9 period brands that you need in your monthly arsenal
Periods. They suck. But, that doesn’t mean that we can’t do our part to make this lovely little monthly gift from the universe better with some divine outside help from brands who seek to make the experience less annoying. Menstruation symptoms are as varied and diverse as the women who carry la Tía Flo with them (mujeres, let’s remember that this is a renewal process after all lol). And just as women are diverse, so are symptoms, blood flow and how we deal with it. Below we’ve gathered some feminine hygiene brands who provide period products that are not only helpful, but also do no harm to your body. Remember, we’ve got to be mindful of what we welcome into our bodies (in every sense of the phrase).
*Editor picks are products that were not sent to the writer and she has voluntarily used in the past*
The Honey Pot Company
*Editor Pick*
When Founder Bea Dixon set out to create The Honey Pot Co, she had one goal in mind: to protect the V. Many period brands on the market boast taking care of our honey pots, but not many actually do. Bea, an African-American entrepreneur, wanted to change that. She knows first-hand how sensitive our lady parts can be and why it is important to use quality ingredients in your washes and products to ensure the overall health of our cookies. So Bea, being the #BossChica she is, worked tirelessly to bring women something that was truly special that they could use because she knew that it was something that she would have used had it been available to her.
L.
*Editor Pick*
L. wants to make periods great again — JK, periods never were great, but they do believe that we, as women of the world, deserve so much better than past generations have been given. They believe that you shouldn’t ever have to compromise on quality when it comes to feminine hygiene products like pads, tampons and the such. L. was founded by Talia Frenkel, a photojournalist who worked for the Red Cross and United Nations, in an effort to make quality period care accessible to women across the globe. So, for every product of theirs you buy they gift one to a woman in a country with little to no accessibility to period care. So far, they have been able to increase “access to period care products in 25 countries around the world including the US, India, Kenya, and Nepal.“
Love Wellness
*Editor Pick*
:: Queue Natasha Bedingfield’s “Unwritten” ::
Love Wellness was founded by one of LC’s very own besties, Lauren “Lo” Bosworth. Lo shared that she was inspired to venture into the fun and wild world of supplements after feeling that much of what was out there didn’t really cater to women and their needs. With this in mind, she launched her company in 2016 with the goal of providing women with “natural, safe and effective” products that they could use every day. Apart from being incredibly beneficial to our bodies, Lo’s line of products also have fun names like UTI don’t think so for their UTI relief pills and #MoodPills for their hormone balancing pills.
Cora
*Editor Pick*
Cora wants to de-stigmatize periods (sorry boys, your mom’s get it, too). Their line of products boasts everything from tampons to liners to maternal care (and literally everything in between). Cora wants to go where no period brand has gone before and we stan it. Molly Hayward, founder and CEO, wanted to create feminine products that were not only great, but were purposeful in their ability to care for women. Cora wants to bring menstruation health and education to the forefront for women and girls around the world. What does this mean for you? Well, with every purchase you make of their products, you are also providing accessibility to period products and education to women and girls in developing countries. Because like Cora states: no woman should be held back by her biology.
Rael
*Editor Pick*
Rael was Co-Founded by Yanghee Paik, a Harvard MBA grad, who wanted to create something that was committed to making a true difference in the lives of many. The former Walt Disney movie distributor was approached by her co-founders about a business opportunity that would change the lives of women. In 2017, they launched Rael and never looked back. Since then, the cult favorite company has gone on to offer feminine products that are natural and effective with the mentality that no woman should go without safe period care. The company now tirelessly works to provide menstrual products for women everywhere through strategic partnerships with brands to stock women’s bathrooms with products. Also, did you know (as per Rael’s calculations) that period care can cost women an estimated $18,171 throughout her lifetime? Think of all the vacations.
“Men don’t bring their own toilet paper to the restroom. Women shouldn’t have to bring their own period products.”
Rael
Rae Wellness
Angela Tebbe and Eric Carl are two former Target execs that knew that supplements didn’t need to be expensive to be good. Rae Wellness carries 18 products that are all vegan, gluten-free and non-GMO that range from wellness supplements to multivitamins to beauty drops. Rae wants women to feel powerful, inside and out, and believes that power should be accessible to all women.
HUM Nutrition
HUM Nutrition was born from the need for their to be another alternative to prescription medication to solves on-going issues within our bodies. The company seeks to help make you feel better through science-based nutritional solutions. CEO and Co-Founder Walter Faulstroh created HUM after years of struggling with skin issues that would not go away. After meeting with meeting with a nutritionist who had suggested he rethink the relationship between food and skin health. From then on, HUM has made it their mission to bridge the gap between nutrition, overall wellness and food.
Saalt – Period Care Simplified
*Editor Pick*
Co-Founder and CEO Cherie Hoeger understands what it is like to go without proper period care. The idea for Saalt was born from a phone call Cherie had with her aunt in Venezuela. Her aunt revealed to her that feminine sanitary items like pads and tampons had been unavailable for years. Her mind traveled to that of her five daughters (yes, five) and what living like that would be like. She decided to do something about it and went on to create the Saalt cup. Menstrual cups are seen as taboo, but this is the perfect option for those in need of reusable period care. Trust us, menstrual cups are revolutionary.
De Lune®
De Lune is “designed for bleeders by bleeders,” by Founder Mimi Millard. She understood that better pain relief methods were needed for women. Walking around Cornell University, Mimi fainted due to complications from a popular pain killer. She knew then and there that there had to be something better for women to help them manage period pain. Mimi, researchers and health professionals worked to create something that was good for the pain and the human taking it.