Periods are the worst, there is no doubt about that. You’re bloated, breaking out and dealing with cramps. The only silver lining is that you know you’re not pregnant. Yay you. You did it. However, there are some products that I have found are great for when you’re on your period. Some of them are functional, while others are more decorative, but both help to make that time of the month better both financially and emotionally.
I strongly recommend investing in a Diva Cup. They last about ten years and cost about 40 dollars. Contrast that with a pack of 50 pads that cost about 11 dollars. If you spend 40 dollars on pads, you will get about 200 of them. Pads are recommended to be changed every four hours. With an average period lasting about five days, that’s approximately 30 pads per period being used. That means you will get about seven months of use out of the pads you buy. Personally, I think changing a pad every four hours is not realistic, so if we were to round up the amount of time it gets changed, we can estimate that 200 pads should last you about a year or so. In comparison to the ten years that you can use a Dive Cup for, after the first year of having one, you are already earning money back. Not to mention that they are far better for the environment. Knowing that I don’t have to spend a crazy amount of money on period products is something that makes my period more tolerable.
There are some problems that I have found with the Diva Cup however so it is not for every woman. It can be hard to use at first and may leak if you don’t know how to use it properly. I ended up buying panty liners when I was using it since I couldn’t get it to work properly. There is also the fact that some women suffer from endometriosis, which can make inserting it difficult. If these are some concerns you have, I suggest looking into period underwear. They are meant to absorb the blood directly into the underwear which you then wash after using. In the long run, period underwear also saves money and is more economically friendly. Since I was having trouble with leaking, I decided to purchase one to wear with my Diva Cup to alleviate the need to buy panty liners. They are super useful and handy to have, so if it fits within your budget, I recommend looking into it.
Another product I absolutely love is the Bert’s Bees Blemish Stick. Everyone’s’ skin type is different so it may not be for you but when I get extra pimply during that time of the month, I have found that it works wonders for me. I have cystic acne and my skin is very sensitive. This is one of the few products I have found that helped as opposed to creating more problems. If you get a lot of hormonal pimples, I recommend checking it out.
Lastly, heating pads are a must during your period. They help with cramps like nothing else. I don’t know about you, but I usually just wrap mine in a towel so that it’s not scorching hot. There are also these cute, little plush coverings you can put over hot water bottles that help reduce the heat’s intensity. They are not a necessity, but it does make me feel better to have a cute looking stuffed animal for a heating pad. If you are looking to treat yourself, I would recommend them. They are adorable!
Overall, periods come with a lot of problems. More problems than the ones I have brought up, but that’s not to say that solutions are out of reach. There is always something that you can do to make that time of the month better for you emotionally and financially.