9 Period-Friendly Products To Help You Through Your TOTM

Since the beginning of time, women have been blessed with the beautiful woe that is the menstrual cycle. The female body is a wonder, but periods can be inconvenient and some women aren’t afforded the 3-7 day fleeting inconvenience and can suffer quite serious physical and mental struggles during their time of the month.

This can be caused by many factors, including but not limited to common health factors (including PCOS), contraceptives and other types of medication, and stress. This is not to mention pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS) which sometimes can be just as intense hormonally. In fact, an article in by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) lets us know that “Most women will experience some degree of PMS but between two and four in 100 women get severe PMS that prevents them from fulfilling their daily activities, affecting work, relationships, intimacy and the enjoyment of life.”

We believe this sentiment rings true for a lot of women when we say we would just like to get through our periods without the additional drama! According to data collected by Wear White Again, a campaign that supports women that experience heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB), 58% of women feel they are unable to carry out their usual daily routine during their periods. So, from relievers to the comfiest menstrual cups, we have curated a list of our 7 products to help you get through your time of the month:

1. Be You Period Patches are self-adhesive patches that are cooling, pain-relieving and discreet. Infused with Eucalyptus and Leaf oil, they are designed to provide long-lasting relief from cramps and aches during your period. (A KB favourite!)

2. Callaly Tampliners. Callaly is a new UK based subscription service for organic period products. A “Tampliner” is a product created by Callaly which is a tampon and a liner in one. Made of organic cotton, it boasts of being “convenient, mess-free and hypoallergenic”.

3. Hormonal acne is a monthly woe that can be highly irritating and best. We recommend the KB Superskin Exfoliant for a brighter, renewed look to combat the dullness of skin and the bout of acne that can accompany your period.

4. Ginger tea, with its natural pain inhibitors and anti-inflammatory properties, can be a saving grace when dealing with period cramps and PMS. Simply chop up a thumb of ginger and simmer it with water or milk on low heat for eight to fifteen minutes. Add lemon and/or honey to taste and enjoy this calming tea to alleviate and soothe cramps and nausea.

5. Many products that are marketed to women for their periods contain high levels of toxins that are believed to further aggravate period cramps. Daye is a subscription service that uses CBD in order to create products that are not harmful to you or our Earth. Daye allows you to take a quiz in order to build a tailored subscription box that suits you and your cycle. Our founder, Kemi, loves Daye, and here’s what she had to say about it: My periods have much more manageable ever since i switched to Dayes period products last year. Their CBD range has done wonders for the health of my cycle, comfortability and managing period pains.

6. Another product we recommend to combat hormonal acne is the Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant. It gently exfoliates using salicylic acid and rice enzymes that brightens and polishes your skin, removing any excess sebum produced due to hormonal changes.

7. If you prefer a product that is more sustainable, Saalt Soft Menstural Cups could be just the right product for you. Made with ultra-soft silicone, this toxin and chemical-free silicone cup sits snugly and comfortably and can be worn for up to 12 hours.

8. Noha is a device created by Ovira that is an unconventional but forward-thinking pain relief devise that uses pulse therapy. This clinically backed device claims to provide “period pain relief by interrupting the pain signals from travelling to the brain”. We love innovative technology that puts the needs of real women at the centre of all that they do.

9. Food-Grown Premenstrual Complex is a food-based supplement that was formulated to combat issues that come with mensturation. It boasts of its ability to optimise energy levels and combat fatigue, and support mood fluctuations that come with PMS and periods. It also uses Zinc and Vitamin B6 to help stabilise your cycle and balance your hormones.

As women, we enjoy spaces that allow for the celebration, and sometimes lamentation, of every aspect of our womanhood, particularly the parts that can be physically uncomfortable and historically taboo. Gone are the days where conversations and tips surrounding menstruation are limited to your friendship group.

We love the ever-growing discourse and female-led market for all things periods. We are no longer shrouding conversations surrounding them with pseudonyms which further obscures one of the most natural occurrences of womankind. Women have learnt to power through the uterine punches with all their might, so we think we owe it to ourselves to share our stories, openly and frankly.