If you've been reading my blog for a while you might know one of my main goals when it comes to sustainable living was to cut out disposable period pads. I've already made a few changes to my period routine (you can read more about this in my Let's Talk Periods post), from changing from regular tampons to organic ones, to buying a menstrual cup (mine is from OrganiCup), to having the very first reusable tampon applicator, D (you can read its' review here), so my next step, and the one I was most excited for, as I much prefer pads to tampons, was to start using reusable period pants and pads.

I've finally taken my first step towards a more sustainable period, I've bought my very first reusable pad and period panties. Reusable pads might seem like a sort of throwback to what our mums and grandmas wore, and when I first told my mum I had bought a reusable pad she was surprised and told me I'd hate it. Luckily for us, modern reusable pads have been improved and are nothing like my mum remembers them. There are plenty of options when it comes to brands, these reusable pads by GladRags are one of these options, available in different sizes (day, night/postpartum, and pantyliners), these are "a healthy alternative to disposable products we're used to, made of premium quality certified organic cotton flannel and terry cloth, they offer protection and comfort, lasting for over 5 years". This means that not only are they environmentally friendly, using minimal resources, but they're also easy on your wallet. Also, you can customise them to fit your needs, depending on how heavy or light your flow is. I'm currently eyeing up some of these beautiful handmade ones* by Made by Tyng, who also sells other great handmade products to help you live a more sustainable life. If you're in Portugal, Pegada Verde, Mind The Trash and Maria Granel also have these available, so go show them some much deserved support. And as for period pants, there are quite a few brands already available, such as Lunapads, Dear Kate, Wuka and, the already famous, THINX* (by following this link you will get €9 off your order and I will get €9 too, yay).

Instead of starting with any of these, I decided to go with a more local business instead. As I couldn't find any store in my town that sold them, I turned to the internet and found an Etsy store based just a few cities from where I live, I did have to make my order online as it can be quite time consuming to travel all the way to this specific city, but I was quite happy I was still helping out a small local store. The pads aren't currently available, but the period pants I choose were these, the Period/Incontinence Reusable Underwear. I'd recommend you favourite The Natural Way shop so you're always updated on their products, as they sell only sustainable products at very reasonable prices. 

I must admit, I was quite concerned about trying any of these, and decided to test them around the house first, before going to bed. I woke up scared to look down, thinking I'd find a pool of blood all over my white sheets, but I was very pleasantly surprised. The first thing I tried was the pad. It felt unbelievably soft and comfortable, it was definitely weird not feeling any plastic between my legs, which sometimes made me panic thinking I hadn't put on a pad. Not only did it feel comfortable, I was also happy to know there was no scent coming off of them, I'm so used to pads being perfumed with floral scents to mask any blood smell, but there was nothing to mask, and, surprise surprise, THERE WERE NO LEAKS. I wore it for the first time to bed, woke up at 7am to pee, took it off and let it soak in cold water while I went back to sleep. At 9am, when I got up, most of the blood had come off already, all I had to do was rub some detergent soap on it, let it set for a while, and then washed it as normal by hand. There were no stains, no smells, no waste.

As for the period pants, I decided to go all out, I tried them out while I was out and about. I wore a tampon with them for a few hours while I was on the bus on my way to class, and when I got to university I took it off and relied on the pants completely. Once I got home, I treated them exactly as I did the pad, soaked them in cold water while I showered, and washed them by hand. They looked as good as new. They were so comfortable I decided to wear them to sleep the next day and I couldn't believe how different it was between wearing a plastic pad to sleep and a cotton pair of panties. My favourite thing about these pants is how wide they are at the back, I can move comfortably without fearing any leaks, and aside from how strong the elastic was in them, which could be a bit uncomfortable at times, I have absolutely nothing bad to say about them.

My period sleeping routine now relies completely in wearing period pants, and nothing else. I can't imagine going back to regular pads when I go to bed and I've just ordered another pair to keep me nice and comfortable. As for the pads, I'm sold on them. Unfortunately, I'll still have to use some regular plastic pads while I get my reusable pad collection going, but at least I'm saving two plastic pads a day from going into landfill, which is a great start.

I'd definitely recommend trying any of these products if you haven't already, whether you go with this brand or any of the others I mentioned, taking the first step towards a completely sustainable period really excites me and inspires me to do better, and I hope it inspired you too.

Let me know, in the comments below, if there are any other brands or products you'd recommend on this subject, as I'm always eager to know more.