I turned 31 this year, and after switching over to completely recyclable menstrual products, I can happily say that I will never go back - quite frankly, I am upset at myself for not switching earlier. This was my first cycle using the "Lunapads", and I can say that they are an excellent investment and they work extremely well in a variety of situations. What are "Lunapads"?. They are a completely washable menstrual pad made of a very soft fleece. They do have a internal barrier to help protect against leaks - but, without the vaginal suffocation which comes with conventional pads. Because I use the "Diva Cup", I purchased the "Regular" Pantyliners, 3 Overnight Pads, and one Thong Pantyliner. The overnight pads are very large and all of them came with an "insert". The insert is a simple long piece of fleece fabric cut to the shape of the pad surface and is placed under the two "zig-zag" strips seen in the above and below image. To my surprise, they work incredibly well without the aid of a "Diva Cup". Make no mistake, the overnight pads are for overnight only, and they are bulky with the pad insert; however, you are sleeping, right?. If you are not moving around much, you won't notice the pad - but, your significant other may poke a little fun at the massive amount of cloth in your underpants. Personally, that was a small price to pay for not wearing a diaper to bed - no matter how thin they are processing them now.
Before you jump to the historical conclusion that we have reverted to stuffing a cloth sac with rag to bleed on - these "Lunapads" are comfortable and honestly, quite unnoticeable. During the day, for the first time in a decade, I wore full bottom panties with the pantyliner and my "Diva Cup". All of the "Lunapads" fasten around the crotch of your panties like conventional pads do; with the exception that "Lunapads" fasten with snaps (two sets to accommodate all sizes not shown in these older images),instead of adhesive. I cannot speak for the regular "long" pads which "Lunapads" manufactures for women who, for many reasons, cannot wear tampons or the "Divacup"; but, the pantyliners are quite comfortable and do their job perfectly. They are thicker than the conventional, paper thin, pantyliner and this reality did not bother me and they did their job without incident - well, not completely. I did accidentally lose one pantyliner to the toilet - It came unsnapped. Thank goodness it took the dive after flushing. Reminder: make double sure you are all connected before standing up!.
The "Lunapad" Thong Pantyliner: There are some negative reviews about this pantyliner on the "Lunapads" website. I only purchased one because I was uncertain about if I would like them or even if they would do the job. I think that this is a matter of how you are made and how you might work with the product. Some of the reviews complained about the pantyliner, "flipping over backwards". This is the problem when you escape sticky strips. "Lunapads" are fastened by snaps and not by adhesive, so expect some movement as you may have to correct the position of the pad after you stand up from going to the toilet. Overall, they do stay in place and here is my evidence:
I teach spin classes and I purchased this thong panytliner because I wanted to see how it would hold up to some activity. This is not running, so I have no idea how it would hold up to a high impact sport such as that; however, in spin we are constantly standing, sitting, and sliding forward and back on the seat of the bike. This panyliner stayed in place and I did not have one problem with it. There was not even a need to correct it after spinning. It performed wonderfully!.
Cleaning
Ah, now we arrive at the nitty-gritty. Have you ever over-bled on your underpants and had to wash them out?. Yes?. Well, then you will have no problems with cleaning up after a "Lunapad". What I am about to say will be graphic for some people, so skip ahead to the next paragraph if you are easily offended: I experience blood clots, and have since I started my period when I was 10-years-old. The fascinating thing about "Lunapads" is that they dehydrate your clot and it winds up becoming paper thin and looks quite like a piece of flat toilet paper. That might be too much information, but it illustrates how absorbent this product is.
Cleaning is no problem. Costco has hydrogen peroxide in bulk and the pads clean up really well after you soak them in cold water, squeeze them out until the water runs pretty clear, and then you just dowse them in hydrogen peroxide and hang them up. No fuss, no muss. The cleaning part doesn't bother me, your hands just wind up getting a little cold because of the water. If you are really concerned about hygiene, use rubber gloves. I bled on some really lovely coloured pads - pinks, reds, and greens, and all of them wash out well without stain if you treat them when you change them. On laundry day, throw them into a bra bag or pillow case - you can even toss them into the wash with the rest of the laundry OR wash separately. The only recommendations that come with washing are: NO PERFUME - NO BLEACH. Bleach will damage the cloth itself and will probably give you a yeast infection. My Mom bleached my cloth diapers when I was a baby and I got my first yeast infection. The no perfume is because of irritation - best to stick with fragrance free and no BOUNCE sheets either. NO DRYER - Just let nature do the work and hang the pads on your drying rack - Make sure they stay out of reach of four legged friends.
The hardest part about using "Lunapads" is starting to use them. Up front, they are expensive; but, if you are interested, sign-up for their newsletter and offers. Ever month they release a new offer and once a year, around Black Friday, they have FREE SHIPPING + 20% off. The best I left for last, "Lunapads" has a program called, "One4Her". This program donates pads from your purchase to girls in East Africa. These girls are told that they cannot come to school when they have their period, and "Lunapads" donates pads to them so they can learn the whole month long. I do not mind shouldering the extra cost for such a wonderful cause.
Alternatives
There are alternatives to "Lunapads", but you have to look for them. You can find a number of alternatives on Etsy, "GladRags", "PartyInMyPants" and "NewMoon". So, if cost is the only barrier, there are a variety of cost effective options available to you.With washable menstrual pads comes the freedom from the horrible power of the diaper. This entire cycle I have been thankful that my labia could finally breathe after 20 years of being a slave to convention. Oh, and no smell either - You know exactly what I am talking about. The smell that comes from a week of your girl parts not being able to breathe through the plastic barrier that you have been told to use for years!. I've got news for you, the only reason why pads are scented, is because they use plastic. The benefits far outweigh any of the "inconvenience" you may feel comes with recyclable periods products; and, I am so happy I could finally make the investment in myself. Also, for those who also have loved ones or know of people who are older and have to live with mild incontinence, "Lunapads" also advertise that they will work in those cases. I am extremely impressed with the variety of products "Lunapads" offer: from panties which have linings sewed into them to "wet/dry" bags, "Dive Cup" cloth sacks, funky coloured pads, and even wool dryer balls!. "Lunapads" are a liberating experience, I feel extremely lucky that I could afford them; and that I took the leap of faith to give them a try. I highly recommend them, not only to rest that you are not creating more waste; but to also free yourself from plastic and chemicals.
