Lunapads Blog

← Continued from Businesses We Love: Karma Suds

After switching to washable cloth pads like Lunapads or perhaps the DivaCup, you may start questioning the products you are using in other areas of your life, as well. Well, over the holidays I had a sudsy revolution start at my house! I met up with my friend Rene from Karma Suds and she shared some of her awesome products with me. One of her products that was a real surprise and delight to me were her versatile liquid soaps.

I had a busy and tough time over the holidays, and my house was the worse for wear; the ultimate household cleaning challenge to test out Karma Suds. I made a batch of household cleaner using the Karma Suds Hemp Liquid Soap base that Rene gave me and  proceeded with typical Lunagal openness and curiosity. I sprayed and wiped and attacked with joy the most grotty places (oven canopy, fridge and cupboards.)

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Name: Alice

Age: 21

How did you hear about reusable menstrual products?
I saw them in store and I was curious.

Please describe your monthly needs:
My period almost always comes at night.  It is an average flow and I experience continuous cramping for the first three days.

If you are currently using disposable products, which ones do you use, and for what needs?
Regular pads and Pantyliners.  I used to use tampons but I found them uncomfortable and itchy.

If you are currently using reusable products, which ones do you use, and for what needs?
No, but I’m dying to try!

Why do you want to switch to reusable menstrual products?
I want to lessen my impact on earth. I also get rashes from that synthetic material.  I don’t know, it’s like plastic or something, and the sticky things rub my skin.  It’s just not a comfortable time of the month.  I am very active and with that stuff rubbing my skin I would rather not move. Luna pads sound soft and wearable; maybe I won’t even notice them.

Anything else you would like to share about yourself?
I do yoga and frequently exercise.

Based on your own experience, what message do you have for other women who might be thinking about reusable menstrual products?
Think about your vagina!

Our recommendations for this active, young woman who has had enough with disposables!

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Lunapanties Giveaway!
How does your partner feel about you using Lunapads?
Are they supportive? Not so much? Post a comment about your own experience and you could win a pair of  Lunapanties in the style of your choice!

We had someone post on our Facebook Wall asking to hear from Lunapads users about how our partners feel about Lunapads. I felt compelled to reply because my hubby is for sure a LunaGuy!

With a gaggle of girls in the house, we had a huge negative impact on the landfill & a lot of bathroom garbage. So many used pads! I’m not sure many enjoy dealing with used disposable pads. Mind you, our dogs love them! My husband is an environmentalist – the kind of guy who recycles the wrappers on straws. He is also a Poly Sci major, animal lover and would go out and buy pads for us in an emergency! (he is a sweetie)

When our family discovered Lunapads, he was on board before my teenagers were, because:

• No more bathroom garbage!
• We’ll save money!
• He never has to go buy pads for us!

It was a no-brainer for him. In our house, he is the one who does our laundry. His opinion on washing Lunapads: ”It is no big deal. I toss them in with the rest of the clothes, they are not gross (the girls pre-rinse them), much nicer than the disposable garbage for sure, and kinda cute.” He also thinks that the Lunapanties Hipsters are sexy.

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Name: Laura

Age: 28

How did you hear about reusable menstrual products?
Eco Friendly Website

Please describe your monthly needs:
2 days and nights light flow, 2 days and nights heavy flow and 1 day and night spotting.

What reusable menstrual products do you currently use?
Lunapads- long pads, liners, and panty liner.

Why do you want to switch to reusable menstrual products?
I switched because I didn’t like the number of pads I was using. I calculated over 4,000 pads by the time I am 35!!!

Anything else you would like to share about yourself?
I love to cook, I love to sing and going green!

Based on your own experience, what message do you have for other women who might be thinking about reusable menstrual products?
It’s much more comfortable then wearing plastic!!!

Our recommendations for this musical cook!

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With Madeleine and Suzanne’s trip to Portland this week for the World Domination Summit, travel and adventure are naturally on our minds. We have been meaning to write an updated post about the whats, hows and benefits of traveling with our products (see previous posts here and here), and this seems like a great opportunity to do just that.

Who wants to waste valuable luggage space on boxes of disposable pads and tampons, or risk running out where supplies may not be available? Read on for our top tips for easy, waste-free ways to manage your period while traveling, with bonus video  from Suzanne about how to clean your DivaCup while you’re on the road.

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Yesterday’s Slate.com “Green Lantern” article questioning the environmental impact of reusable menstrual products begged for more than a brief comment in response. Is making the switch a mere drop in the bucket as far as waste goes, or part of a larger ripple effect?

Fence sitters and skeptics often ask us how green our products really are, along the lines of the so-called diaper “debate”. How green is washing your menstrual pads after all, once you factor in the raw materials, soap, water and energy (not to mention the hassle?) Some prominent green bloggers (including Grist.org’s Umbra Fisk) don’t see the impact of disposable menstrual products as being overly worth fretting about, a position quasi-supported by the Green Lantern herself, Nina Shen Rastogi.

Rastogi starts her post by referencing (from the book Flow) some compelling information about the amount of solid waste generated by disposable pads and tampons (62,415 lbs, or 0.5% of a woman’s gross lifetime landfill contribution) but quickly concludes that there are bigger fish to fry, suggesting that highlighting women’s monthly eco impact may constitute yet another source of shame for women, on top of that typically used to sell the products in the first place – why give women yet another guilt trip?

Rastogi is also quick to dismiss the environmental and health concerns that green feminine hygiene producers often raise about conventional products; namely what the long-term consequences of exposure to dioxin and the host of other chemicals, surfactants, plastics and perfumes that may or may not be present in pads and tampons might be, chlorine bleached or not.

While the US FDA and Health Canada claim that exposure to “trace” amounts of dioxin is safe, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) looks at the matter differently, asserting that there is no safe or acceptable amount, period.  The bottom line is that nobody actually knows – yet. Having just read this article about the effects of “trace” amounts of hormone disruptors such as phthalites and Bisphenol A, I can’t help wondering how long it might be before we see similar research exposing what many of us have long suspected about dioxin and other chemicals used in the manufacture of disposable pads and tampons.

Rastogi suggests if you are worried about your garbage output, you are better off buying bulk food and planning your grocery shopping to reduce food waste.

Hey, how about this crazy idea: why not do as much as you reasonably can? Why the cop-out on greening your period?

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Thank you for sharing your testimonial, Meghan!

Let me begin by saying that I am perhaps your least likely customer. I knew about reusable menstrual products, but never felt that they were anything I would ever use. I was convinced that cleaning them would be a major inconvenience, and worried they might leak.

Then a friend told me about Lunapads.  She had just ordered a set, and was excited to show me how they worked. I already knew there were several benefits to using reusable pads: economic, environmental, and possibly even healthwise; but I just did not think they were something I would ever want to use.

I was, however, still curious. I did quite a bit of research on your website and found that the more I read, the more intrigued I was. Though I still felt skeptical, I decided to order a Sampler Pack, based on your Customer Satisfaction Policy.

I have never had a good experience with disposable menstrual products. Pads were rough and irritating against my skin, and tampons felt intrusive. Lunapads, on the other hand, are so very comfortable. I can hardly believe how much better my experience with my period has been since making the switch!

Furthermore, cleaning Lunapads is really not at all the ordeal I thought it would be, nor have I experienced any problem with leaks. I’ve since added more pads to my Lunapads collection, so that I never have to resort to disposables again.

I have to say, you have 100% won me over. Lunapads have been an amazing solution to my period woes. I no longer feel that I have to approach my period with that awful sense of dread, and am so thankful that my friend introduced me to them.

-Meghan

Wow – it’s been a busy few days out there in media cyberspace for us menstrually-inclined types.  For those of you who might have missed it, on October 2nd the UK’s Guardian published a really interesting piece by Kira Cochrane about the current state of menstrual activism.  The article (which included a provocative photo of a woman wearing her menses as lipstick) elicited 160 comments, many of which were negative.  The article was complemented by another post on the same site from Rowenna Davis, who wrote a wonderful account of her own coming to consciousness around her period and how using a menstrual cup helped shift things for the good.  Her post generated over 100 comments, including many (mostly men) who found the topic disgusting.

Salon.com’s Amanda Fortini responded to the Guardian articles on October 6th with a scathing post questioning the necessity of menstrual activism.  Her premise is essentially that societal discomfort with menstrual matters is largely a thing of the past (maybe she didn’t read the comments to the Guardian pieces?) and that feminists have rustier axes to grind, such as pay equity and violence.

While this type of argument can make pretty much any pursuit seem petty (“well, it’s not going to stop a nuclear war, is it?”- my example), it is my perception that menstrual activism occurs on a crucial spectrum that ranges from body self-acceptance, sexuality, fertility, birth, breastfeeding and menopause – basically everything to do with women’s health and self-esteem.  Given this, I think it does matter – a lot. (more…)

We are all too aware that dealing with something as benign as one’s own menstrual blood is more than some people can stomach.  At Lunapads we kind of enjoy pushing the envelope a bit about stuff that we are collectively uptight about (myself included – it’s called personal growth!), which brings me to a new product – Family Wipes.  Yes, friends, that would be reusable toilet paper!

If you happen to be the kind of person who is not totally weirded out by cloth menstrual pads, DivaCups or cloth diapers, then I’m hoping that you’re still reading and that you’ll at least consider trying it.  Here is a good overview of the benefits of using family wipes, which are very similar to those of switching to Lunapads or using cloth diapers.

The wipes are made of 70% bamboo and 30% organic cotton fleece, and are each about 6″x 8″ (15 x 20cm.)  You’ll need two containers in the bathroom – one for fresh, the other for used (try different color containers so you don’t get them mixed up!)  To wash them, choose a hot water wash using your regular detergent as well as a shot or two of hydrogen peroxide.  If you’re currently cloth diapering, then just put them in the same load using whatever works for you on that score.

But wait – the uses for these products don’t stop in the bathroom – Suzanne swears by them as makeup remover wipes, and any Mom with half a wit will tell you that they’re just the thing to have on hand for runny noses (who needs throwaway tissues?).  Sound good to you?  Be among the first to try them out (only $3.99 for 6 or $7.99 for 12!) and let us know what you think.  Thanks to everyone who requested these!

I thought that this was an interesting video, pointing out that we often treat the Earth the same way that our culture objectifies and disrespects women.

It was with interest that I learned of Grist.org‘s “Screw Earth Day!” campaign, as I agree (at least in principle) with the idea that our collective responsibility is a 24/7/365 commitment, not just a day.  Same goes for Earth Hour, which, although impressive with respect to its results, in my mind can engender the idea that it’s enough to do it just for an hour, rather than making a permanent practice of reducing our energy consumption (SED!’s premise.)  The neo-eco movement can feel at times like a form of cultural greenwashing, what with all the new dubiously “green” products and marketing campaigns that seem to be cropping up everywhere one turns these days.

But then I take a second look – where does my cynicism come from, is it useful, and how does it square with my belief in small efforts and gestures having a potentially enormous impact?  Isn’t it better than doing nothing, or at least worth trying, considering what’s at stake?  Maybe if I stopped debating whether or not it’s a perfect solution or not and just got on board then we’d all be the better for it?  Seems a timely question, given the current political debate here in B.C. over carbon tax. Further to the “not arguing about perfect solutions and just getting on with it as we are able at the moment” observation, as a parent I appreciate the critical value of educating our children and being role models to them (Suzanne is doing this as I write, and I feel certain we will be hearing about it here!)  Events like Earth Day and Earth Hour are great ways to do this, particularly in participation with our communities.

For me, in the end it all comes back to personal responsibility.  Am I an eco-perfectionist?  Not by a long shot.  But I also believe that we can all try harder.  On that note, a little shout-out to the Lunapads staff, all of whom are great examples of various green practices: as cycling activists and commuters, vegetarian and veganism advocates, conscious consumers and DIY crafters.  Thanks ladies – you’re making a difference in so many important ways.

As a final antidote to my skepticism, I’d like to highlight some of my favorite green organizations and reading lists.  The Environmental Working Group is a vast repository of information about everything from safe cosmetics to pesticide use in commercial produce, and has an excellent newsletter.  The Vancouver Public Library has compiled an extensive list of books about sustainability, and our pal Annemarie Templeman-Kluit (aka Yoyomama - Vancouver’s source for everything anyone with kids needs to know about in this town) has posted some of her family’s fave green reads in her new blog here.  Our friends and colleagues over at SPUD and NatureBag have teamed up with Lavish and Lime to offer an incredible eco-products giveaway contest – find out more here.  Last but not least, Mindful Mama has just launched a great new natural parenting website in honor of Earth Day – way to go, everyone!

I hope that you all find a meaningful way to celebrate Earth Day – today and every day.