I know this is way too much TMI, but reusable menstrual products changed my life.
Seriously. I’m three years past menopause now, but I’ve become a huge advocate for reusable menstrual products, because for the last 15 years of my period I used them.
I found regular pads would cause chafing, and I was always uncomfortable. And, quite frankly, I don’t like the landfill issues. But reusable pads are soft, they can be pretty, and they just made me happy seeing them all laid out in a drawer!
And menstrual cups? They make caring for periods so much easier, with less mess, no worry of leaking, and even easier care.
On the Tea and Tent Pegs webinar on Monday night, I gave away two lovely Femallay gift basket as door prizes.
I sometimes forget how “weird” I am given what I talk about everyday, so I was describing rapturously Femallay’s vaginal melts, and describing the benefits of menstrual cups, and how Femallay has one with an easy empty valve you can use while it’s still inserted, and the chat box was so hilarious. We were going between Augustine’s view of women and menstrual cups!
I’m very appreciative to Femallay for their support of this blog and for being our sponsor, and as the Christmas season is upon us, I’d like to ask that, if these are things that may interest you, you support our sponsors (because I honestly think Femallay is amazing). They’re a Christian company that’s focused on products that women actually want and need, and that work with how women actually live our lives.
And I think their pads can make fun stocking stuffers for the right kind of young woman, so let me tell you about them!
Femallay’s pads are made with a soft, antibacterial charcoal bamboo inner layer, which safely hugs your delicate skin, cute microfiber fabric on the outside, and waterproof lining inside for maximum absorbency and leakage protection.
I just kept a small bucket with a lid in the bathroom where I’d put them, and every few days I’d just soak them in cold water for a few minutes and then pop them in the washing machine. It really wasn’t a problem, and they always washed well!
Here’s how Femallay describes it:
Did you know that the average woman uses about 17,000 disposable pads and tampons throughout her lifetime? These non-biodegradable products fill our trashcans and sewer systems with waste and chemicals that harm our beautiful world.
Reusable cloth pads are comfortable, convenient, affordable, and better for you! They’re free of synthetic fibers, pesticides, or chemicals in addition to being incredibly effective at providing superior leakage protection. Combine that with the peace of mind from knowing you’re saving our world from the harmful waste of disposables, and it really doesn’t get any better than that.
Your body and our world thank you for choosing to reuse!
Plus–they’re just so darned cute! Femallay has several different designs, but I always found that having something pretty for my period just made me a little bit happier.
The pads come in several different designs, and three different sizes (S,M,L). You can buy sets of three in the different sizes, or even a set of one of each size.
I found I needed about 12 pads in total, but every woman is different. And you can buy wet bags to help carry them, too!
Plus you can use the snaps to fold them so they look unobtrusive. And you can fold them up even when they’re soiled to take them home!
Many teenagers are very environmentally conscious and want to do something different with their periods, and a starter pack might be really fun for Christmas!
Or you can treat yourself to something pretty!
Femallay also sells innovative menstrual cups of their own design.
Rebecca wrote a whole post (again sharing TMI, I think it runs in the family) of how menstrual cups have really helped her. Femallay has wonderful ones, available in different sizes, that can also have valves for easy emptying if you prefer.
They’re also a super weird but fun stocking stuffer for the young women in your life! Or for someone who just wants to make this time of the month easier and wants to stop leaking all the time or worrying all the time.
And imagine the money you’ll save by not having to buy tampons and pads every month!
Check out our post talking about this in detail, or check out the menstrual cups!
Okay, then there are the vaginal melts, and I have to be careful not to be TMI.
But these will change your life. They make a huge amount of difference.
This is NOT lubricant. Yes, they serve as an amazing lubricant. But vaginal melts are inserted beforehand and help with lubrication during sex for sure–but that’s not all they do. They’re a luxurious way to actually nourish the vaginal tissue, helping with elasticity and moisture retention, which can be difficult around menopause and after menopause; after childbirth and tearing; during hormonal changes; and more.
Plus they come in fun flavours! And you can order samples to figure out which ones you like.
I’ve written a whole post about the amazing vaginal melts and their uses, or you can check out the melts now!
I love Femallay, and I hope they can help you with some Christmas gifts–even if it’s just treating yourself!
They have balancing teas; vaginal suppositories; cloth pads; sea sponge tampons; menstrual cups and more to help you with managing your natural hormones and cycles. And I’m grateful to them for sponsoring this blog and letting me do what I do.
So thanks for supporting my sponsors and my new merch that I showed you yesterday! I love being able to do what I do and hire the people I hire, and I can when you all support me.
Have you ever tried cloth pads or menstrual cups? What did you think? And if you’ve tried the melts, let me know in the comments what you thought!
Sheila Wray Gregoire
Founder of Bare Marriage
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Another convert to reusable pads here (though from the UK so I bought a more local alternative to Femallay). They’re brilliant. I always got the chafing issue too, even made my skin bleed sometimes and I’d get rashes esp in the heat. I swear reusables have shortened my period too and just recently I wore them with white underwear and guess what, no staining! I have mostly black underwater because I was always worried about stains, but period tracking (so I’m not taken by surprise!) and reusables have really helped me. I wash mine out in the sink and then they go into the laundry as I live alone, so no worries about anyone seeing them. I’m gonna be recommending them to every girl and woman I know!
I haven’t really tried reusable pads, they seem a bit messy to deal with, but I LOVE my cup!! In the beginning it took a couple of cycles to figure out how to position it so it didn’t leak (hint: folded up next to the cervix won’t work! *facepalm*). Still, I could wear a light pad instead of a regular/plus, then I transitioned to cloth liners as backup and now I don’t bother with anything most of the time (the heaviest day I’ll make sure to use a liner as I have to wear white pants at work, and rarely a pad if I may not be able to go to a bathroom when I need it, like if we’re going hiking or something). I couldn’t imagine being that confident in the beginning, I didn’t think I’d ever trust it completely, but it’s really great!
I made the switch to reusable products several years ago. I was so tired of spending so much money on disposable products that were uncomfortable and caused itchiness. It’s crazy that so many women are turned off of the thought of using a menstrual cup and don’t know how their own bodies work, and how damaging disposable products can be. Tampons are not sterile, have scratchy rayon, and are higher risk for causing tss (which is caused by staph bacteria entering the bloodstream through micro tears in the vaginal walls). We shouldn’t be grossed out by our natural bodily functions or afraid to talk about them and how to properly and healthfully handle them.