Trade To Aid Reusable Sanitary Pads Review
Let’s talk about periods. I’m not sure I have ever covered periods here for any reason. But let me tell you, once I hit 40, my reproductive system went haywire. The reason for this chat? I have been reviewing the Trade to Aid reusable sanitary pads recently.
There I was, plodding along in consistent regularity and boom, I turned 40, and suddenly, my programming messed up. I thought it was a glitch at first, but sadly, as I approach the numbers 4 and 2 together in that order consecutively, there is no denying I have no idea what to expect come that time of the month.
Irregular Periods
Let me tell you, I was regular as clockwork. When it came to “bleeding out my system”, as the girls call it, a slightly grotesque but nonetheless a spot-on description we’ve all since adopted, now, it’s anyone’s guess.
I was strictly a 28-day cycle with 4 days of active bleeding and no pain girl. Delightfully easy. Not anymore. Each time that 28-day mark arrives now, it’s a guess as to whether it will show up, how it will show up and whether I’ll want to sit and cry for a day or be murderous without reason. Who even knows?
But despite my apparent onset of perimenopause (dear Dr, yes, I am, stop fobbing me off), one thing that has remained consistent is my lack of suitable period products. I long fell out of love with tampons and never fancied the cup devices (I am too clumsy with poor dexterity – a good combo for a messy time!); pads were giving me the itch. Literally. Each month I found the materials used irritating, and I swapped from brand to brand to stop this.
There was a time I tried the underwear. However, it didn’t fit right, and my ever-erratic periods left me worried about leakage. So where did this leave me?
Reusable Period Pads
Exactly, wearing washable period pads, much in the same way you use cloth nappies for babies, reusable pads seem like an excellent compromise.
Women are thought to use around 11,000 disposable menstruation products in their lifetime. Suppose you take the average age of a girl starting her period as 12 years old and her reaching menopause around 40 years later. In that case, that’s approximately 275 sanitary products per year, around 23 per cycle, give or take, depending on each specific person.
Each pad is estimated to take 500-800 years to break down due to its composition and the plastics involved. So when you think about it like that, the inconvenience of washing a little blood from a pad before washing it seems like a good compromise.
Trade To Aid Reusable Sanitary Pads
Trade To Aid’s mission is to eliminate period poverty around the world. No girl or woman should miss school or work or have their life interrupted due to their period. Trade To Aid is working to provide emergency period kits to those who need them and provide much-needed menstrual education to women and girls in West Africa.
With so many taboos and stigmas around periods, the more women know about their own bodies, the more they can take control and live the life they deserve.
I don’t know about you, but that seems like a worthwhile cause to me!
And as a non-profit, all the money goes into providing much-needed resources and education where it is needed the most. Reusable pads are the ideal way to ensure people who need menstrual products have them without buying more each month.
Trade To Aid has a box of 6 reusable sanitary pads that come in a box with a handy pouch for when you’re out and about.
Reviewing Reusable Sanitary Pads
On the fence about reusable sanitary pads? Not sure they can provide the absorbency you need? Same. I don’t have the heaviest periods per se. However, I do have a “heavier” day. The pack contains 6 pads; 2 for heavy flows, 2 for medium flow and 2 for heavier flows. I experience all three in 4/5 days, so perfectly!
The pads are made from recycled plastics and absorbent bamboo charcoal without chemicals or additives. Making them better for you and for the environment. Even using them for one month will save anywhere from 20-30 pads going to landfill.
Before I start, I want to point out that 6 might not be enough for most people. You will need multiple packs if you change your pads frequently or have heavier flows for more days.
For me, however, this amount was perfect. I had my period within days of my pack arriving, and right away, it was time to try out the heavier flow pads.
They have a press stud on the wings to attach to your underwear, so you only need to clip them on as you would with disposable pads with wings and sticky strips. The soft black liner must face your body as this is the absorbent core. And you’re good to go.
It’s important to note they do need to be changed as frequently as disposable pads; however, you know your body best and will know when to change. When you do change, simply remove, rinse the blood in cold water and add to your laundry pile. If you’re out and about, pop them in the carry bag provided with the kit.
My first impressions were that the pads seemed bulky. Reminiscent of days gone past, and it took some getting used to at first. However, once I had swapped the first pad over, it didn’t even notice it anymore. A thicker pad is required for absorbing heavier flows.
The medium and light pads weren’t as thick and reminded me of standard modern-day pads. Not once did I feel I would leak out or be uncomfortable. I have had another period since the first use, and I am pleased to report no loss of absorbance and, more importantly, no irritation I notice from standard disposable pads.
Following the instructions, I soaked the towels for 30 minutes post-wear and popped them in the wash. I washed on a 40-degree cycle with no fabric conditioner; this is really important. Higher heat, strong detergent and fabric conditioner can reduce the efficiency and even “bake in ” the blood on the lining.
I am genuinely impressed, and I am more than happy to continue using them for as long as possible.
Trade To Aid reusable sanitary pads are £29.97 per box for 6 pads and a carry bag and are delivered in discreet packaging.
To put this into context, the average spend in the UK on menstrual products is around £10-£13, excluding buying new underwear from leakage. Buying 2 packs at £29.97 means that after 6 months, you can start seeing savings (of course, this will differ depending on your monthly usage and cost), and you can eliminate the monthly spend on products.
If you want to learn more, please head over to Trade to Aid and find out how they are working to help women worldwide have happier, healthier periods and regain control.
