Hey Sunshine, Sunflower, Mermaid, Hot Mama!

I know a lot of you follow me on Instagram, and from my posts you have probably caught on to the fact that I’m a MoonTime Experimenter.

A what?

Well… I take it upon myself to be a guinea pig for cool new products and tools that can help us during the 3-7 days in which we bleed from our yonis. Every. Single. Month (more of less depending on your personal shtuff goin’ on). I’ve officially been off of hormonal birth control for fourteen months now and I’ve made it a priority to savor and appreciate my period after not having a real one for nine whole years.

Hold up… Savor? GIRL!? How on Earth…

I know, I know! This may seem strange since our society seems to be ashamed of the fact that half of the population bleeds out of their vaginas every month and we’re told that it’s the bane of our existence and men think it’s gross and blah de fucking blah.

I’m determined to worship my yoni, in all of her glorious phases.

To be honest…. I missed my cycle. I truly did. Now perhaps I’m selective in what I missed but I felt a little less “me” without it. I have menstruation woes that have truly tested every ounce of strength and pain tolerance in my being since I was 15, hence why I went on birth control in the first place but I’ll save that story for another post.

Throughout my journey of creating a loving relationship with my yoni and menstrual cycle, my biggest priority was finding products that were:

1. HEALTHY

2. NATURAL

3. CONVENIENT

4. ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY

I’ve sought after the new period “must-haves” and I’ve compiled this list in case you choose to try any of them. Here are my full on, honest, womb-shedding truths about the “OH BABY YES’s” and the “Mehhhs” of each product.

Enjoy!

 

Period Panties for Modern Women.

The “YES”:

Co-Founder & SHE-EO, MIKI AGRAWAL of Thinx totally has an groovy, nifty revolutionary thing going on here. She’s the mastermind behind this company that helps women have easy and convenient periods thanks to her underwear that ticks every one of my priority boxes.

I think I first saw an ad for these on Facebook and decided to give the Hiphuggers a shot. They claimed to be normal, sleek undies that could hold up to 2 tampons worth of blood. They were slightly pricey, but at this point I’ve learned that my lady parts deserve to be spoiled- especially when she’s doin’ her monthly thang!

I did have some hesitancy and doubts because I can fly through a fair amount of tampons on my heavy days, but I surrendered to trusting this company and was pleasantly surprised! They are a woman owned company that creates products for women, after-all…

Did you know that average tampons have an insane amount of chemicals in them such as dioxins, furans, pesticide residues, chlorine and fragrance carcinogens that can disrupt our hormones and cause even MORE pain during our cycle? THINX banishes the need to put such a piece of crap up your yoni, and does it in an elegant, fashionable way. They are comfortable enough to wear to sleep, but snug enough to keep all the fluid where it’s supposed to be- in your undies and NOT in the crotch of your pants or on your sheets. They truly are for every woman with such a diverse sizing spectrum ranging from XS to 3XL and you can have your choice of black or beige. I went for black cause I figured it would hide any long term stains easier and what girl doesn’t love a good pair of black panties anyways.

You’d think that a pair of underwear that has the potential to replace pads and panty liners would feel like a diaper but they don’t. I could tell there was something protecting me from spillage there, but it wasn’t obnoxious or bulky whatsoever.

My favorite time to wear them is in conjunction with my menstrual cup, or to sleep during the last couple nights of my flow when I want to feel freeeee, and my flow isn’t heavy enough to require much else.

I love that THINX are reusable and therefore environmentally conscious, they are hygienic, they are incredibly convenient (just slip those babies on), and they are made of “antimicrobial cotton, which includes an application of silver. All the other technology is between the cotton interior layer and the nylon/spandex exterior layer (Interior Innermost 95% Cotton, 5% Elastane; Middle breathable PUL, 95% Cotton, 5% Elastane; Outer 89% Nylon, 11% Elastane; Trim 100% Polyester)” as stated on their website.

So I feel reeaallll good that my yoni isn’t absorbing carcinogenic materials.

I also love that this company helps hundreds of thousands of girls world wide during their period. They provide period products and education on women’s empowerment and body wisdom and officially have created the THINX Foundation and Global Girls Club. Rock. On. This is what a successful company looks like!

The “Mehhh”:

• Above all, I love these undies! If you truly bleed heavily, they are a great BACKUP and should be used in conjunction with your menstrual cup, organic tampon, or sponge. They have a good amount of surface area, but the potential to spill over the top of the absorbant part if you have a big flow day, or if you bleed heavily in the night while sleeping on your tummy is there.
• They are a bit expensive, which can add up when you want more than one pair to switch out while you’re cleaning the other. (however take into account you can forget about buying panty liners over and over!). I see them as an investment.
• I did feel a bit damp towards the end of my heavy day which I realize is expected. They claim to keep you dry, and they hold up to this statement up to two tampons worth, however there’s a point where it’s definitely time to wash them and switch to your next pair.
• My last “Meh” is that I don’t have enough pairs! 😉

 

Organic Tampons

I switched from Tampax Tampons to Natracare organic tampons and love that I’m only putting 100% organic cotton in my yoni as opposed to all the chemicals that come with ordinary tampons. I buy them at my local grocery store and they are priced similar to other tampon brands.

I rarely use tampons anymore, but when I do I choose this brand.

The “YES”:

• Only 100% organic cotton, and nothing else
• Totally chlorine free
• No rayon, plastics or dyes
• Biodegradable & compostable
• Expands width-ways
• Check out their Environmental and Ethical Policy Here

The “Mehhh”:

They’re such a simple product, I don’t have any negative feedback. I think they’re a great option, I just don’t prefer to use tampons every day of my cycle anymore because I have transitioned to the the next product on the list!

 

Menstrual Cups for Peaceful Periods

And here we have arrived at my current favorite period product.

I’m going to be totally honest. I’ve had my fair share of trial and errors with menstrual cups but I’m proud to say that I’ve mastered these babies. Finally. It was not pretty, it was not clean, it was not easy, and oh my god was it frustrating but during this last cycle I found what personally works for me which I’ll explain in a moment.

I was jealous of all the women in my life who have used menstrual cups for years but I just kept sucking at suction. Literally! I thought I was doomed and these cups just weren’t meant for my yoni but I’m so happy that I found V-Cups and they fit my divine feminine passageway like a glove.

There are numerous positives about this product.

The “YES”:

These little 100% medical-grade silicone cups prevent you from tossing up to 10,000 tampons in the landfill during your lifetime and they save you the money you would spend on those tampons, too. They are safe, better for the environment, economical and designed extremely well. If menstrual cups could be pretty, these ones take the cake. They actually look like a lovely pink goblet gem… pretty enough for me to take a picture of and post to IG and to be the screen savor on the computer of a V-Cups employee (as I’ve been told!).

Two cycles ago, V-Cups sent me their product to review and I was pleasantly surprised to see their beautiful package arrive at my door. The box is sleek matte black, and opens up to two beautiful cups surrounded by black foam. The two sizes are small-medium and medium-large and I love that I have the option to try both. Our yonis are flexible and change depending on the day (just like our lovely chaotic feminine selves and moods) and whether you’ve had children vaginally or not, so it’s nice to have the two sizes to choose from! Under the cups and foam, you’ll find your info sheet with tips on how to insert and keep your cup clean along with a pretty carrying pouch to store your cup in while not in use.

I realized that by folding my cup as recommended, it wouldn’t “pop open” and create suction. I tried all folding techniques… Apparently there was too much vacuum going on in my yoni for the cup to open, so I had to slide it down to the opening of my vagina where it could sip in some air, and then slide it back up with the cup fully opened. Once I mastered putting the cup in my yoni pretty much all the way expanded, I had no leaks like I did with other menstrual cups. At this point of menstrual cup success, I felt like my 15 year old self who had just mastered the art of tampon insertion without feeling like my virginity was being taken! You know the scene where you’re sitting on the toilet moaning in pain wondering how a little cardboard tube could cause so much distress as your mother is knocking on the door wondering how it’s going and you’ve already wasted 10 tampons out of failed attempts? But then it works. And behold, you walk through those school hallways like a real godayum woman? Yep. Been there.

Let’s just take a moment to congratulate ourselves on all of our learning curves that our menstrual cycle has taken us through. We are better, wiser, and more patient for it, sisters!

Kaitilyn Nicole, you have me #cupverted. 

I will write another blog on all of the cool things I do with my menstrual cup. A little hint: I collect my blood, dilute it 9:1 water:blood and feed my plants with it. #thethingsIdowithmymenstrualcup

The “Mehhh”:

• As I stated above, the trial period to make this cup work was real. I leaked a bunch until I finally got the hang of it.
• Good thing you can keep these in 12 hours a day, because dealing with them in public restrooms is a big bother. It’s not awful, but I definitely like to wash my hands without onlookers wondering why my fingers are all bloody.
• Call in your patience for learning how to find your personal fit. With persistence and patience, you will prevail!
• Since I’ve only had one cycle of true success with this cup, I’ll occasionally put in a Natracare light panty liner incase I’m going to teach yoga and don’t want to fear any mishaps. JUST incase.

Thanks V-Cups! I highly suggest giving this brand a try. It’s worth the bloody bathroom trial days, I promise!

 

Last year when I had my first period after removing my Mirena IUD (sayonara, plastic T), I booked it to a local grocery store and bought my first Diva Cup. I was so excited to be able to worship my blood, my moon, my cycle, my intelligent body with the help of this little cup. I absolutely love what the Diva Cup is doing and they’ve helped hundreds of thousands of women all over the world. The Diva Cup has all the same benefits as the V-CUP and is leading the game in quality assurance and period empowerment. You can check out all the ways Diva is helping women here.

I’m not done experimenting with my Diva Cup yet! I tried it for months and ended up putting it in my drawer for a few cycles and decided to try the V-Cup instead. Since I found out what works with my V-Cup, I’m going to try the same thing with the Diva and crossing my fingers it works. Perhaps it’s the shape that just didn’t have the perfect fit for my body, but I leaked quite a lot with this cup.

I will keep you updated next cycle when I try it out again!

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST:

 

ClaryCalm® Monthly Blend for Women

This therapeutic-grade essential oil blend is more for my emotional balance during my moontime rather than a product to use for function, such as the ones listed above. It conveniently comes in a little roller bottle that I apply topically right over my womb when I’m feeling moody, or my hormones seem to be getting me down. Then Up. Then down… You understand, I’m sure!

ClaryCalm is a blend of Clary Sage, Lavender, Bergamot, Roman Chamomile, Cedarwood, Ylang Ylang, Geranium, Fennel, Carrot Seed, Palmarosa, and Vitex. What a magical mix! The Clary Sage, Lavender and Chamomile have a soothing and relaxing effect; Cedarwood, Fennel, and Carrot Seed are grounding and stabalizing; Ylang Ylang, Geranium and palmarosa are uplifting and feminine, and Vitex is an herb that has the potential to balance hormones. Talk about a blend for a Goddess!

Another amazing thing about this potion is that it cools the skin, so during intense cramps the cooling sensation on the skin can be truly relieving. I had a friend over the other day and she mentioned her discomfort from her cramps, so I offered this to her and she LOVED the smell!  A couple rolls on the belly and she immediately felt refreshed. It doesn’t necessarily stop cramps altogether, but the aromatherapy helps your brain distract from the cramping.

This blend is PRIME for while you’re actually bleeding, but can also be beneficial to use throughout the month when you’re feeling a little moody.

If you’re interested in trying it, you can purchase it here. Just click Shop on the top of the screen.

 

There you have it, ladies!

My Favorite Items in my Period Toolbox.

I hope this has been insightful to read and can help you in deciding which products will serve you best during your moontime.

I am so passionate about sharing what works for me, so that it may help other women around the world. We may feel alone in our period woes, but just know that you are NOT alone at all. I’ve been there in the crampiest, moodiest, bloaty-est, munchiest, chocolate craving hole and we’re in it together.

Products that make our menstruation easier on us help us to appreciate the true magic and beauty of shedding the layers of our wombs each month.

It’s a chance for us to let go of what no longer serves us and to start anew. What a blessing it is to be able to bleed each month along with the power of the moon, and connect in a sisterhood that spans the globe.

Wishing you all ease of release, and rest during your moons.

Lots of love,

Aislinn