reusable menstrual products for an eco-friendly world

[drownophelia.livejournal.com]

like many people, i'm becoming more and more conscious about the amount of waste i produce and contribute. i tend to alternate between sea sponge tampons, tampax lites and OB regulars--as my flow is both short and light (i know... shoot me know! ;) )

about half of my period is an ultralight flow, or just spotting and i have ruined too many panties to count because i don't feel comfortable using insertables when its so light. can anyone recommend their favorite ultra-thin, snap-closed reusable pad?

i bought a trial pack of lunapads pantyliners a while back, and like them alright, but they're a bit on the thick side.  my girlfriend has a pair of Party in My Pants, which she says she likes, but i'd love to get some more opinions. a favorite etsy seller, maybe? bonus points for cool designs, but thinness of pad and softness of material the most important.

thanks!

(i'm in the states, and would prefer a stateside company or one that ships cheap to here)

Comments

[sparkle-lite.livejournal.com]

Check out cloth_pads! You will find links to Etsy pages, sales, places to find your own patterns, and lots of recommendations!

[otherrootbeer.livejournal.com]

A lot of people on here use the Diva Cup or a similar cup. You might try one of those?

[bomega.livejournal.com]

Seconding the reusable menstrual cup for light flow. :D For more information, check out the menstrual_cups community.

[http://users.livejournal.com/urban_faerie_/]

I'm in the states too but all my favorite sellers are in canada or overseas. seriously though, a lot of times the shipping isn't too bad. I have a PIMP that is nice and light as a liner but I haven't tried any of their regular pads.

by the way, you are going to LOVE cloth. nobody tells you how much more comfortable it is than disposable products. i wouldn't let a disposable pad within ten feet of my cha cha anymore... even if you paid me. Also, look into getting a cup. they're super convenient and they don't absorb all the moisture in your vag like tampons do, so they're more comfortable as well.

My favorites are:

Homemademama: a lot of hand dyed super soft bamboo velour, I hate to say it but once you wear one of these liners you won't want to put on a lunapad ever again. :)
http://hyenacart.com/HomemadeMama/

yurtcraft: she's on hiatus right now but she makes a great, well constructed and designed pad that holds up to washing very well.
http://yurtcraft.bigcartel.com/product

Luna wolf: In the UK, but another attractive well made pad. There are some of my faves, and totally worth it.
http://www.lunawolf.co.uk/shop/index.php

obsidian star: all the way down under but i'm obsessed with her mini liners and her prices are reasonable.
http://www.obsidianstar.com.au/


the main thing is that nobody can tell you what you're gonna like. i thought i wouldn't like certain fabrics that have turned out to be my favorites! try a smapling of pads in different fabrics from different sellers, don't blow all your cash getting a package from one seller before you're sure you love it. and have fun!

[drownophelia.livejournal.com]

thanks!

Maintainer Request :)

[jocelina.livejournal.com]

Hi there. Could you please edit your post to include a descriptive subject line? This will help other members use your post as a resource in the future. For more information on what we mean, take a look at this part (http://www.vaginapagina.com/index.php?title=VaginaPagina_FAQ#VP.27s_Courtesy_Checklist_for_Posting) of our FAQ (http://www.vaginapagina.com/index.php?title=VaginaPagina_FAQ).

Thanks!

Jocey
For the VP Team (http://www.vaginapagina.com/contact.php)
contact_vp

Re: Maintainer Request :)

[drownophelia.livejournal.com]

sorry it took so long to get fixed!

Re: Maintainer Request :)

[jocelina.livejournal.com]

Hey, no worries. Thank you for fixing it, and kudos on the very well-chosen description! :)

[cuteapple.livejournal.com]

Kristen is the best. She's a vagpager and I've purchased pads from her several times. Actually liners, because I also have a light flow. She can custom make them with as many (or as few!) layers as you want. I think my liners are one layer of felt backing, three layers of inside and the top fabric. I'd say they're a little thicker than a plastic ultra-thin but I usually have her make mine with felt toppers and felt is a thicker fabric. Fabric is thicker than plastic! She has fantastic craftsmanship, super cute fabrics and great prices. She can custom them sizes too; I'm a bigger girl so she makes them longer for me. She's in Ohio, a stay at home mom, and she's one of us! Hers are the only cloth pads I have and I don't have any complaints about them. They are handmade, so there is variety from piece to piece, but that makes me love them more. They're snap close also.




http://beautifulmithra.livejournal.com/

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5156082

[beautifulmithra.livejournal.com]

I love you. :) <3

[drownophelia.livejournal.com]

fab, thanks!

[ends-and-means.livejournal.com]

I love honeybeehill on etsy. She'll also do custom orders.

[jpress.livejournal.com]

I like lunapanties...
Lots of sellers do custom orders for pads.

You don't feel comfortable using internal protection when your flow is really light but I just want to point out I think menstrual cups are perfect for light flows. There's no reported cases of TSS. Cups don't dry out the vagina. I guess silicone doesn't support bacterial growth. You can leave them in longer... and for me anyway, they are a lot less likely to leak on light days.

[nemoing.livejournal.com]

I have a few of the pantyliners from gladrags.com. At first I thought they were a bit too thick, but after the first few uses I stopped noticing them. They feel just like a soft, squishy little addition to my undies :)

[arularia.livejournal.com]

I know you asked specifically for cloth pads, but I wanted to echo a few other commenters with the suggestion of a menstrual cup. I've been using one for almost a year now and can't imagine ever going without it now. Since they just collect and don't actively absorb, you can use them no matter how light your flow is and they won't dry you out or become harder to insert/remove just because you're having a light flow day. I've used mine for everything from spotting to super-heavy flow days and even put it in in advance of my period because I wasn't sure when I would start bleeding and couldn't risk soaking through my clinical scrub pants.