To wonder what idiot invented scented sanitary pads and tampons?

[CallaLilli]

Because it seems to be getting harder to buy the non-scented kind these days! But honestly, who thought it was a good idea to put something heavily perfumed so fanjo-adjacent? AIBU to think it was probably a man?

And yes, I know I should probably use a mooncup and reusable pads but I'm not quite there yet!

in the category of weird and not wonderful, why wd NOT bleaching and NOT perfuming sps cost more?

No, I know. In a non weird and wonderful world it shouldn't but in Cameron's Britain, because the 'organic' type market is niche it probably does cost more manufacturing smaller runs. That's what pisses me off about Always in that they can manufacture cheaply in bulk and just drenched the lot with magic tree without a glance backwards. I'll shut up now. Stupidly looking forward to my next period.

Can't believe I didn't twig this could be the cause of the BV I have started suffering from on and off in the last year or so. D'oh. Just ordered a starter kit from honoryourflow. the twinkles and sparkles were a little much for me and have you seen the mood barometer fridge magnet?

I have always found Lillets the best tampons, and they now make towels and pantyliners that are also good, and unscented. Hard to find though (I order online from the supermarket or from Boots).

Another vote for Boots Own Brand pads. Unscented and cheap. The only ones I can use!

Have been seriously considering the washables - HonourYourFlow starter pack is really tempting me (especially with discount code!) - but I really can't get on board with the blood coloured tye-dye! Would really prefer a plain blue colour or something. Or a pretty pattern. Anything that doesn't already look like it's been worn! Any recommendations for a good alternative brand?

Also - for current users of them, how often do you put them in your wash? I've seen that you need to soak them in salty water until you're ready to wash them - do you all have a little pail in your loo?!

Educate me!

Hi mainly use mine as back up for if my cup leaks / on really light flow days. I used them with tanpons to start with. I have a wetbag (waterproof bag - original use for storing cloth nappies) hanging in the kitchen that I chuck them into. If they hardly absorbed anything then the go straight in, if they've had heavy flow then I rinse them in cold water first. A white one of mine does have a stain, but the rest are all good.

I chick mine in the wash at the end of my cycle. We also use reusable wipes / kitchen roll. I bung everything in together on a 60 wash with a cold prewash, sometimes I add a splash of bleach to the prewash if I've forgotten to set the wipes off for ages and they don't smell great

Www.Earthwisegirls.co.uk is a good place, there is a Facebook chat group called 'the bloody waste' that is run by Christine that owns earthquake girls - a wealth of advice on there

Type CSP (cloth sanitary products) into Etsy for independent makers.

If you are handy with a sewing machine then you can make your own, there'd are plenty of patterns / tutorials out there for how to do it. I bought lots of different ones, found the ones I liked best and made my own using old towels, pretty fabric for the top and fleece for the bottom

*I mainly use mine

I ordered black pads from the Honour Your Flow website. I think they should do a decent job of not staining!

Re unscented pads, Sainsbury's do own brand ones (wingless, thank goodness) that are both unscented and cheap. They are about a pound a pack I think and they don't contain any of that gel stuff which I really dislike. The night time ones are great for absorbency though not quite as good as Kotex Night which are massive and thick but do the job better than anything else I've tried so far.

Despite a documented widespread revulsion to the ideology and actual stench, sales probably haven't noticeably dropped because vast amounts of women are buying what they are used to regardless, even if the smell is repugnant because they have been buying that packet since 15

That's certainly not true of women of my age (45) because scented pads haven't been around that long.

I've often had to buy scented pads as there was no alternative.

We're basically being coerced into buying them.

My washables arrived this morning - thank you honouryourflow

What are the potential long term health consequences of chemical scents I wonder, aside from thrush and allergies.

I stopped using talc over the health concerns - specifically a possible link with ovarian cancer.

There's no proven causal link, but some studies indicate a modest increase of risk, others a more considerable one. A US meta-study of 8 separate studies indicated an increased risk of 24% for those who use talc regularly. In 1971 a UK study of 13 ovarian tumours found talc particles deeply embedded in 10.

I should add that other studies shows no link.

But I decided I didn't want to risk it.

This thread is amazing and thank you OP for starting it. I started using daily panty liners (Always) and found that I had this disgusting air freshener smell. Particularly noticable during pilates classes (get embarassed just thinking about what my poor teacher must be thinking).

So I went to Boots and tried to find some unscented panty liners and the only ones I could find were Tena lady. Why aren't we allowed unscented pads???? Makes me so cross. As far as I could tell the Tena were actually cheaper than the stinky panty liners but still, I don't want to buy incontinence pads when I don't need them!

off to look at honouryour flow :)

Tena don't work for period flow, they're designed for urine. The period flow doesn't soak in.

I really hope they don't start using these chemicals for incontinence pads. I'm a care of the elderly nurse and spend a lot of time changing people's pads. I'll feel sick and dizzy if I have to keep smelling these horrible 'scents'

You can see it coming can't you?

Tena work great for heavy periods. I have tried (because DH accidentally bought me some when we were on holiday in France and I sent him to the supermarket for sanitary towels and his French is minimal so he just grabbed something that looked similar to what he was expecting).

Campaign please mumsnet!

m.facebook.com/always

For anyone in FB, this is Always' page... Am going to send them a message...

Spread the word!

The bodyform liners in the luminous green packaging are unscented - unless they have sneaked some in since i last bought a pack...

GlitteryPenguin I have some of the purple ones and they aren't that bad re the tie dye looking like blood and they do have plain black ones too. My faves are the blue coloured ones.

I have a mini lidded bucket mine go into to soak then I wash them with my normal dark washing on a hot wash. all my pads are darker colours so no worries about staining.

Rinsing them after use is ok you just have to be careful they don't dry out because thats when blood is a pain to remove. A bio washing powder soak in warm water can help if that happens and then wash them as normal.

I've had the honor your flow ones (My daytime pads) and cheeky wipes ones (I use these at night time) for over a year now and In that time I've used just one box of tampons on the side for days when carrying used pads would just be a pain for me (having my bag searched ) which isn't often thankfully!

Oh and I have some great looking sugar skull print ones from an indy maker but I found the cotton top wasn't as absorbent as I hoped so I need to get my sewing machine out and fix that.

Flannel or velour tops are better imo but everyone is different.

I'm on holiday and couldn't read the pack. Put the towel on and moments later my fanjo felt very weird. Turns out they were menthol cool breeze towels! Why, just why?! Not exactly a place we need to be minty fresh

@ minty fresh minge!

Thanks for the tips!! I'm off to make a purchase or two I think... No minty fresh privates for me!!

Having suffered recurrent thrush in the past, nothing scented gets anywhere near my bits! I used Always from when they first came out in the early 90s and thought they were wonderful. And then I picked up a scented pack by mistake :( I have since found that Home Bargains sell unscented thin pads with wings (and possibly without, but I get the ones with). They are not quite as good as Always were, but they certainly do the job well enough. They are called Silk (i think) and are in a white pack with various colours on (kind of corresponding to Always colours). At 59p or 2 for £1, and best of all no scent, I think they are great!