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BANG FOR THE BITE
Products are available at a slight premium but offer equal protection, are better for your health, and their production process is kinder to the earth.
COCKTAIL FACT
Is 28 days the standard? Believe it or not, some women get a period every 11 days, and others, every 100.
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home › tip library › Natural Tampons and Feminine Care
Gentlemen, want to know what to buy next time you are sent to the store to get feminine products?
The Bite
The average woman will use as many as 11,000 tampons or sanitary pads during her lifetime. That’s way too many chances to put something toxic in or near your body. Rest assured that eco-friendly, squeamish-free alternatives do exist.The Benefits
- Biodegradable. Pads made with plant-based plastics/plastic-like materials are just as absorbent and leak-proof and won’t clutter landfills. Approximately 20 billion throwaway pads and tampons are sold in the United States each year.
- Chlorine-free. Conventional products typically contain a mixture of rayon and cotton, both bleached with chlorine which increases the "sanitary" look. Alternatives are whitened with a safer, oxygen bleaching process.
- Organic cotton tampons are pesticide-free. 26% of the world’s pesticides are sprayed on cotton.
Personally Speaking
Icked by the idea of reusable eco-feminine care products, we both like the Natracare and Seventh Generation products below. And yes, if you date us, we’ll ask you to pick them up when you are at the store to prove you are a “tough yet gentle” kinda guy.Wanna Try?
- Natracare – chemical-free, non-chlorine bleached biodegradable pads, pantiliners, and tampons. Find a retailer here .
- Seventh Generation – chlorine-free feminine care made from organic cotton.
- Flushaway Pad and Pantiliners – biodegrade within 28 days. Widely available at common big-box retailers.
Mar 14,2006
Sponsor
All editorial suggestions in this tip are the result of testing and a preference for the tip topic. No advertiser has paid to have its company referenced in the tip. For more information, please read our Editorial Policy.
Uncle Red Goes Organic
At Ideal Bite we are "light green" - you guys know this. So the whole notion of that reusable cup wasn't going to be tested or tipped. (If you use it, much more power to ya, sisters).
However, let's talk brass tacks here... what other material would you want to be super clean, pesticide- and bleach-free? Why don't we think about these things more - it is almost like taking a vitamin or something.
Speaking of vitamins, I can't wait to find all-natural mood balancers / pain relievers for the side effects of Uncle Red's visit... b12 is helpful, but I know there are more out there. It is funny that every month Uncle Red comes (thank God - yes I know some of you Biters want us to have kids but in good time, promise) and every month I get confused as to why my life is great yet I am bummed for about a day and a half. DUH. I swear...
Is it true that women have to put up with more s*!# than men? Are the joys of birth worth the makeup, the periods, the pay inequity, the trips to the gyno? Dear Momma Biters, please do chime in.
Off to play with my best friend's kids (am in Atlanta)... I love them, I do, but after a week here it might help stave off those baby pangs I have been having.... Jen
Biter Comments...
Just so you know, using the Keeper has made my periods SO much less of a hassle that I almost don't give it a second thought. I never run our of product, I never have to remember to bring backups with me, I won't have to pay for another product for, oh, about five more years... I can appreciate your reluctance to consider using a Keeper, given how our society as a whole is grossed out by menstration... but it honestly makes having your period cool. Once you get over the "ewww!" factor that's been bred into us womenfolk, you realize that it's pretty damn cool to actually see what a cycle is all about.
I think it's a shame that you discounted the cups so easily as too "dark green" for you... They rock, and are easy & odor-free. The thought of going back to a big honkin' pad, or putting something inside of me that dries me out and leaves fiber residue and a dangly string is the gross one.
p.s. At least a mention of its existence would have been nice for your readers, who might not share your mental block. You guys do all sorts of things that I haven't gotten around to yet & consider dark green.
Now I'm done for real. I just am bummed that this affordable, cool opportunity was missed in favor of very expensive organic pads & tampons.
I have to say I'm disappointed that the cups weren't reviewed. I've been using the Diva Cup for two years now. It was saving money that initially motivated me, when I saw how much I'd be shelling out for organic cotton feminine hygiene products, as well as when I looked at how much water and energy I'd be consuming to rinse and wash out a set of reusable pads. You can be 'light green', or 'teal', or any shade of green, or you can just want to be frugal, in order to benefit from this kind of product. Green doesn't need to be a factor on this one, eh.
It's weird, just this morning I was wondering how horrible for the Earth all those plastic applicators are. Any one know if the cardboard is any better???
The cardboard is better only because it biodegrades, although if you're diligent about rinsing you might be able to sneak it into your mixed paper recycling. It is pressboard paper, after all. If they make it out of post-consumer paper, that's better still, but I don't see that happening for hygiene products on a large scale. Paper companies are already squeamish about using post-consumer paper in products that'll be used for food, so...
But you're right, those plastic applicators are terrible.
I used the ones w/out applicators when I was still using 'em, but even then you've got the plastic shrink-wrap on there, and then it's a rayon product that'll never break down, and, and... The only recyclable item there is the box.
I've been using Gladrags (gladrags.com) cotton pads for years-- not exclusively, though you could, but as a backup to tampons when flow is heavy or as pantyliners. Now that I'm semi-menopausal and totally irregular, I wear them all the time as a precaution. You can use just the liner or add one or two pads, and it snaps around the crotch of your underwear. If pristine whiteness is not a big priority, just toss them in the regular (cold) laundry. They last for years, and most of them are organic now. Some have more coverage for overnight. The website also sells the cup, which I haven't tried, but the reusable pads are great!
Despite not receiving my bite today, I feel compelled to comment on it after it was forwarded by another biter. I've been receiving the tips for a while now; I turned my best friend on to them as well as my mom. We appreciate the insight and work hard to sustain green lives. I find today's bite reprehensible and irresponsible. While you may be "icked out" by "reusable" feminine products, the very idea of living a green life--light, dark or otherwise--is to perpetuate a sustainable lifestyle, which in its most basic form means reducing waste, recycling and yes, reusing. A more responsible bite would have included feminine cups without such a backhanded insult that both degrades the product as well as the natural, healthy process of menstruation, which is actually pretty neat.
I have used washable cloth pads for years, and they worked great for me. (And if you REALLY want to get yucked out, try soaking the pads in a used plastic milk jug, then watering your plants with the liquid....your husband will never know what made those tomatoes so red and juicy!!)
And here's my recipie for dealing with menstrual mood swings: Learn to recognize the four parts of the menstrual cycle and what they are good for: 1) Just after "Aunt Flo" comes & leaves, is a great time for outward-focused, detail work. 2) Ovulation: great time for project completion, delivery, (meeting those Ideal Bite deadlines!) 3) Between ovulation and menstruation: recognize that your body is preparing to shed the uterus lining, and also, on an emotional level releasing all that is "not you"--all those emotions that you don't really want to be part of your system are coming to the surface to be released. Great time for starting to turn inward--increase those yoga sessions, and avoid violent movies, the news, annoying people, etc. 4) Menstruation: Now that you've released all those emotions that are "not you", you are best able to tap into your own inner guidance and wisdom. Great time for meditation, prayer, journal writing & walks in the garden. 5) Start the cycle over again!
Wow! I checked out the "Keeper" and the "Diva Cup" and they are nearly identical to the Mooncup that I use. I had no idea there were so many versions out there!
Don't fret about using re-usable feminine products... they really are quite nice! I think my favorite aspect (aside from the money saving and eco-benefits) is that it stops the 'black crud'. You know, the stuff you wipe off with the toilet paper a day or two after the end of your period, the left-over remains that were not timely enough to get out earlier? I've found that using a menstrual cup eliminates them completely!!
So give the cups a whirl... the worst that can happen is that you don't like them!
I have to chime in with the other reusable cup/pad using ladies. I wish you would have mentioned them instead of casually dismissing them as gross options! if nothing else, it demystifies your period and makes it into a cool science project!
PLUS, this is a hotly contested anecdotal point: but lots of women (myself included) experienced cramping with tampons that are gone when using the keeper.
I also want to mention that while it's ok to be squicked out by something, allowing ourselves to be told that our periods are disgusting and nasty and should be hidden away shamefully is just another way that we allow others to demean us. I'm no free-bleeder, but this is something we deal with roughly monthly for 40-50 + years. it's one thing to be discomforted, but to be actively grossed out is a waste of energy and time.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE my Keeper (rubber alternative to the Diva Cup)! When I'm wearing it I can't even feel it...much less than a tampon...and it's much more affordable then expensive organic feminine supplies, which still create a lot of waste.
Give the cup a chance!
Peace and Love from a flakey hippy,
Yvette
Couldn't you at least mention the cup in the tip of the day rather than relegating it to the blog? I had never heard of the cup until I saw it on grist.org. Just as the NuvaRing has made birth control a small part of my life rather than the everyday issue of the pill, so has the Keeper with my period. I literally think about it twice a day during that week and I never have to worry about "packing feminine wares" with me when I leave the house- I feel liberated when I leave the house and realize I do not need extra preparation because I am on my period.
Count me in as another devoted Keeper fan! Have had mine for nearly 10 years (it did get a hiatus for one pregnancy and 15 period-free months thanks to breastfeeding)and would never dream of going back to anything disposable or absorbent, no matter how green. Won't go in to detail about the many ways in which it pleases me as they've mostly been covered. I bought mine with a money-back guarantee; perhaps that fallback would encourage some of you skeptics to give it a try.
As to whether birth is worth the occasional hassles of being female, I say yes. Motherhood, like any other role in life, has dark moments (OK, days) as well as bright, but the amazing process of pregnancy and childbirth connected me to the circle of life in a way I could not have imagined or predicted.
Another one who wished the reusable options weren't so condescendingly dismissed. Way to put down those of us who don't think our natural processes are disgusting and icky.
Using the Keeper has really improved my menstrating life. No longer do I need to worry about traveling, contributing SO much waste to the landfill, or buying products from companies that market to a woman's insecurities.
Hope you reconsider and give it a try at least! IIRC, there's a money-back 90 day guarantee.
I wish that there would have at least been some sort of mention in this tip about reusable alternatives since they are truly the most eco-friendly. I realize that they are not for everyone, but to not even mention them is a disservice to all the women who read this.
I have to agree with most of the posters here. I was really disappointed to read the dismissive characterization of - "ick" - reusable feminine products. That's why I came to the blog, to post a comment - but, after reading everyone's, I realize there's not much to add!
I'm just glad to see so many women also overcoming the "our period is so gross" perspective we've been taught for so many years, and making an effort to cut down on all of this useless waste in landfills.
I have two types of reusable pads - Reddy's and LunaPads. I love them both. And they're really not that gross. You use them. You rinse them. You wash them. (And apparently, sometimes you garden with them.) It's not that bad.
Even if Jen and Heather are uncomfortable with their periods, I agree with other posters that those options should have been included for women who aren't.
I am very disappointed that The Keeper was not at least mentioned by name. http://www.keeper.com/ I resisted trying this for several years because of the 'ick' factor. After my 3rd son was born (and I'd just gone 9 months without my period) I realized how much I HATED pads and tampons. I decided to *finally* give The Keeper a try.
I have never been more pleased with a product in my life. On all but my 2 heaviest days I need to deal with it once in the morning and once at night (vs every few hours with pads and tampons.)
Most of my friends refuse to try it, but the one person I was able to convince that it wasn't 'icky' at all also wished that she'd found it sooner. Likewise, she is frustrated that her friends all tell her that it's gross.
It is less gross that tampons and pads. If you put in and take out tampons, The Keeper is no big deal... especially since it only needs to be done twice a day!
Once you add the the financial savings AND the fact that it is a better solution for the environment than even the best pads or tampons, I hope that you will reconsider your position.
I believe The Keeper offeres a three cycle money back guarentee. What have you got to lose? Try it out, and I bet you'll send a new tip recommending the Keeper to everyone.
I, for one, am really glad to get this information. I try to live as green a life as possible, but after 20 years, I'm just not forgoing my tampons for something I have to wash out in the sink.
I was sorry that you didn't list re-usable Glad Rags. They're comfy, easy to wash, made from organic cotton. It's sad that Ideal Bite would accept the assumption that we have to be dependent on disposables.
Just wanted to reiterate what everyone else said...reusable cups do rock. Frankly, it's very nice not to have our bathroom wastebaskets full of bloody pads all the time; it's very nice not to have to constantly change it; it's very nice to be able to go to the bathroom at my mother-in-law's without taking my purse with me; it's very nice to be able to just not have to think about it. Seriously, try the cup...it's well worth it.
I'm another Keeper fan: Because it's rubber, daily cleansing happens in the shower, and it is more comfortable and convenient than tampons of any sort, plus absolutely *no* risk of toxic shock syndrome or any other nasties. You can wash it with gentle soap and water, soak it in vinegar, and several other ways of keeping it as ick-free as possible.
Since purchasing mine, I have used it during long-term extreme remote travel where there is very little trash pickup and very few ways to purchase feminine products at all. It worked like a dream.
As to the whole male/female benefits of giving birth imbalance thing, as a Momma Biter I can say that Men Have It Better.
While it is amazing to watch your body expand and contract with new life, and the end result is beautiful and fascinating, the process itself is not very comfortable at all, much less the constraints that society hands to us.
Props to those that worked hard to make that go away, and may we all continue to do so.
I'm new to the Keeper and haven't yet gotten to try mine (it came in the mail the same week my pregnancy test came out positive), but I'm looking forward to what seems like a much more pleasant alternative to tampons and disposable pads.
Considering many environment-oriented individuals possess a mind open to new ways, I too am surprised that today's Bite made absolutely no mention one of the most environment/health/pocketbook friendly alternatives out there. Especially since so many women don't even know they exist. (I had no idea until a year ago). It seems like a missed opportunity to enlighten some well-intentioned people to comparatively little-known options. I know that's a big reason I receive the daily tip... in hopes of learning something new.
I think taking baby steps is good too... like now I am going to use organic cotton tampons and forgo the plastic applicators. One less dollar for Tampax, and one more all natural companies, right? As Martha says, that's a good thing.
I noticed the tip was written by a guy. Could that be part of the reason the writer was grossed out by the thought of re-usable products?
And, I love my DivaCup. It was a lot easier to use than I thought it'd be and I just about forget I'm on my period.
Even though some may be turned off by it, I think the DIVA CUP is amazing! See what I'm talking about at www.divacup.com
I'm another Diva Cup fan who also laments the lack of any mention of reusables. I just had a baby and will breastfeed unitl...whenever, lol, so haven't used it in awhile, but I'll never go back. It is so fabulous to not have to think about my period, and to have spent only $30 or so, for several years of use, with NO waste ~
Yay for the Diva Cup, the Keeper and the Moon Cup! (which I had not heard of until I read the other responses.)
Appreciatively,
Tracy
Three cheers for the Diva Cup! It keeps you feeling fresh and you only have to deal with it twice a day (one of which is in the shower in the morning).
I can attest that it is ALL worth it--have two wonderful GROWN boys who are the delight of my life--wouldn't trade them for missing all the nonsense of earlier years. Children aren't for everyone, but I'm glad the Universe decided I could handle it. Just wish the cotton had been around when I needed it!
Diane
I'm yet another shocked Biter.
I use the Keeper and have done so for a couple of years now, and I've used reusable pads for 3 years or so too.
I do understand that some people may not be comfortable enough with their flow to jump into something as "radical" as using reusable menstrual products, but I agree with many other people that to completely disregard them or not even give that much of an explanation of them seems to go against the whole idea of daily tips.
Like Beth said above, I subscribed to the tips in hopes of learning something new, and I'm sure not everyone has heard of this option. I do think "to each their own", and I understand why women are squeemish over the subject, but why pass up the opportunity to inform the readers on some very eco-friendly and liberating products? Don't they deserve the right to be informed so they can choose what's right for their lifestyle? Isn't that a bit what the Bites are about?
If anybody wants any more general information on this sort of thing, check out : http://bloodsisters.org/bloodsisters/
or any of the links listed above by the other ladies.
Just to comment quickly on the "is all the hassle of being female worth it just to give birth"
YES
Having children should be a carefully considered choice and there are not so fun moments and at times despair and heartbreak but for me the wonder and joy of being a mother is worth all of the inconvience and more. Just my opinion of course.
Kim in Montana
I use GladRags. I used to have a horrible problem, when using conventional pads, with leakage. With the GladRags, zilch. They are amazing...And I just wash 'em in cold water, no soaking, and they are fine.
I love my GladRags so much!
good tip, however, not everyone is 'icked' by the idea of reusable
> eco-feminine care products. You could at least provide information
> for those who may be interested. I've been using a menstrual cup
> (made from organic rubber) for five years and I would never go back
> to using tampons. I can safely leave it in for longer than a tampon
> (which is great for night time, when I used to suffer with bunchy
> pads), it's great to travel with (because I never have to pack extra
> supplies) and it drastically reduced my period expenses (I'll use a
> box of panty liners every three months or so).
> Just thought you might provide another point of view.
> Thanks,
> Lindsay
If you can promote cloth diapers, why can't you promote cloth pads?
I have used a "reusable tampon" e.g. little natural sponge that I rinse with water every three to four hours (just like changing tampons) and with vinegar at the end of a period. Never had a problem with bacteria or anything else. And it feels much better because it is soft and cool (after rinsing). Don't use if you are going somewhere without reliable (clean) water source!
As a big fan of the "Keeper" and "luna-pads" I thought I should chime in here.
I started using the keeper in 2000 when I went on a 13 week tour of Southeast Asia. My Lonely Planet guide suggested it as an alternative to packing a enough product to last you three periods (yep, I was lucky enough to time it for three - not two!) not to mention limiting your impact on other peoples environments.
I must say if you can't stomach using a cup in the comfort of your own bathroom, just imagine my introduction to its use in the pit/squat toilets of rural Northern Vietnam (most often out back near the pig sty). I survived - the always present tourist bottled water comes in handy for more than just drinking! - and still use the keeper every month with the addition of Luna-pads.
And just for the record - I'm not a hippy chick, just someone who seriously wants to make a difference. I'm more disgusted by the size of our landfills than dealing with my own bodily functions.
Syndrome of a toxic shock - the serious disease caused by a bacterium, these bacteria are capable to exist on any amazed part of a body. WBR LeoP
i just want to add that i had some trepidation about the reusable cup too, and only tried it because of some green-conscience thing. i expected to use it a few months and get tired of the hassle, because i don't really have much of a green conscience, i sadly must admit. holy crap, it is so much easier to manage than carrying around disposable products, i so wish i tried it sooner. i have the silicone diva cup, and i love it. and not just because of the green conscience either. it takes all day to fill the cup, so i hardly ever have to worry about emptying it in public. i do it in the comfort of my own bathroom once or twice a day.
same with the cloth pads, they are much less of a hassle than i expected, but i have no qualms about letting them soak in plain view of my family and guests. in fact, i kind of like that.
so i encourage everyone to give them a try. there are a few sites that sell them, as well at craftsters who make and sell their own designs of the pads. don't know how comfortable i am with plugging commercial sites, but, what the hell. i like Glad Rags, a lot of people like Luna Pads, i use the great but unfortunately named Diva Cup, and a lot of women make and sell their own pads. http://www.myspace.com/weirdmama
Umm---seriously---you(the author) need to GROW UP!! Even my teenage daughter and her friends use cloth----actually refuse to use disposables because they are so gross. I know you are of an age where you have been brainwashed by the corporations to think of your bodily function as gross and anything not bleached white and throwaway as UN-sanitary----but come on---wake up and green up!! At least TRY the LUnapads, or give Perfect Pads a try--they are awesome and extremely liberating-----and TRY a cup or sea sponges before you call them icky and yucky.............
THE KEEPER ROCKS!!! Best thing I have ever done is switch to the keeper. It's cheaper, better smelling, more hygenic, and most of all NO WASTE! Everyone should use it. I essentially forget I even have my period now. And I don't think it's even possible to "leak".
One more advocate of the Keeper and other cups, as well as Glad Rags. What about the "ick" factor of throwing out so much waste unnecessarily?
It's one thing to go for "light green" and offer "baby steps" for readers, but insulting a product that has LESS risk of toxic shock syndrome, LESS pollution (even organic cotton tampons are disposable, as opposed to reusable), LESS associated expense... let's not do that again, please?
Thank you,
It is ridiculous to dismiss reusable sanitary products as "dark green". They are safer than disposables, much, much cheaper and a lot better for the environment. i use a mooncup, and I clean it when I empty it, and boil it for 5mins in the microwave between uses, with a little viniger to kill yeast. This is a very simple way for female biters to make a HUGE difference - in my first 6 months, I have saved upwards of 200 pads/tampons. Also, with the lack of leaking, dryness, rashes and smells many women who switch find the cup a pleasure to wear. It has increased my confidence no end, as I know that nobody knows about my period. Also, I don't have to empty the toilet bin of those smelly purple bags all the time.
It is not "dark green" but a fabulous product, good for women's health, bank accounts, and their world.
Interested women can find lots of information and advice at www.menstrualcups.org
Just a huge thanks to all of you commenting on the complete omission of reusable pads or products like the Keeper, DivaCup, etc. I just read the tip on "greening" your period and was horrified that none of the above were mentioned at a place like Idealbite! - other than a snide comment on them being "too green". You've all said it loud, clear, and eloquently.
I love my DivaCup!! Should have been using this years ago. The best price I found is at South Coast Shopping for only $17.99 and arrived in only 2 days! Model 1 and Model 2
I absolutely love my Lunapads and my roommates adore their DivaCups, especially since they can put it in before their period even starts just in case they may get it during the day. I really don't see whats so 'icky' about a DivaCup considering that a tampon is inserted in a similar manner - either way you're hands are getting close to the vagina.. and atleast no one else has to deal with your mess but you. Even when I'm living at home, I just soak my pads in the washing machine until the laundry gets done - so my mother only has to touch the newly cleaned pads. Someone also mentioned that idealbite advocates cloth diapers but this article won't advocate reusable pads. WHAT? I don't see the difference... in fact I'd say reusable pads and cups are definitely less "icky" than cleaning up someone else's poop (although I don't think either are icky - more just a natural part of life)Reusable options aren't all rainbows and sunshine - especially cups if you're a virgin or just on the small side but after a little wear a lot of my friends have gotten used to it.. even the ones who aren't so "green" minded.
I'm not sure exactly what "light green" is, but it sounds more like "trendy green" to me... or maybe just "conveniently green"... either way I'm highly dissappointed in this article...
Ha! Couldn't agree more with the posters above.
Light green is not green at all. It's green washing and nothing else. :P
PHOTO ALBUMS
Posted by: Kristy Iris | March 14, 2006 at 07:01 AM