Lunapads Blog

Name: Fatin
Home: Hackensack, NJ
Age: 31
Lifestyle: I’m an ESL teacher who loves to travel.

Flow
My flow lasts 5-6 days and is very heavy in the beginning (~2 days), 2 days heavy-average and 2-3 days of light flow. Light discharge throughout the month, especially when ovulating.

What products do you use?
I currently use Always Overnight with Wings, and Playtex Super tampons when I am working out or swimming. The Always are bulky and uncomfortable and they never seem to stay in place, especially at night, resulting in regular leaks. With tampons, I can’t seem to find the right absorbency; they’re either too absorbent or not absorbent enough. I’ve also considered using something for daily discharge, but I usually go without since the Always aren’t quite right for this and I don’t want to spend the money.

Why do you want to switch?
I want to create less waste with my menstrual products. I’d also like to support a woman-owned and operated company like Lunapads. I’d like to get more in touch with my body and make my period a joyful time that I don’t just take for granted. And Lunapads are way cuter than Always!

Lunapads Rx

The DivaCup
For active gals like Fatin, we tend to recommend that trusty tampon alternative, The DivaCup. It’s ideal for heavy flow (will hold up to 1 full ounce before needing to be emptied) and great for active sports. Plus, with The DivaCup, there’s no need to worry about finding the perfect absorbency. Unlike tampons, a menstrual cup doesn’t absorb (or dry you out, for that matter), but instead collects your menstrual flow. Check out our DivaCup 101 video for more info.

Long Pad & Liner
Now, onto your pad upgrade! In Luna-land, a Long Pad is most comparable to a disposable Overnight Pad with Wings. Our Long Pads are 12″ (30.5cm) in length, providing ample coverage & security for most women with average-heavy flow. Additionally, our Wing Liners (see right) provide lateral protection and help to prevent side leakage and stained sheets. Tip: you’ll save 10% off the regular price of our Pads when you buy a 3-Pack.

Lunapanties
If you’re looking for a $ saving, super-functional product for everyday discharge (and those 2-3 light flow days, using liners), this is it. You’re already wearing underwear every day – why not trade up for something that actually performs? Lunapanties are 95% organic cotton, 5% lycra and 100% awesome. Watch our video to learn more about their super-magical hidden powers.

Pantyliners
Another option for everyday: Our 7 Day Pantyliner Kits are value-priced at $70. That’s $10 per Pantyliner, rather than $10.99 individually priced, which means you’ll save $7 when you buy a set of 7. This may *seem* pricey at first glance, but as with all Lunapads products, your initial investment will save you a ton of money in the long run. With gentle care, a Lunapads Pantyliner should last an average of 5 years – some customers have been using the same Lunapads for upwards of a decade, even. It’s easy to calculate your personal savings; just divide the price of a box of disposables by the number of pantyliners inside – this determines your cost per pantyliner. Now, multiply that cost by the number of pantyliners you might use each day, and then again by 5 years. It really adds up! See our Why Switch? page for more info about how making the switch to reusables can really save you money.

Are you ready for a Period Makeover? To apply, simply fill out an application, telling us about your monthly needs. Selected applicants will receive a $15 Lunapads.com gift certificate!

Name: Millie
Home: Ontario, Canada
Age: 25
Lifestyle: I’m always on the go and I love the outdoors. I am obsessed with canoeing and go every chance I get! I love to travel and have been all over the world.

Flow
My period is usually 4 days of heavy flow and 1-3 days light flow.

Before
I used disposable pads for my period. Blech! It was always a messy horror-show. I had to make sure I was sitting “just-so” and when sleeping, I couldn’t move for fear of leakage. I wore 2 pads end-to-end at night and always needed it. I tried tampons, but, they made me feel worse.

What products do you use now?
Disposable pantyliners throughout the entire month, and as back up with The DivaCup. I also use The DivaWash, the Peri Bottle & the Cycle Chart.

Why did you switch?
My sister told me about the DivaCup. She knew I hated my period. Having to plan activities around my period, sudden “surges”, always worrying about leakage, buying yet another $5 pack of pads (having an emergency pad on hand at-all-times!), it was awful! Now it’s great! I have a clean feeling, freedom of movement; I save money & the environment!

Also, I go on canoe trips into the backcountry & having my period while using pads was a nightmare! “Pack in, pack out” is the motto in the backcountry, need I say more? Last summer, I worked as a canoe guide and became the biggest advocate for the DivaCup! I think I convinced a lot of women to check-out the DivaCup on those trips!

In my travel bag, instead of counting out how many bulky pads I’ll need (sometimes it was up to 20!) all I have to pack now is my DivaCup, my Peri Bottle, & a travel size bottle of DivaWash.. hey, you should market that! Now, my main goal during my period (or someone else’s) is to spread the word about the DivaCup!

The Lunapads.com Rx
Millie’s clearly on the right track with The DivaCup, but what about those disposable pantyliners? Why waste valuable space in your pack on throwaways? With Lunapanties, you’ve always got a built-in no-fuss alternative to disposables.

Our all-in-one padded period panties make fantastic everyday underwear (for daily discharge, unpredictable cycles, or just plain comfort), and really shine as back-up/overflow protection with The DivaCup.  Soft, breathable, great for those who are active – and if you have any concerns about your pad feeling bulky, bunching or shifting, you can lay those fears to rest.

How they work: An absorbent fleece panel is built right into the gusset of these underwear, and a 5% lycra content means they’ll fit snugly and really stay put. For heavier-duty jobs, Lunapanties also feature soft cotton bands to hold liners, allowing you to customize absorbency by layering up (or down). This also means you can remove/replace liners as needed, keeping  you comfortably dry throughout the day.

Are you ready for a Period Makeover? To apply, simply fill out an application, telling us about your monthly needs. Selected applicants will receive a $15 Lunapads.com gift certificate!

I love to travel, and did my share of world roaming in my early 20s. The interceding decades (gasp!!) have been more to do with building Lunapads and raising a family, so my wanderlust hasn’t had as much expression. Lately, though, some great opportunities have come my way, and I am excited to talk about what great travel companions the DivaCup and pStyle are.

Here’s a funny story: back in the days before I started making Lunapads (I was a dedicated tampon user until I was 25), during a bout of the aforementioned wanderlust, I found myself in a village in Northern India with a freshly-started period and no supplies. Did I grab a sock, or improvise with a handkerchief? I am faintly embarrassed to admit that in those days I had yet to broaden my imagination to be able to conceive of an alternative to my monthly “necessities”, and wandered in a panic throughout the local market in a hilariously unsuccessful attempt to communicate my need to the local shopkeepers.

I’m not sure whether tampons have made it to Pushkar by now, but back then, not so much, and I was frankly stumped. Was there some secret women’s store somewhere? Just where were the women of Rajasthan hiding their pads and tampons? (Dear reader, are you laughing at me yet?) To be kind, let’s just say that my lack of imagination was matched only by my Western, disposable, privileged mind that simply couldn’t figure it out. Fortunately I ran into a well-stocked Australian sister traveler who took pity on me, and all was well.

So, back to my new travel buddies. Unlike certain fruit-picking, concert-going PStyle fans, I had yet to try mine until some very recent plane rides and, shall we say, tricky bathroom situations in faraway places that would have been downright unpleasant were it not for being able to do it standing up. While I found it a bit odd at first, once I got the hang of it it actually made me laugh. Any traveling gals out there, do yourself a favor and get yours today!

As for the Diva Cup, how I wish that 1) it had been invented and 2) that I might have had the willingness to give it a shot at the time. Better late than never. A recent holiday found my husband and I in relaxation mode of a swimming, tennis and the odd martini variety – with my period. As fabulous, comfortable and versatile as my Lunapads and Lunapanties are, let’s face it: bikini-wearing demands a different solution. The Diva Cup totally came through for me, and I had a great time. Happy trails, everyone!

I brought my brand-new Diva Cup and three of my favourite Lunapads as backup. Comparing this to my packing habits prior to my switch to reusable pads, I found that I saved a lot of precious space – and weight – in my backpack.

On top of that, I didn’t have to worry about running out of supplies. And it’s definitely a plus not to have to worry about how to ask for (and bargain for) sanitary pads at the bazaar! This kind of self-reliance goes a long way in boosting my self-confidence when traveling alone in what is still a very male-dominated country.

Then, there’s the comfort factor. When you’re traveling eight hours a day, whether on a hot, cramped bus, on a horse that’s ready to run wild, or on foot across dusty mountain paths, the last thing you want is to have sticky, unbreathable plastic chafing your thighs. In a place where Western-style comforts are lacking, it’s good to know that at least your period wouldn’t create additional discomfort. I could focus on soaking in the travel experience, instead of obsessing about the discomfort in my underwear!

Last, but not least, using reusable menstrual products just makes so much environmental sense when traveling. Kyrgyzstan is a country with very little infrastructure. In the main cities, garbage pick-up is unreliable, and you can’t count on waste receptacles in public venues. Outside the city, garbage is simply burnt in one’s backyard (burnt plastic is not nice.) I also spent some time in the mountains with nomad families, whose lifestyles just didn’t produce much waste at all, and there was no system for handling garbage. It then struck me how irresponsible I would have been, if I had burdened their country with my used plastic pads. It’d basically be like dumping my garbage on someone else’s yard! And it’s not just any garbage–it’s non-biodegradable, it’s toxic, and it’s a biohazard (from the blood.)

[Tangent: Back in Canada, I'm starting to wonder why it is that, while we're so careful about handling blood in medical environments, we also think it's ok to leave menstrual-blood-soaked products in non-secure receptacles in public places. And the worst stench I've encountered was not from an outhouse in rural Kyrgyzstan, but in a woman's changing room at a Canadian swimming pool, where the sanitary pads bin has evidently not been cleared for a while...]

Anyway, I’d like to thank you again for your hard work in creating and promoting alternative products that do so much good for the environment and for women’s well-being. I’ve always touted your products in the online forums I frequent, and you can count on me to keep spreading the word.

Best wishes,
Florence