse them out in cold water first!
These underwear are made to eliminate the need for pads or tampons. Still, if you happen to use an applicator-free tampon or menstrual cup, they're ideal backup protection without ever needing to use a liner. They hold the equivalent of up to two tampons' worth of menstrual blood, including a bonus absorbency booster (holding another two tampons' worth). This means that you can comfortably go the day without stressing about leaks — and leaving you feeling dry!
Each pair eliminates 85 disposable pads and 6.9 kilometres (4.3 miles) of driving emissions while saving 142.1 days of LED bulb energy. Not to mention eliminating the hassle of changing out menstruation products and having chemicals in or against your body all day, every day, throughout each period.
There are four styles of underwear: the brief, bikini, hipster, and boxer. Each comes in four colours and ranges of sizes: black, blue, green, and red in sizes XS to 5X. This way, depending on your personal style and comfort levels throughout your period, you can easily switch between underwear day to day. By purchasing these, your body and the environment will thank you.
Looking to save an extra $10 off of your first purchase from Aisle? Click here!
Aisle’s Reusable Liners
Retail at $13 USD/CAD for liner and $15 USD/CAD for extended liner
The Extended Liner. Photo courtesy of Aisle.
If Aisle's period underwear are not in the cards for you and you still want to make a positive impact on the environment, we'd highly recommend their reusable liners. These are ideal for light days (including protecting from bladder leakage on non-menstruating days) or as a backup for a menstrual cup or tampon when your flow is heavier (they hold up to a tampon's worth of blood).
Liners consist of a wicking technical cotton top layer, a super-absorbent polyester core, and edge-to-edge leak protection. Each material used has been developed by Aisle to provide superior performance, while maintaining sustainability and comfort. This is something you can tell right off the bat!
Like Aisle's underwear, their liners are made to easily machine wash and dry with like colours, after a rinse in cool water. This super soft and ultra-thin liner will last the same amount of time as a disposable liner, meaning that you should change it out about once per day. What's more, each liner eliminates 48 disposable pads and 5.2 kilometres (3.2 miles) of driving emissions while saving 101.3 days of LED bulb energy. Of course, there's the added benefit of not worrying about having chemicals in or against your body for the duration of each period. In fact, their products have been registered with the FDA since 2001.
Both the classic and extended liners come in four different colour options, depending on your typical style or even your mood of the day: blue print, rust print, solid black, or solid blue. The choice is in your hands... and in your underwear!
Bonus! These liners are manufactured right here in Canada.
Looking to save an extra $10 off of your first purchase from Aisle? Click here!
Joni’s Organic Bamboo Pads and Liners
Retails at about $8 USD ($9.99 CAD) for pads and $7 USD ($8.69 CAD) for liners
Organic Bamboo Day/Night Pads. Photo courtesy of Joni.
Are you looking for the convenience of disposable pads and panty liners, without having to worry about the negative impact on the environment or your body? Canadian-based Joni is the solution.
From their organic bamboo pads (available in day, night, or combo packs) to their organic bamboo liners, you can be sure that you're making the right choice. Joni's key ingredients include organic bamboo fibres and corn starch (from suppliers that maintain their Eco-Cert Organic Certificate), with the bamboo farmed under strict organic operations guidelines. Paper and plastic used are entirely biodegradable, meaning that your environmental footprint will be significantly reduced while also giving your vulva breathable and leak-avoidant protection.
Their liners are super thin and comfortable to wear either for protection on a light day or for added protection during heavier days of your cycle (in addition to a menstrual cup). Joni's day and night pads are best for medium to heavy flow, yet are extra thin! The winged, flexible pads are incredibly comfortable and stay put for the duration of their wear, whether on a particularly active day or throughout an unfortunate, restless night. Regardless of your choice, the pads keep you dry longer and are designed for sensitive skin while remaining ultra-soft and absorbent.
Unlike you're typical non-eco-conscious products, they're also chlorine and dioxin bleach-free and individually wrapped in biodegradable, recyclable packaging!
For added convenience, they also offer a subscription option, so you never have to worry about falling short on your pads or liners ever again. It makes periods that much easier, plus you get an additional discount!
For 10% off your first order from Joni, plus free Canada-wide shipping, click here!
Lunette’s Menstrual Cup
Retails at $39.99 USD (about $53 CAD)
Lunette Menstrual Cup. Photo courtesy of Lunette.
The Lunette Cup is a dream for any menstruator. Unlike tampons that need to be changed every few hours, your cup needs only to be emptied two or four times a day, giving you the worry-free option of leaving it in overnight, up to twelve hours. Plus, in a typical cycle, a person will use around twenty-five tampons — a box of thirty-six runs about $7. In five years, that'll cost you around $291. With an average of 456 periods over 38 years, think about how much money and waste you're saving.
Made of medical-grade silicone that is BPA, latex, and chemical-free, this vegan menstrual cup can last you years. It thus becomes an investment in yourself, your health, and the future of the planet that we all share.
Ready to make the switch? Here's a little bit of information that you should be aware of before making your purchase:
The Lunette Cup Model 1 is made of softer silicone than the Model 2 and is ideal for lighter flows, teens and young users (easier to insert and remove), and folks with lower a lower cervix. They're also fantastic for those with a sensitive bladder or who have strong vaginal muscles. The Lunette Cup Model 2 is perfect for those with moderate to heavy periods and a higher-sitting cervix; it's made of firmer silicone than the Model 1. If you've given birth, consider how your cervix and menstrual flow has changed before switching models.
Ready to purchase your menstrual cup? Click here! You can also take advantage of Lunette's Cup Cleanser and Cup Wipes to keep your menstrual cup sanitary and ph-balanced.
Pixie Cup’s Pixie Cup Steamer
Retails at $29.95 (about $40 CAD)
Pixie Cup Steamer. Photo courtesy of Pixie Cup.
If you're like us, making an effort to boil your menstrual cups at the beginning and end of each period can feel like a massive pain in the butt, regardless of its benefits. In fact, we know that most people avoid it altogether because they can't be bothered — whether it's because of time, not wanting to "gross out" folks in the house by using shared pots to sterilize your menstrual cup, or any other number of reasons.
If only there were a simpler solution, right? We're here to tell you that there IS.
The Pixie Cup Steamer makes sterilizing your menstrual cup of 99.9% of germs a breeze, with the entire process taking a short three minutes. Just add five millilitres of water with the little measuring spoon included with the steamer, place your cup on the small platform stem-side up, put the lid overtop of it, and press the button. The button will pop after three minutes when it's ready to go. You can have it run while you're going to the washroom, in the shower, making your bed, blending your breakfast smoothie — we've multi-tasked in every way possible and are here to tell you that it works.
Not only are we happy to sterilize the cup at the start and end of each period with the Pixie Cup Steamer, but we're also doing so every morning during our cycle! It works better than the boiling method, as the pot's heat can damage the silicone when making direct contact. If you haven't yet made the switch to a Pixie Cup ($19.95 USD or about $26 CAD), you can use this in the meantime for almost any other standard menstrual cup brand!
Read to purchase? Click here to get your Pixie Cup Steamer!
By stepping away from the default disposable menstrual products that so many menstruating folks turn to, you can save the environment and your body. Over-polluting landfills, wasting water to grow cotton, and damaging our bodies and the planet with chemicals like dioxin, chlorine, and rayon are no longer an option.
Today, we can switch back to past generations' eco-friendly options, with a modern twist for added convenience, comfort, and personal hygiene. Our favourite eco-friendly menstruation products are all simple ways to impact yourself and the world positively.
What are your favourite eco-friendly period products? Do you prefer menstrual cups, pads, liners, or period panties? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
