Pre-teen years are strange. That fine line between childhood and womanhood is characterized by experimenting with makeup, actually washing your face with something other than bar soap, and learning how to use a flat iron on your hair.
For many of us, it’s also characterized by experimenting with period care items too, like pads and tampons.
Part of growing up is leveling up, and most of us have elevated our skincare and haircare routines. We use skin-specific products, wear sunscreen, and are so skilled with a flat iron we can even make it curl our hair. So why are we still using the same period care products we used as pre-teen?
If you’re still using the same pads and/or tampons you’ve used since you had your first period, that’s perfectly okay! Pads and tampons are tried and true staples of every woman’s period (although we’d still recommend going for super-comfy and nontoxic organic cotton pads and tampons like the ones we offer). But, if you’re ready to glow up your period game and try something new, you may be interested in trying period panties!
Ready to give them a try? The personal care experts at Rael can help. We believe women should have access to clean, holistic feminine care products that work synergistically with their bodies.
What Are Period Panties?
Period panties are underwear worn during your period to make things easier, less messy, and more comfortable for you.
There are two types of period panties:
- Lightly absorbent. These panties are designed to help keep a pad in place and prevent leaks.
- Highly absorbent. These panties are designed to be worn without a pad or tampon. Although you can wear one with them, you don’t necessarily have to.
Most period panties will be made from cotton and spandex. They are reusable, machine washable, and feel about the same as your regular panties.
How Do Period Panties Work?
Both types of period panties work by having multiple layers of absorbent fabric that trap menstrual flow deep inside the lowest layers. They also feature a moisture barrier, which helps wick away fluid and keep you feeling comfortable and dry.
Light Absorbency Period Panties
Typically made of cotton, these panties have multiple layers that are absorbent but are also designed to keep leaks from happening.
While most panties simply aren’t designed to hold the length and width of a pad in place, these panties are designed to be wide enough to hold a high absorbency pad, so you never have to worry about pad slippage or leaks. They’re also snug around the leg openings, so no matter how much you move around, your pad won’t slip out the side.
Highly Absorbent Period Panties
These panties have multiple layers of absorbent cotton and a moisture barrier to keep you feeling comfortable. You don’t have to wear a pad or a tampon with these panties, although some women will choose to do so.
These panties can hold roughly the same amount of fluid as two to three tampons. These are great options for lighter days, overnights, or just giving you added peace of mind against leaks if you’re wearing them with a tampon or pad.
Why You Should Give Them a Try
If you’re feeling hesitant, we understand. We were skeptical too, until we tried them, fell in love, and developed our own incredibly natural, completely holistic period panties to help you make your periods stress-free.
Period panties wear and feel like normal panties, but the benefits of wearing them during your period may convince you to give them a try.
Here are 7 benefits of using period panties during your period:
#1: Sustainable and Eco-Friendly
Over the course of your menstruating lifetime, you’ll use close to 10,000 tampons and/or pads. These single use items end up in landfills if they’re disposed of properly, and in rivers, lakes, and even oceans if not. Single use period products are a burden on the environment, and you can make a difference by using a more sustainable option.
Period panties can replace tampons and/or pads depending on your flow and how you use them. Simply switching from pantyliners to period panties on your light days can save you from using disposable products, and help you reduce your carbon footprint.
#2: Convenience and Comfort
One of the really awesome benefits of period panties is that they last a lot longer than pads and tampons. If you’ve ever had to disrupt a long meeting, seek out a clean restroom while traveling, or interrupt a romantic moment on a date all because it was time to change your pad or tampon, you know the inconvenience! And if you forgot to bring extra supplies with you -- it can be stressful trying to track one day on the spot!
Period panties eliminate the need for frequent changing and the possibility of running out of supplies when you're at work, out to eat, or traveling. Many women also find them to be more comfortable than even the comfiest of pads and tampons. Period panties, like the ones offered by Rael, don’t pinch or dig into your skin , and provide the ultimate leak-free protection.
#3: Ultimate leak protection.
If you’re concerned about leaks, period panties can give you added protection. Period panties are specifically designed with a snug fit around the leg openings and multiple layers of absorbent fabric in all the right places, so leaks become a distant memory.
Period panties also save you from wearing “old” undies during your cycle. We all have those less attractive underwear we reserve for heavy flow days, and period panties mean you never have to wear those again. Period panties look great and are designed to be stain-resistant.
#4: Overnight security.
There’s nothing worse than being woken up from a peaceful night’s sleep because your tampon or pad has leaked through to your bed sheets. Period panties ensure you never have to worry about overnight leaking.
Whether you wear them alone or with a tampon or pad, your period panties are built to catch leaks that happen even when you’re lying down, so you can have blissful, uninterrupted sleep.
#5: A ready supply.
Somehow it always seems to happen; you start your period and don’t have a single tampon, pad, or pantyliner on hand. What happens next? A late night trip to the store with toilet tissue stuffed in your undies, praying it lasts through checkout.
Period panties mean you have protection on hand at all times, day or night. No more late night trips to the store...unless you need ice cream or chocolate, of course.
#6: Better for you.
Conventional tampons and pads can contain harsh chemicals that can build up in your body, irritate your most delicate and intimate parts, interfere with your hormones and even disrupt your endocrine system.
Period panties offer a safe, organic, and natural solution. The period panties offered by Rael are made from pure cotton certified free of PFAS (waterproofing chemicals that can accumulate in the body, potentially causing fertility issues or cancer) and don’t contain any other chemicals or irritants, so you can have a safe and healthy period.
#7: Money saving.
It costs a lot of money to have a period. Experts estimate you might spend up to $5,000 on period products over the course of your menstruating years.
Switching to period panties can help you save your money for something more exciting than a box of tampons.
Getting Real with Rael About Period Panties
Period panties sound amazing, but it’s understandable you still may have questions. Here’s a little period panty Q&A:
Do they actually work? Yes. Just make sure you’re using them properly. For example, light absorbency period panties aren’t designed to be worn without a pad or tampon, so don’t expect them to protect you from bleeding through if you aren’t using another product with them.
Can I wear them all day? This depends on your individual flow and comfort level, but yes, you can wear period panties all day, or until an absorbent pair of pair of period panties becomes full.
What do I do with them when I’m done with them? Wash them! Period panties are machine washable. If you’re worried about stains, you can spot treat them with baking soda and mild dish soap before washing. Period panties are best laid flat to dry.
Are they hygienic? Completely. Period panties are clean and ready to be used again once you wash them. They’re designed so that they don’t stain or retain odor, so you don’t have to worry about those concerns either.
What about the price? Period panties are an up front investment that is similar to a regular pair of high-end undies, but the value is considerably more. Period panties will save you cash over the course of time, because you’ll buy less single use feminine care products.
Put Your Panties to Work
You’re going to wear panties when you’re on your period, and instead of wearing an old, unsightly pair in case you have a leak, wear a stylish, comfortable pair of period panties that are designed to give you protection against leaks and keep you comfortable all day.
You can feel great during your period, and period panties can help keep you cool and confident all period long.
Sources:
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/10132-normal-menstruation