Menstrual Product Alternatives

As I was doing some research on how to become more eco-friendly this coming Earth Day, I kept seeing the same tips and tricks pop up over and over again on how to save energy, money and save the environment. Reuse and recycle bottles, reuse and recycle paper, use public transit more often, turn off the water when you brush your teeth, use energy saving light bulbs, use a towel more than once, unplug when you can. Yeah, yeah, yeah, we have heard all that before but what other ways can I save money and help the planet? Well, Ladies, what if I told you that you did not need to buy another tampon or pad for 10 years?

That would be a miracle, right? You are in luck; there are menstrual cups that last up to 10 years if taken care of properly as well as cloth menstrual pads. Back in 1914 most women used cloth menstrual pads or a menstrual apron. Tampons and disposable pads did not appear until the late 1920's/early 1930's. Prior to 1914, women either let it flow freely or came up with many other idea's to keep from staining their clothes.

Most women today do not give a second thought about using disposable products and how much money she is spending on it. You may not think it is not a big deal spending a couple dollars here and there on a box of tampons or pads, but think about how much you spend it a month, a year, a lifetime. For the women that struggle financially, these eco-friendly alternatives can be a lifesaver.

I know some people might be thinking "reusable menstrual products? That can't be sanitary!" In fact, as long as you follow the manufactures instructions, the products are just as sterile as when you took them out of the box! There has been plenty of research done saying that these alternatives are just as sanitary, if not more so than disposable products, but I will allow you to do some research on that for yourself.

When converting to these reusable products, it will take you a few cycles to decide what works best for you. No product is the "best product" because every woman has her own personal preferences and comforts, so choose the product that works best for you! Of course, you should not share reusable menstrual products with anyone, and you need to follow the manufacturer's instructions about when and how to replace the product. If you still have your heart set on disposable menstrual products, there are some "natural" menstrual products that are also somewhat environmentally friendly.

Non-chlorine bleached all-cotton pads and tampons are available at natural foods stores and health stores. These products are even in a few larger supermarket chains. They are a little bit more expensive than the regular products you buy and they are disposable. These are great if you are going on a business trip and do not exactly have the resources to throw your reusable pads in the Wash. They are not as environmentally friendly as the reusable products, but thankfully they are not made using hardly any chemicals at all. Just as a side note, even 100% natural cotton products contain pesticides. If you want to be 100% positive that the products you are purchasing have absolutely no chemicals, it is a good idea to choose a brand with organic cotton (it should say organic on the packaging).

Reusable, washable, cloth pads
These are just like the regular disposable pads and work exactly the same way. You place these in the bottom of your underwear and either have snaps or Velcro underneath to keep them in place. You change them just as often as you would disposable pads but instead of throwing them away, you can throw them in a cold tub of water to keep them from staining until you are ready to wash them. Reusable pads usually come in two parts, the liner, and the liner holder. There are also pads that are not like this and do not require you do use inserts but it is really personal preference on what you use. Just like disposable, cloth pads come in different sizes and absorbencies. There are also a plethora of free patterns on the net if you desire to make your own. Making your own can be fun because you are not limited to the designs that are in the store. Cloth pads are amazing because these products are considerably less irritating than the plastic pads and they do not feel like diapers! I am not a tampon person but I have always dreaded the diaper feeling, especially since I live in Florida. Upfront, cloth pads are more expensive but considering that these can last you several years, it is worth the upfront cost. I know you have many questions about what to do if you are at school, at work or just out and about and you need to change (along with several other questions that I had at first). I will provide links at the end of this article to aid you in your research that will answer all of your questions.

Sea sponges
These are a very natural alternative to tampons and come in different sizes (much like tampons) to deal with varying absorption amounts of various menstrual flow. Sea Sponges typically cost anywhere from $8-15 dollars (each). Although, the negative reviews on the sea sponge are high because they are not as sterile as other reusable products and only last MAYBE about 6 months. If these appear to start tearing in any way when you are inserting them or taking them out, you need to get a new one. You also have to dampen your sea sponge before you insert it, which if you are out in public, this can be very inconvenient unless you want to carry around a water bottle with you everywhere. In the 1980s, the FDA did some research and found that most sea sponges that were marketed as menstrual products contained incredibly harmful bacteria. One brand (Sea Pearls™) offers several ways to disinfect their product. In my opinion, I would not recommend sea sponges but I will provide a few links so you can do some of your own research. As with tampons, it is possible to get toxic shock syndrome from sea sponges.

Reusable Menstrual Cups
Menstrual cups are another great alternative to tampons and in the long run are better than sea sponges and regular tampons. There are several brands to choose from. A few are The Keeper, The Mooncup, The DivaCup, The lunette cup and one disposable cup (Instead Softcup). Menstrual cups are made of rubber or silicone and are easy to fold and insert into the vagina so the product can "catch" the menstrual blood. There have been no known reports of TSS (Toxic Shock Syndrome) from using menstrual cups because these cups simply collect the blood rather than absorb it. There are around 10 brands of menstrual cups to choose from right now. There are two basic types of menstrual cups, one is for those who are under 30 and the other is for those who have given vaginal birth or are over 30. I will post links at the end of this article so you can research the major brands.

Knitted Tampons
Knitted Tampons are also an option for those who are crafty. There are patterns that you can purchase but I honestly do not know how useful these would actually be because I have not been able to find much information about these nor have I been able to find anywhere that actually sells this type of product. I have just found a couple of message boards that talk about "how amazing" this tampon alternative is.

So as you can see, there are several options to the conventional menstrual products. Unfortunately, not many women know about these alternatives. I even had a hard time finding other articles here on Associated Content about these alternatives. I really encourage women to give these products a shot and see how much money you can save! We reuse plates, cups, eating utensils, clothes, sheets, blankets, toothbrushes, towels, shoes, paper and boxes. Why not reuse your menstrual products instead of throwing them away after every use? This earth day, switching to reusable menstrual products is one small thing you can do to reduce waste, be green and keep green money in your pocket!

Links
Just as a note, you can also find reusable cloth pads on Etsy.com very inexpensively.

More information about all of the reusable products I mentioned above.
Info for teens
eve's best
A fellow AC writer's thoughts and opinions

Organic Pad's and tampons
Seventh Generation
Organic Pharmacy
Natural Living for women

Cloth Pads/ menstrual cups
Bushbaby free patterns and how-to
More Free patterns
Sckoon
Goddess Pads
Cotton Babies
New Moon Pads
Luna Pads
Glad Rags
Moon cups and keepers
Softcups

Reusable tampons
Knitting and crochet patters
More information on reusable tampons