There’s nothing quite like feeling the uncomfortable ooze of vaginal discharge in your clean [literally just put them on] undies. We love our bodies, and what they do is amazing, but changing underwear numerous times a day is not our idea of convenience.
The truth is, vaginal discharge happens literally every week of your monthly cycle. For some women, it’s consistent, and for some, it’s not. Every person’s body is different, and you may experience heavier or lighter discharge than another person’s.
Let’s talk about the weeks in between your period, what is actually coming out on your underwear, and how panty liners are the perfect solution to keep you feeling comfortable all month long.
Vaginal Discharge
When you first start your period, you mistakenly believe you’ll only have to deal with discharge one week of the month. That’s definitely not true. The vagina is like a self-cleaning oven, and part of that self-cleaning means you’ll experience vaginal discharge off and on virtually every week of every month.
Before Your Period
Before your period, during the ovulation and luteal phases of your monthly cycle, you can experience vaginal discharge that lasts up until the day you start. That means you can have vaginal discharge for about two weeks until you start your period.
This discharge will change as your hormones change. During ovulation, your discharge may be thin, stretchy, and sticky. This type of discharge indicates it’s a great time for you to get pregnant (or a great time to use extra precaution not to become pregnant if you don’t want to).
Discharge can change to a thick, white consistency the closer you get to your period. This is entirely normal and is how your vagina cleans itself and releases unneeded cells, fluid, and tissue from your body.
During Your Period
During your period, you’ll have a bloody discharge (obviously). If you don’t become pregnant during the ovulation phase of your period, your body will shed the egg that didn’t get fertilized, along with the thickened lining of your uterus.
This all gets shed with blood from inside your uterus and cervix and helps prepare your body for your next cycle.
Period discharge can range in color and consistency. In fact, it’s so varied; there are at least seven different colors you can see during any given cycle. Most of the time, it’s completely normal to see any and all of them.
After Your Period
You just finished your period and think you’re safe to go tampon or pad free for the first time in what feels like forever, but surprise! You experience discharge and end up ruining another great pair of underwear.
Discharge after your period is common due to the changes in your hormones and in preparation for your body to ovulate again. The entire monthly cycle lasts somewhere between 28-30 days, and vaginal discharge is a possible symptom the entire time.
How Panty Liners Help
Vaginal discharge that lasts an entire month can seem like a death sentence (or at least a one-way ticket to your laundry room to do load after load of undergarments). It’s not. Most of the time, the amount of vaginal discharge you’ll experience is minimal.
Even when you’re on your period, you only lose a few tablespoons of fluid the entire time. For vaginal discharge, it can be normal to lose a teaspoonful every few days. How do you keep up? With panty liners.
What They Are
Pantyliners are thin, absorbent period care products that most closely resemble a pad. Unlike a pad, a panty liner isn’t created to absorb a lot of period blood.
Most panty liners are less than a quarter of an inch thick, making them great for holding everyday vaginal discharge but not great at catching a regular period flow.
How They Work
Panty liners work the same way pads do. You place them inside your underwear, and they catch vaginal discharge, so your underwear doesn’t get uncomfortable, and you stay feeling fresh.
Reusable panty liners attach to your underwear by a snap that fits securely underneath the bottom of your underwear. Single-use liners usually have a peel and stick adhesive backing that allows them to stick to your underwear and stay in place until they are removed.
Reusable liners can be removed and placed in a waterproof bag until you get home and toss them in your washing machine. Rael’s reusable panty liners can be used up to 120 times with proper care, making them cost-effective and environment-friendly.
Single-use panty liners need to be thrown away after they’ve been used. Rael’s organic cotton panty liners are regular and long and are made with 100% organic cotton. Of course, there are no harsh chemicals or hormone-disrupting ingredients that could interfere with your body or irritate your skin.
When To Use a Panty Liner
Panty liners are great because they’re incredibly versatile. Unlike a pad, which is best used during your period when you have a regular, consistent flow, panty liners can be worn during “the rest of the month” when you still have discharge but are not on your period.
The Week Before Your Period
The week before your period, you may develop a thick, white discharge, which is normal. It usually starts off light but can become gradually heavier the closer you get to start your period. You might be tempted to wear a tampon, but that’s not good practice.
Instead, use a panty liner. They’re so incredibly thin, you won’t even be aware you are wearing them, and you’ll be thankful you can simply change out the pantyliner (and not your panties) the first time you experience premenstrual discharge.
During Your Period
Panty liners can help during your period, too. If you normally wear tampons and seem always to end up bleeding through, wearing a panty liner with your tampon may help prevent an embarrassing situation.
Everyone will have an unfortunate lapse in absorbency judgment from time to time, but if you keep leaking through your tampons, you might need to try a different size. Ideally, a tampon should give you leak-free protection for four hours before you need to change it.
After Your Period
The weeks after your period can be just as dangerous for your undies as the week of your period. Panty liners hit the drama delete button so you can get out and enjoy your day without worrying about feeling uncomfortable, wet, or sticky.
After Sex
We said it. Wearing a panty liner after you have sex can help you feel more comfortable if you normally experience a little post-sex drippage.
Do you have to wear a panty liner every day? No, but why wouldn’t you want to? Rael’s panty liners are so lightweight and comfortable; you’ll never know they’re there until you realize the discharge you just felt happened on them and not your favorite panties.
Wow, What Other Products Am I Missing Out On?
Glad you asked. Panty liners are just the tip of the period care iceberg. Rael makes period care products designed to work with every person’s lifestyle, comfort level, and flow. We’re more than just great, organic pads and tampons. We offer reusable and sustainable period care that you might not have thought of using.
The Menstrual Cup
The menstrual cup is a soft, flexible silicone cup inserted into your vagina to catch your period flow. Used correctly, you can wear the cup for up to twelve hours before you need to change it.
While you won’t need to worry about leaks with Rael’s menstrual cups, you can always pair them with a panty liner for extra protection.
Reusable Pads and Liners
Reusable pads and liners make your period eco-friendly. Made from organic cotton, Rael’s reusable period care products are safe, gentle on your skin, and long-lasting with proper care. If you’ve never tried them, don’t wait.
Reusable pads and liners are comfortable, easy to care for, and more convenient than you think.
Get Rael
Panty liners are a period care tool you definitely need in your arsenal. With the right products, your monthly cycle is something amazing your body does, not something inconvenient or messy.
Rael has all the products you need to have the best monthly cycle possible every month. You’ll never find harsh chemicals or strange ingredients in our products that could irritate your skin or interfere with your hormones.
For the week before your period, extra protection during your period, and the weeks beyond, Rael’s panty liners have you (and your panties) covered.
Sources:
Keeping your vagina clean and healthy | NHS.uk
The Facts on Tampons—and How to Use Them Safely | FDA.gov
What Does the Color of Your Period Mean? | Cleveland Clinic.org