Periods Reimagined

Graphic by Stephanie Zhu

I had my first period when I was 13 years old. I was at friend’s house for the weekend and her mother was the one that had to teach me how to put on a pad. Although everything seemed pretty scary for a frightened pubescent teenager, things were pretty straightforward – there were pads and then smaller pads. That was it.

When I was about 18, I started to use tampons. This was also pretty straightforward – there were a couple of major brands and I used them to replace pads whenever I wanted to wear a bikini. Although periods used to mean staying in bed watching TV all day or suffering through excruciating cramps, all in all they were pretty simple.

All of this changed for me about a month ago when ads for new period products flooded my social media timelines. From menstrual cup ads to videos that questioned “Do you really know what’s in your tampon?”, my limited knowledge of anything period-related was shattered.

In order to re-educate my 20-year-old self in what I thought I knew, I started doing some research. That’s when I came across new feminine hygiene product inventions and brands that provided more eco-friendly, less problematic, cramp-free, and more comfortable alternatives to the classic drugstore pads and tampons that I used to use. These alternatives include the DivaCup, the FLEX menstrual disk, and the THINX period panties.

The DivaCup

The first product, and inspiration for this piece, is the menstrual cup. Popularized by the U.S. brand DivaCup, this new feminine hygiene product is sustainable, easy-to-use, and eco-friendly. The DivaCup is a soft silicone cup that can be worn for up to twelve hours at a time and should be emptied, washed, and rinsed a minimum of two or three times a day. This product is available for purchase in three different “Series”: Model 0 for those 18 or younger, Model 1 for those under 30 that have never had kids, and Model 2 for those over age 30 and/or that have had kids.   

According to Isabelle Vincent, a Psychology major at Goldsmiths, University of London, becoming a user of the Mooncup, a brand similar to the DivaCup, made her have a more natural and healthier relationship with her period. “I started using it because of its environmental benefits because unlike becoming vegan or not buying fast fashion, using a menstrual cup is a minimal change to your life that causes a major benefit to the environment that does not include a compromise of any kind,” she said.

The FLEX Menstrual Disc

The second alternative to traditional period products is the one that sparked my interest the most. FLEX is a menstrual disc that sits past the vaginal canal, collects fluid, and can replace up to three super tampons. This product also has a number of other advantages like usage for up to 12 hours, reducing period cramps and dryness in most clients, and mess-free period sex.

According to their website, their mission is to “reimagine and deliver life-changing period products everywhere.” By reading customers’ reviews, the brand has definitely accomplished this mission. “Insertion/removal is WAY more comfortable than a tampy, and I noticed a significant decrease in my day 1 cramps. I no longer feel ‘gross’ on my period, and that in itself does wonders for my attitude and self esteem!! FLEX has another lifetime client over here,” said Kylie, a Flex user on the brand’s website.

THINX Period Panties

Period panties are pretty self-explanatory – panties that absorb your period. The brand THINX has been developing this idea and “mastering the period taboo” since January 2014. Their panties come in six classic designs: hiphugger, sport, hi-waist, boyshort, cheeky, and thong. Three cotton designs – brief, thong, and bikini –  can hold up two regular tampons’ worth of fluid, depending on the design you choose.

THINX’s panties work due to a four-layer technology that is moisture-wicking, odor-controlling, super absorbent, and leak resistant. However, these undies can’t be used as full replacements for heavier periods due to the high maintenance of cold washing immediately after use and hanging to dry.

Bruna Rosário, a Film first-year at Northwestern, started wearing the Brazilian period panties brand “Pantys” around a year ago. She still stands by the product. “I had dance classes every week and every time I got my period, dancing that week would always be terrible,” she said. “But when I started using these period panties to dance, my life changed because it does not feel that I’m on my period at all.”

Image via THINX

Period care is longer the straightforward, simple thing that it once was. By expanding the possibilities of feminine hygiene products, we can now choose healthier, more comfortable, and more eco-friendly substitutions for the classic products we used during puberty. By buying either the DivaCup, the FLEX disk, or THINX panties, anyone who menstruates can get a less stressful, cramp-free, and less wasteful “time of the month.”