If last time I came to you talking about how uninspired I had been through the whole month of January and how much I struggled with writing anything for the blog, I can all assume we are now all on the same boat. I'm not going to bore you with more of the same we've all been reading so I'll jump right into what this post is all about, March's swap: biodegradable pads by Clementine Take Good Care. Clementine is a brand created by Marta after she found out how much plastic was in all period products, not to mention how many harmful and unhealthy chemicals were used in tampons, such as bleach and chlorine.

Regarding their products, Clementine uses only the best and safest materials, their tampons are 100% certified organic cotton and are free of synthetic fibers, chemical additives, fragrance, dyes, chlorine bleach, GMOs, pesticides, toxins, latex, or formaldehyde. Unfortunately, they are still wrapped in plastic as that is still the only way to ensure total hygiene and safety before use, but they do use BPA-free recycled plastic. The ultra thin pads with wings and panty-liners are made out of cornstarch and bamboo fiber, naturally antibacterial and breathable. Their pads are 95% biodegradable, the only reason they haven't reached the 100% mark is because they still use a polymer layer to ensure no leakage, although Clementine is working on a better option to substitute it. Truth is, as all pads go in the regular garbage, they are incredible polluting so reducing the amount of plastic in the whole thing by any percentage can already do wonders. And, to literally wrap it all up, the wrappers are all 100% biodegradable, compostable and plastic free, made with cornstarch film. You can also read the Clementine Blog to learn more about the products and other issues surrounding periods.

The second great thing about Clementine is the fact that you can sign up to their My Period Box, a subscription period box you can adjust to your own needs, which you can buy only once or have it scheduled to arrive at your door every 19, 20-29, 30 or 60 days, which will get you a 20% discount in every box. In this box you can choose from regular, plus and super-plus tampons, panty-liners, day pads with wings and night pads with wings, picking exactly how many of each you want. If after receiving your first box you realise you didn't have enough or had too many products, you can easily re-adjust your box on your account, or even skip a box if you have enough for next time. Shipping costs 3,20€ and you can use the code FREESHIP on your first box order. (This code isn't mine, the brand itself advertises it on their website.)

Having written my fare share of period related posts, which you can read here, I was surprised I hadn't heard of Clementine yet, and I first learned about them through my The Bam&Boo subscription order, which have recently started sharing new and eco-friendly initiatives and brands every month. After reading more about them I decided to use my discount code (pictured below, although I don't know if it still works), I ordered a regular Period Box + a box of 9 night pads, as I sometimes have a heavier flow and go through those the most. Both boxes arrived in less than a week, beautifully packed, and super discreet too, all the boxes are recyclable and use paper tape, so there is no plastic in sight. The order also came with a little cloth bag to carry your period products in, which I loved. 

My main reason to try this brand was because I was tired of the waste I was creating every month, and even though I had found many great options to substitute regular period products, these can be costly if bought all at once, I already have a pair of period underwear and two reusable pads, but those aren't enough for a full cycle so, whenever I have a little money to spend, I get a new one to add to the collection. Until I have a full set that really sees me through my cycle, I'll be using Clementine to fulfill my needs and I'll feel a lot less guilty for using something that I can't use again. 

As to the quality of the products I can't actually review the tampons just yet, as I usually only wear tampons during summer I didn't add any to my box. I did, however, try all three pad sizes and I am a convert. The night pads aren't as big as I'm used to because I usually get the biggest ones any other pad brand offers, this is the only way I feel safe while sleeping (although I no longer sleep with pads but with my period underwear), and both the day pads and the panty-liners are the exact same size as the regular branded ones. Every single one of these pads is incredibly soft and comfortable to wear, there is no artificial scent, no irritation afterwards and the absorbency is amazing, you almost forget you're wearing a pad.

As to the cons I only have two to mention: the wrapping, especially in the night pads, is sometimes quite hard to open and it seems to rip into several pieces quite often; regarding the panty-liners I find they don't really stay in place, I wear only cotton underwear and pads usually stick really well, but these have barely any adherence, I do find this a problem in most panty-liners on the market, but especially so with this brand.