Since I didn’t know until a few months ago, I’m going to assume that you might not know either, but they make period underwear now! Basically, all it is is underwear with a built-in pad that you wear like regular underwear. The nice thing is, the underwear isn’t supposed to be bulky like a pad, so you can be on your period and not have to worry about people knowing that you’re on your period. Although perhaps we should get into why we should even hide that we have our period, why we sneak pads and tampons into the bathroom like we’re smuggling something? ………But I’ll save that for another article.
For now, let’s focus on period underwear. I was skeptical, but I was intrigued.
Why I switched
Typical period products are not great for the environment, but for so long, there haven’t been alternatives to single use pads and tampons. But now with the introduction of the Diva Cup, reusable pads, and period underwear, you can take care of your flow while also taking care of the environment. With all these new products being added to the market, I felt compelled to try to find a more sustainable way to deal with my period. So, I decided to try period underwear.
The logistics
Most people, I would assume, are familiar with how expansive period products are. Which is another problem because period products are essential to people who menstruate and should be free……but I digress. I’ll save that for another article. Back to the period underwear. Since period products are so expensive, it does make financial sense to make an investment in some period underwear that will last you years (most period underwear lasts as long as normal underwear) rather than spending so much money on pads or tampons. Many articles have worked out the pricing differences, and if you go onto websites of companies that sell period underwear, they will typically also spell out how much money you are saving by switching.
I have tried two different brands of period underwear, Victoria Secret and The Period Company. Both company’s products work the same way. You put on your period underwear in the morning, go about your day, change when you get home. When you change into a different pair, you rinse the used pair with water until all the blood is out and put them in the laundry with the rest of your clothes. That’s it. I was shocked that I could just throw my period underwear in with the rest of my laundry, but once the blood is washed out, it’s just normal underwear.
What do I think?
I. Love. My. Period Underwear. I have completely switched over and don’t ever plan on going back. This product makes my period bearable and has changed my life. I mentioned that I have tried two brands of period underwear, Victoria’s Secret and The Period Company, and just between you and me, I vastly prefer The Period Company. (#NotSponsored) Victoria’s Secret’s pricing is higher than The Period Company but doesn’t offer as much protection. Victoria’s Secret’s underwear is marketed towards only light/medium flow days whereas the Period Company offers everything from a thong (Yes, a period thong. And yes, I love mine) to underwear specifically made for sleeping on heavy flow days. The only thing that Victoria Secret beats the Period Company on is style. The Period Company as of now only offers underwear in a few colors, whereas Victoria’s Secret definitely has much cuter styles and patterns. As for how the underwear compared while I used them, I would say they were pretty similar. Again, the only downside being that Victoria Secret doesn’t have an option for heavy flow days or sleeping. For all of those reasons, I would recommend getting your period underwear from The Period Company. They have the lowest prices that I’ve ever seen ($12) and honestly, it’s cheaper than a lot of regular underwear.
Something that I also really like about The Period Company is their website. It answered all of my questions and even helped me figure out how many pairs I would need for my period (it depends on your flow/ how many days your period is/whether or not you want to be doing laundry during your period/ etc.) I found navigating their website incredibly easy and will continue to buy from them in the future.
All in all, I really love using my period underwear and will continue using them for years to come. I would recommend trying period underwear to anyone who is, like I was, skeptical, but intrigued.