What are your period care essentials? Everybody is different therefore it’s important to find what works best for YOU on your period. Here, we are talking about how to tailor your period care products to your personal menstrual flow.
Why is this important?
First things first, let’s talk about why this is important. There isn’t a ‘one size fits all’ approach when it comes to periods. Factors such as how long you bleed for and how your flow changes during your period can impact what products are recommended to use on your period. It’s important to tailor your period care to your flow for health and comfort reasons. Read on to discover more.
Absorbency
It’s very, very important that you use the right absorbency tampon or pad on your period. The absorbency you use will be determined by how heavy you bleed on your period. Whether you are heavy or not can be quite subjective, but some good general advice is that if you bleed through a tampon within the recommended 4-6 hour timeframe then you can go up an absorbency.
Don’t just opt for the highest absorbency out of fear you may leak. If you go too high with your absorbency, this is not only a health risk (more on this here), but it can also upset your vagina! Tampons absorb menstrual flow and can also retain fluid from the vagina which affects pH balance.
When it comes to pads, the wrong absorbency can not only result in leakage (inconvenient more than anything) but it can also disrupt pH balance in your vagina. Menstrual blood can disrupt the delicate pH balance in your vagina therefore if blood is not effectively absorbed by your pads it can cause all sorts of irritation.
So how do you get this right?
Always adjust your absorbency to your flow, which will fluctuate during your period. If you start off heavy on your period, be sure to size down your absorbency as your flow gets lighter and lighter.
Period care boxes often come with guidance on how to choose the right absorbency, so be sure to check the box if you are unsure.
Adjusting your products
Throughout your period it’s a good idea to mix up your product selection as well as adjusting the absorbency you use. This could be moving from tampons to pads or liners as your flow gets lighter or switching to pads at night to ensure you aren’t leaving a tampon in for longer than the advised 6 hours.
You can also adjust your products to fit your lifestyle. For example, you could switch from a tampon to a menstrual cup if you’re going on a long-haul flight or use a pad alongside a tampon (or menstrual cup) as an extra layer of defence.
You might find mixing your products up for different cycles suits you better and works better for your flow! For example, one month you could be super busy and find it more convenient to wear a menstrual cup, then the next month you might find pads suit you better.
Put your comfort first
Only use products that fit with your own comfort levels and lifestyle. A product that is game-changing to one person might not work for someone else. Try out different options and discover what works for you! You might find that mainstream products give you a lot of irritation and discomfort, so why not try organic options? On the other hand you may find that organic product don’t suit your budget, so why not look into a reusable such as period pants, reusable pads or a menstrual cup? Personalise your period to suit YOU.
We hope this has helped you feel empowered to tailor your period care to best suit your budget and lifestyle! Chat to us in the comments below or on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
