Ladies, this is long…so scroll below for the giveaway information and to leave a comment!

As I say in Body Drama, the average woman will have nearly 500 periods in her lifetime and may use as many as 16,800 tampons! Landfills and sewage systems are overflowing with an estimated 20 billion pads and tampons in North America alone, but it’s not just the planet that’s taking a hit. Your wallet might also be suffering! While a $10 box of tampons every month might not seem like a lot at first, the amount of money you might have to spend on disposable menstrual products can easily add up. There’s also controversy surrounding the safety of certain ingredients found in mainstream menstrual products. Troubling ingredients include synthetic fibers, like rayon, and dioxin, which is a by-product of the bleaching process used to whiten tampons. Some studies show dioxin and synthetic fibers as potentially being harmful to our health.

In college, I’d always heard of reusable pads and tampons. I really wanted to try them out but when compared to the box of regular tampons at the drugstore, reusable menstrual products were very expensive online. Also, I could never find any unbiased, true-to-experience reviews of how they actually felt and worked.

I decided to take the plunge for curious Body Drama readers, and I bought and tested out the four most popular reusable cycle options on the market. (Note: I have never been in contact with the makers of these products and I promise that this isn’t any kind of paid endorsement.)

Whether or not you’re looking into alternate menstrual cycle products to save the planet, to save some money, to perhaps protect your health, or just ‘cause it seems cool, check out my experiences and see if reusable tampons or pads might be right for you!

Product #1: Sea Pearls Sea Sponge Reusable Tampons

User Experience: I was dying to try this product out and I wasn’t disappointed. When the rock-hard sea sponges arrived, complete with a little muslin bag and instructions, I was frightened by the thought of putting a seemingly uncomfortable, scratchy, and inflexible creature of the sea into my vag, but in the spirit of experimentation I trekked to the bathroom anyway. I followed the enclosed directions, which told me to first wet the sponge with warm water before insertion. Just like a kitchen sponge, the moisture immediately softened it and the sponge became squishy and flexible! I squashed the sponge and pushed it inside of me until, as the hilarious printed instructions suggested, “I felt secure and comfortable.” What does that mean? I dunno. Anyway, I just stuck it in with my fingers like I would any other applicator-less tampon, and I was immediately stoked by the fact that I couldn’t feel it.

I washed my hands (super-important when you’re dealing with something reusable in your vag) and set a timer for three hours, which is when the directions suggest one should remove and clean the sea sponge before reinsertion. When the time had elapsed, I went back to the bathroom, washed my hands, and gently tugged on the sponge inside of me. Surprisingly, it wasn’t drippy or smelly, but it was awfully gross looking and wasn’t something I wanted in my hand for too long. The directions said to rinse out the blood in the sink, and the seemingly eternal red river flowing from the sponge into the stream of water was just FASCINATING.

Still, even only after my first three hours, I found the sponge hard to get completely clean, and so I awkwardly stood there for a couple of minutes rubbing the sponge in different ways until I finally felt comfortable enough with its cleanliness to put it back inside of me. The directions suggest that disinfection by a solution of baking soda, apple cider vinegar, and/or hydrogen peroxide is only necessary once per menstrual cycle, but even after just one use and reuse, I kept seeing flashes of my gray-haired middle school P.E. teacher screaming at us “OLD BLOOD CAUSES TSS!” “Toxic Shock Syndrome CAN KILL!” during seventh grade health class. Is this fair to put my childhood nightmares onto the sea sponge tampon? Dunno, but I was afraid for the rest of the day and subconsciously kept checking for the signs of TSS which are prominently discussed in the directions. Cleaning it between uses did not become easier, either.

***Too Much Information ALERT!*** Period blood has different consistencies, and when it’s goopy (for lack of a better word) it’s just not going to come out of a sea sponge without a fight. That’s a battle that I’m willing to lose and I ended up throwing one of the sponges away.

Final Analysis: While the sea sponge tampons are super comfy with no leakage, they were just way too hard to clean. If I had eight or ten of the sponges, I’d create a little disinfection station in my bathroom (like they do at nail and hair salons) where as soon as I was done with one I could rinse it and let it marinate in apple cider vinegar or hydrogen peroxide with the others, ensuring cleanliness.

The sponges themselves are actually pretty expensive and have a usage span of only about four months, according to the instructions. So switching to sea sponge tampons certainly isn’t a cost-saving move and should be viewed as more of a save the planet/neat-o move. It’s certainly worth a try, if only for the experience. Trust me, afterwards you’ll never look at another kitchen sponge the same way again.

Where to Buy: The maker sells two sponges with a life expectancy of six months for $15 (including shipping) and you can purchase them here, but you may be able to score a better deal on other sites or on eBay.

Product #2 - Glad Rags Reusable Pads

User Experience:
Of the alternative products, Glad Rags was the one I’d heard about the most. When my reusable pad arrived in the mail, I was impressed by the craftsmanship and the quality of the soft material. In the package was directions, two reusable liners, and the “master pad” (my name for it, not theirs) with a snap to hold it onto the crotch of my underwear and a slit in the middle where the liners could be inserted. I immediately felt a kinship to my grandmother, who probably used something similar to this when she was “on the rag,” pun intended (ha!)

Before I go on, I must confess: as someone who, before these tests, had a regular menstrual routine of O.B. applicator-less tampons and black panties to hide any wayward blood (Black underwear is one of my favorite tips to help girls avoid period stains!), I probably was a little biased in my consideration of this product, because I hadn’t used pads in almost ten years! So take my experience with a grain of salt – if you’re used to using pads during your cycle, this product may be the perfect way for you to go green.

For me, however, my first frustration came with the fact that I only had two liners– was I supposed to only change my pad twice a day and wash everything out each night of my period? Or was I supposed to buy six “master pads” and a gazillion liners (which aren’t especially cheap)? Anyway, this lack of supply limited my testing ability.

Regarding comfort, for me (again, a tried-and-true tampon user), it felt like I had a flannel washcloth in my underwear, and personally I think a washcloth would work almost as well for a quarter of the price. How do I know? OK, I confess - before I learned how to make a fool-proof emergency pad out of toilet paper (directions shared on page 136 of Body Drama), I turned more than a couple of my own washcloths into bleached cleaning rags by putting them in my underwear when my period comes unexpectedly and I’m out of tampons and in a rush. I cannot believe I’ve admitted this. What have some of you done during a period dilemma? Leave a comment below with your tales!

Anyway, back to Glad Rags. Unlike a washcloth, the pad did stay securely in place because of the metal snaps, and it absorbed perfectly well and was large enough that it left behind no stains (even when I wore it to bed). If you’re having a heavy flow, they suggest using two liners instead of one, which works. The downside of the bulk of the product is that I could easily see the curve of the pad through the back of my pants. And I could “feel” it between my legs during the day and at night. Again, however, these issues seem to be general pad issues.

Glad Rags also washed well and did not stain, even after a few usages and washes.

Final Analysis: If you’re a pad user and plan to stay one for a long time, buying up a bunch of Glad Rags a great thing to do for the environment, but I’m not so sure it’s great for the wallet. No one I know does laundry every day (and that’s not good for the environment anyway) so by my calculations, you’d have to have a minimum of 6 “master pads” making for a financial investment of about $78. That cost represents over a year’s worth of regular pads, so I suggest starting out slowly by making one day of your period your “green day” where you use the reusable pad. Then, if you find you like it and don’t mind the laundry, add to your collection with more pads until you’re using nothing but reusable items. Or perhaps just buy some washcloths for 50 cents from your local discount store.

Where to Buy: The maker sells one “master pad” with two liners with a life expectancy of five years for $15 (including shipping) and you can purchase them here, but they also offer bulk discounts, and you may be able to score a better deal on other sites or on eBay. Also, there are cheaper knockoff brands and even stay-at-home moms who make their own to sell on the internet!

Products #3 and #4 - The Keeper & The Diva Cup

I totally saved the best for last, y’all! I LOVE THIS THING!

User Experience: Everybody needs one of these! Both The Diva Cup and The Keeper work the same way and they serve the same purpose – instead of soaking up blood, they catch it! I’m referring to them as the same because, well, even though they’re different brands and they don’t look exactly alike, they totally *are* the same in how they act as reusable tampons. If you’re a curious type like me, and you want to turn your period into a monthly science experiment, definitely invest in The Diva Cup which is completely see-through, while my more squeamish readers should check out The Keeper, which is brown and is not see-through.

Basically, both products look like an upside down plunger and are made of a flexible and durable material. They are dauntingly large, and at first I was worried that I wasn’t going to be able to fit them inside of me, but my fears were silly! Both products come sized according to whether or not you’ve had children, so as long as you pick the right size, your cup should fit properly.

Inserting the cup is a bit different than when you insert a regular tampon, and it will take some getting used to, because you have to get all up in your vag, which was an experience at first, even for me. Luckily, the instructions that come with both products are very thorough. First, you have to squish all of the sides of the cup together and, while holding tightly, you quickly push it inside of your vagina, where it again expands. Once released, you rotate the little handle to make sure that the cup is completely expanded and that everything is covered! It took me four or five tries the first time to get it right, but once I did, I felt nothing—nada–inside of me. Totally kewl. NOTE: it is messy at first, but remember: it’s YOUR blood and YOUR body – don’t be grossed out!

Now that I’ve used the cups for a few months, it’s second nature to stick it in, but I admit that removal still sometimes gets tricky (especially if I go more than a few hours without visiting the bathroom). You remove it while over the toilet (to avoid spills). First, you have to reach into your vag with your fingers and carefully pull the cup out vertically, then you tip the cup over to allow the blood to spill out into the toilet. OR, you can do like me and let it remain in the cup to check it out.

I KNOW YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE, but some people might be afraid of blood, so click here if you wanna see what menstrual blood looks like in The Diva Cup!!!

Once you remove the cup, it’s important to wash before reinserting (for the same reasons mentioned in the sea sponge tampon review). They’re incredibly easy to clean, but here’s the tricky part – washing your cup in a multiple stall public bathroom might be a bit embarrassing (and gross). To avoid stares, pick up a spare – one is all you need. That way, when you’re in a public stall, you can simply empty out your cup, wrap it in toilet paper and place it in a baggie (and then your purse) to then wash once you’re at home. The makers say that it’s safe to just wipe out the product and then re-insert, but I personally wouldn’t take any chances. I also wouldn’t recommend carrying a used one in either of the cloth bags that they come in, as they’re not leak proof.

Final Analysis: I haven’t bought tampons in months and I am just loving the freedom I feel using the cups, and I also like the fact that I’m not contributing to the overflowing landfills anymore. Using this product takes a few times to get the hang of it, but once you figure it out everything is smooth sailing – no leaks, no smells, no need to buy fifty of them…it’s the perfect way to save money and the earth!

Where to Buy: Make sure you pick the right size before purchasing.

For The Diva Cup, Model 1 is for women under 30 years old who have never delivered vaginally or by c-section. Model 2 is for women over 30 years old and/or for women who have delivered vaginally or by c-section.

For The Keeper, Style A is for after childbirth and Style B is for before childbirth and for women who have had C-sections.

The maker of The Diva Cup sells one cup with a life expectancy of many years for $32.50 and you can purchase one here.

The maker of The Keeper sells one cup with a life expectancy of many years for $37 (including shipping) and you can purchase one here. They also have a clear version that they refer to as “The Moon Cup.”

As always, you may be able to score a better deal on other sites or on eBay.

To jumpstart your alternative menstrual product use, I’m going to give away one Diva Cup and one Keeper Cup to my readers!

Before April 15th, leave a comment below stating which one you’d like and why, and just like before I’ll randomly select the winners! Good luck!

PS - If you’re not ready to go all the way with reusable menstrual cycle products but you still want to be a bit more eco-friendly and perhaps healthier, look for unbleached, organic products. More on these are on page 142 of Body Drama!

Tagged as Book Extras

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