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Introduction
Well done, you! If you’re visiting this article, it means you’re curious about ways to protect your body and enhance your health during menstruation—that most sacred time. Whether you’re just starting menstruation or you’re looking for ways to upgrade your routine, we have a number of options below as well as factors to consider when making your choice.
Why Do Menstrual Products Matter?
While selecting “clean” products where possible is important for every inch of your body, vaginal and vulvar tissue is known to be highly permeable.1 This means that if harmful chemicals are in contact with that delicate tissue, absorption is possible and far easier than on less permeable parts of the body.
Many mass-produced menstrual products are made from synthetic chemicals and treated with chlorine. They also often contain dyes and synthetic fragrances. These ingredients are not only harmful to us, but the environment. And when you consider that the average menstruating person has 450 periods (approx. 3,500 days) in their lifetime, those effects can really add up for both our health and the Earth.
Natural Menstrual Products
Enter “natural” menstrual products produced by companies like Rael, Cora, and The Honey Pot. The specifics vary by company and product, but the general theme is that the products are made with natural, biodegradable materials (usually cotton) and are free of synthetic dyes and fragrances.
“Organic Cotton” vs “Organic Cotton Cover”
An important distinction to note is the difference between pads and other products such as tampons that are fabricated using organic cotton, versus those with an organic cotton cover. For pads with an organic cotton cover, the material underneath may contain harmful chemicals, which could end up passing to the sensitive tissues of the vagina and vulva due to the capillary effect.
The review Menstrual products as a source of environmental chemical exposure (2024)2 discusses how absorbed menstrual fluid might resurface through the topsheet under pressure (e.g. from sitting / body weight) — this is called re-wet/reflux. That means fluid that already has chemicals in or on it (or that has passed through some layers of the pad) could come back into contact with skin.
Even if products are not formulated using organic cotton, opting for products that are fragrance-free, chlorine-free, and free of other harmful synthetic chemicals can still be helpful. Just make sure that the core of the products are formulated using the same standard, not just the cover or topsheet.
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Product Reviews
I decided to test out pads from Rael and The Honey Pot. My thoughts below:
Rael Organic Cotton Menstrual Pads – Unscented
First Impression: I like the sleek packaging and colors. The pads don’t have the blue “moisture lock core” that comes with the brand I’m used to using. The pads feel soft, maybe because they are made of cotton instead of plastic. They feel nice while wearing.
Use: I definitely felt like I used more pads than I usually do, maybe because the pads weren’t as absorbent as traditional pads. I didn’t have any leaks, so the performance of the pad held up. It was an adjustment to get used to using an unscented pad, which was another reason I switched them out more regularly. While I don’t like the synthetic floral fragrance found on some pads, I also was conscious about not wanting to smell like period blood. The thin top layer of the pad rubbed loose a few times, but this didn’t affect the performance.
Conclusion: I would definitely buy these again, although I will keep testing out other brands to see if I can find a pad with improved odor control and absorbency. I’d rate these approximately 7.5/10.
The Honey Pot Herbal Menstrual Pads
First impression: The lavender/mint scent of the overnight pads is both comforting and fresh. I like the idea of having some way to neutralize the smell of my menstrual blood, so this seems promising. The pads themselves have some sort of plasticky-looking wrap around them, much like traditional pads. These pads don’t market themselves as “organic” like Rael, but the cotton used is chlorine-free and pesticide-free. The site mentions that the essential oils create a “cooling” effect when worn.
Use: Unfortunately, I was only able to wear this pad for about one minute before taking it off. For whatever reason the tingling sensation was so intense for me, it became unbearable. I’m not sure if maybe I had an allergic reaction to the mint or something else. I wish I could speak to the absorbency, etc. but I didn’t keep it on long enough to find out. I would love to try an unscented version if The Honey Pot releases one.
Conclusion: The Amazon reviews show that some people had reactions similar to mine, so this product is probably not a good fit for sensitive users. However, in general, this product has glowing reviews. For this reason, I’ll refrain from giving it a rating, as I’m probably not a good fit for this product.
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Other Brands to Try: LOLA, CORA, Intertia and Pixie Cup
Pixie Cup
Pixie Cup advertises a cotton top sheet for its pads as well as an unbleached pulp core. They also carry a range of other menstrual support products, such as cups, heating pads and even an adorable kit for a young girl’s first menstruation.
LOLA
Lola’s tampons are made of 100% organic cotton, which eliminates the “re-wet” concern we adressed above. They also have clean products for intimate moments so you’re ready for whatever your vagina needs.
CORA
CORA advertises a 100% organic cotton top sheet for its pads. We weren’t able to find out what the core is fabricated with, although the description says that the pads are made “without chlorine, fragrance or dyes.” Their tampons are fabricated using 100% organic cotton.
Inertia
Inertia is so confident in its pads, they named one model “The Perfection.” The description touts an OCS-certified 100% cotton cover that is “gentle on skin: and “perfect for sensitive areas”. The core is 100% cellulose, and the pads are advertised as being “eco-friendly and biodegradable.”
Shop Our Picks
We hope this guide is helpful and allows you to select personal care products with confidence (leaving you more time to rest). Happy menstruating!🩸
For more on Clean Beauty, check out previous posts.
- Chemicals in Menstrual Products: A Systematic Review (2024) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37743685/ ↩︎
- See footnote 1. ↩︎
