Periods. Even nowadays, the word is enough to make people cringe, get a strong reaction from men and flushed cheeks from girls… Which, when you think about it, is a bit silly right? After all, most women around the globe have them once a month! So today, we’re gonna discuss periods, but more specifically menstrual products.
We can pretty much all agree on one thing: tampons are great. I’ve always seen them as a little revolution and as a great tool for women’s emancipation. After all, they allow us to exercise, go to the beach or to the pool while we’re on our periods. Furthermore, they’re small, easy to pack and they have fun, colorful packaging… What’s not to love, right?
Well, up until 2 years ago, that’s what I thought too, until I got a wake-up call in the form of a documentary on French TV.
When I first switched to tampons as a teen, they changed my life. I was finally able to live my life completely free without having to worry about it. I loved how cute they looked with their colorful packaging and fun ad campaigns, and in all honesty, I didn’t think twice about using them. Sure, I’ve heard about the toxic shock syndrome and read about the warnings in the tampons leaflets, but I always believed that tampons were great and safe, after all, it’s just a piece of cotton… Or so I thought!
This documentary taught me so much about tampons, pads and periods in general. While I always believed that tampons were made of cotton, I discovered that most of them -including the brand I used- were actually made of rayon & polyester amongst other fibers. Even scarier, they’re sometimes bleached with chlorine and contain traces of really nasty stuff.
I was shocked after watching it and decided to extend the research further. Upon reading articles online and reading more horror stories, I knew that there was no way that I could go back to my usual brand of tampons.
And if you’ve been following me for a while, you probably know that I suffer from endometriosis. While this sickness affects nearly 2 out of 10 woman, there isn’t a real remedy yet (surgery helps but doesn’t cure it) and little is known about what causes it. I hit rock bottom in 2014 and had to get surgery in January 2015 to get rid of a somewhat big cyst along with traces of endometriosis. While the surgery was a success, I realized that no cure was available yet and I knew that I had to take the matter into my own hands and make drastic changes to my lifestyle.
Certain aspects of our life can certainly help to lessen the symptoms, so I try to live a somewhat healthy lifestyle. While I am very diligent about which foods I eat, I also started getting rid of nasties in my bathroom, which includes my skincare routine, my shower products but also everything that has to do with periods.
It wasn’t the easiest switch. After all, old habits die hard and trying out new brands of tampons felt weird after 15 years of using the same ones.
Upon trying different brands, I discovered Sanature. This brand of 100% cotton menstrual products is really different from what I’ve used before. While their packaging is super pretty, and dare I say instagrammable, the composition of their products is just as pretty!
All their products are made of 100% cotton which is naturally hypoallergenic & highly breathable, which prevents irritation and gives you more comfort. Cotton protects your sensitive skin, so it’s definitely the way to go during your periods! Think about it: pads, panty liners, and tampons are by far the most intimate products that we use. We wear them all day and all night during a few days so I think it’s worth choosing a natural fiber, cotton, above anything else.
Furthermore, all their products are free from nasties, including chlorine and perfume. This last part was extremely important for me as I try to go for natural products as much as I can in my bathroom, especially for something so intimate and personal! I feel better using Sanature products as I know that they are free from chlorine, SAP, and perfume which in all honesty, these are ingredients that I don’t want near such a sensitive area of my body!
I also got to try their whole range of menstrual products, from tampons to pads and I am happy to report that they’re all fantastic. I think it’s pretty rare to find a brand that offers tampons and pads made from 100% cotton and that you feel super confident wearing yet these tick all the right boxes. I feel totally safe when using them and they offer one of the best protection I’ve ever seen. Even better, the range of products is pretty big which means that there’s truly a Sanature product for every woman out there.
And if you’re wondering about where to find them, the whole range is available on the Kruidvat website while their panty liners & pads are available in Kruidvat stores in Belgium.
And since I love their products so much, I also wanted to give you guys the opportunity to try them out for yourself! I am hosting a giveaway on Facebook & Instagram where you can win a pack of 3 Sanature products of your choice! So make sure to enter!
