You've probably heard of menstrual panties as an alternative to disposable sanitary napkins and tampons, but why do we talked about it so much?
What are menstrual panties?
This is an underwear, in this case panties are specially designed to be worn during vaginal discharge, including menstruation. They act as protection, not as a complement to sanitary napkins or tampons, but rather as a replacement.
What are its particularities?
Washable,
Reusable from 3 to 5 years,
6 to 12 hours of protection,
Adapt to all flows and all sizes of underwear.
It can be used:
During the menstrual cycle,
When white discharge appears,
During pregnancy,
Also postpartum.
To understand how the period panties are made, here is a diagram:
Credit : moodz.co
It has three essential parts for comfort and optimal use.
The first layer is designed with natural materials like cotton which will wick away moisture and allow you to have that feeling of freshness and keeping dry.
The second layer is made of natural materials of plant origin like bamboo. Its super-absorbent properties will allow all flows to get one. To give an idea, this layer can store the equivalent of 4 tampon and more.
And finally the third and last layer, the anti-stress layer we can say because this layer is completely waterproof and therefore anti-leak so it retains the menstrual blood. Then goodbye to fears and hello to light colored stockings!
These panties can be declined in different styles such as shorties, high waisted panties or even normal panties.
Health issues:
As you've seen, period panties don't contain any chemicals products. However, if you ever have any doubts about its composition, you can rely on the “oeko-tex standard 100” criterion. This is an independent European label which guarantees that the product is free from chemicals harmful to the body and the environment.
Who says more pads or tampons says more toxic shock syndrome. And yes, menstrual pads and tampons increase and are the cause of a good number of toxic shocks due to their very chemical compositions, in particular the protections which have odors of chemical perfumes. So to avoid this type of risk as much as possible, there are many alternatives to disposable protections such as the cup, reusable pads and tampons, and in particular period panties.
For people with endometriosis, the period panties are an obvious alternative to the cup which is not suitable.
Ecology and environment issues:
Here is a little reminder of what a disposable tampon or sanitary napkin is made of (non-exhaustive list):
Plastic
Dioxin
Lindane
Quintozene
Glyphosate
With this shocking list we can see that not only the products used are harmful for the planet but also and above all for our health. Around 45 billion hygienic protections are thrown away each year around the world. This represents 0.5% of the pollution. Even if this figure may seem minimal, we must not forget that plastic in particular put 400 to 800 years before disappearing completely so with so many towels and tampons thrown this figure could double in the years to come.
For more information, I invite you to consult the ANSES (Agence Nationale de Sécurité sanitaire de l’alimentation et du travail) website on intimate protection.
My opinion:
I wouldn't recommend a product without testing it first. So if I tell you all about it, it's because since I tested the Repeat brand period panties I haven't found any negative points. Being a scholarship student, savings have become essential if I want to be able to live properly while respecting the planet. Also, I am very fragile and I get urinary tract infections very often and disposable menstrual pads only make it worse. So wearing reusable panties, chemical-free and made only from recycled and natural materials, was obviously obvious to get them.
I have been using "Repeat" brand panties for 3 years now. I bought the set of three panties for only 39€ which is not expensive at all knowing that this price is often for 1 panty. I can tell you they are awesome and for nothing in the world I will come back to disposable sanitary pads.
Regarding the aesthetics of the panties, they doesn't seems like period panties but on the contrary very beautiful everyday panties. In addition, level of comfort, they are extras. You should know that I do a lot of physical activity, especially running and crossfit, and they have never bothered me.
For 3 years my wallet has been revived and the earth thanks me.
Websites uses:
lemonde.fr/pollution/article/2018/07/19/des-substances-toxiques-dans-les-tampons-et-les-serviettes-hygieniques_5333356_1652666.html
Cover picture:
https://mondlee.com/products/culotte-menstruelle-x3?variant=36572274458786¤cy=EUR&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&gclid=Cj0KCQjw0oCDBhCPARIsAII3C_HVPLMkup2k0_iD5Ms-3wvMPeHSV-D-GgPKu9c_-_vaot9dvK_mUxQaAjXYEALw_wcB