Do you remember your first period? It was both exciting and a little scary. All your friends were getting theirs, and you finally felt a part of something bigger. Hopefully, you had a seasoned professional there by your side to help you navigate your first cycle.
If you’re in the position to do that now for someone else, you've got a huge responsibility. Young women need to feel confident that their period is normal and that they’re taking care of themselves in the right way.
At Rael, we’re changing the way we think about our periods. We want young women to feel empowered by what their bodies can do, and having all the essentials at their fingertips can help a first-timer who’s having their first period feel better and more at ease during this incredible rite of passage.
We’ve created a brand of holistic period care products that are safe, gentle, and effective for every stage of your life and cycle. We can help you build a first-period kit that will keep a first-timer comfortable and assured through their entire first cycle.
First Period: What To Expect
For most of us, our first-period experiences were a long time ago. It can be hard to remember exactly what happened and, unless you had a really savvy adult by your side, it might have been a little awkward.
Discharge
Prior to the first period, there will likely be vaginal discharge. This is completely normal and is the body’s way of preparing for the first cycle. Discharge can be thin to thick and can range from clear to cloudy.
Sometimes, this discharge can be irritating to the skin, but irritation can be avoided by wearing cotton liners and underwear and making sure clothing isn’t too tight.
Breast Discomfort
It’s common to feel discomfort in the breasts prior to having the first period. Breasts may feel sore, tender to the touch, or uncomfortable against some types of fabric.
This symptom usually only lasts a few days and can be helped by wearing a comfortable bra and clothing that doesn’t scratch.
Cramps and Bloating
Menstrual cramps are a part of having a period, although their severity can range from very mild to pretty painful. Cramps may begin the week before the first period and last through the first few days of the first cycle. Cramps feel like a stomach ache localized on the right and left sides of the lower abdomen.
Period Flow
It’s impossible to tell how much of a flow a first-timer will have during the first period. It may be very light and only last a few days, or it may last a full seven days. Normally, the first period won’t be as heavy as the rest of their periods will be.
Because you can’t predict how heavy the flow will be, it’s important to have a variety of products on hand so you can be sure a first-timer has what they need to stay comfortable and confident during the first cycle.
Creating a First Period Kit
The most important thing you can do to help someone prepare for their first period is to be their advocate and a person they feel they can trust. Encouraging healthy conversation about first periods, what to expect, and how to use proper period and hygiene care can make the first-period experience easy and even enjoyable.
Prior to the first period, you may want to create a first-period kit that contains everything a first-timer will need to feel protected, secure, and comfortable… and maybe a few self-care items to help them indulge and feel special and honored during this important time of their life.
Here’s what to include in a first-period kit.
For the Weeks Before
Cramps, bloating, acne breakouts, and discharge are all new experiences that can be overwhelming and a little scary. The right products can help a first-timer feel better and erase anxiety over the first cycle.
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Heating Patches. Cramps can be painful, but heating patches help alleviate the discomfort gently and naturally. Rael’s heating patches contain plant-based ingredients that warm when placed against the skin. It’s like a warm hug when it is needed the most.
Our heating patches are designed to be adhered to underwear (no irritating adhesives on the skin) and provide hours of therapeutic warmth.
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Panty Liners. Discharge is normal, and it’s easy to feel clean and comfortable when you use panty liners. Our panty liners are made from 100% organic cotton and don’t contain any harsh chemicals that could irritate skin or disrupt hormones.
We even offer reusable panty liners, if your first-timer is environmentally conscious.
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Acne Care. The week before the first period can cause rapid changes in hormones that could lead to breakouts. Our spot cover variety set contains acne patches for all types of breakouts, including under-the-skin bumps that can be painful.
Our hydrocolloid patches contain gentle ingredients that lift pus and oil from acne breakouts helping them disappear in a matter of hours.
Having these simple items on hand in the weeks prior to the first period can help keep a first-timer feeling better and more confident.
The Week of the First Period
When the period finally arrives, your first-timer will likely be a little nervous. Help keep nerves settled and promote confidence with the right products that are easy to use and comfortable.
Unless a first-timer really wants to try them, using tampons or a menstrual cup may be an option that feels invasive. Our recommendation? Stick to period care that’s gentle and doesn’t require a lot of practice to use.
The last thing you want is to make a first-timer feel like having a period is too complicated. It can create anxiety toward the next cycle.
Here’s what we recommend you have on hand prior to the first period.
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Pads. Stock up on pads of every shape and size. Since it can be impossible to predict how much flow there will be, it’s important to keep pads in all sizes on hand to avoid leaking or discomfort.
Rael’s pads are made to be gentle and effective. Our 100% cotton pads don’t contain any chemicals that could irritate sensitive vaginal skin or interfere with hormonal health.
Our pads are available in sizes ranging from petite to overnight. Our petite pads can be especially useful for first-timers. They’re shorter, which is perfect for keeping even the youngest first-timers comfortable.
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Flushable feminine wipes. Periods can get hectic, especially the first one. When leaks or accidents happen, make sure your first-timer feels like a hygiene queen. Flushable wipes can help clean up and give added confidence to a newbie who’s just starting on their period journey.
Rael’s flushable wipes are all-natural and contain soothing, plant-based ingredients that help deliver a clean, fresh feel with zero irritation.
Knowing you have the right products on hand can help keep you cool, calm, and collected while you help a first-timer acclimate to their period. Ensuring those products are gentle, effective, and all-natural is important and promotes awareness of using natural, holistic products.
For the Rest of the Month
The weeks following the first period can also send hormones into a spiral and make a first-timer feel emotionally unbalanced. The weeks after the first period are a great time to explain the benefits of self-care, and we have the perfect products to offer a little self-indulgence.
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Mask up. A sheet mask isn’t just a trendy way to take care of your skin; it’s a super beneficial self-care item that helps keep skin radiant, healthy, and blemish-free. Rael offers a variety of sheet masks to target cycle-related skin issues during any time of the month.
Remove the mask, apply it to clean skin, and relax. Remind your first-timer their body just did something amazing, and they deserve a little pampering.
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Hydrate. The weeks after the first period can lead to a cycle of dry skin. The solution? Hydrate, hydrate, and hydrate some more! Rael’s moisture melt snowball gives dry skin 100 hours of deep hydration in one treatment.
Activate the moisture melt snowball by adding it to a facial serum and gently massage it into the skin until absorbed.
Get Rael
The first period is a life-changing event, and preparing a first-period kit can help a first-timer have a good experience. A good first experience can help your first-timer keep a positive attitude about their period, and that’s so important in reshaping the way the next generation approaches periods and period care.
Our First Period Gift Set includes Petite Pads, Regular Pads, Regular Liners, Natural Feminine Wipes, Heating Patch, Tea Tree Facial Sheet Mask Set, and Invisible Spot Dots to help your first-timer cover all her bases, and then some! From the basics like feminine hygiene to an extra chance for some self-care with our facial sheet mask, she’ll be ready to take on the world and know that her time of the month isn’t something to dread, but something to go through with confidence and comfort with the right items.
Rael has holistic period care products for keeping your first-timer comfortable and confident throughout her entire first cycle and beyond. You can trust us to never use harsh chemicals in our products, and to always offer toxin-free choices for period protection and skin care.
Sources:
What Can I Expect When I Get My Period? | Facts & Info (plannedparenthood.org)