Stop messing with sanitary pads

[Elsa2000]

I’m so annoyed that people at these companies keep finding ways to “improve” pads.

I used to use Always but then they introduced that hideous scent that literally gave me an itchy feeling all day. I felt like it was burning. Not to mention I could smell the stench of artificial perfume all day. Almost headache inducing.

Recently bodyform have started messing.

I use the night pads as I’m so heavy. Now they are no way near as absorbent, plus the adhesive is not as sticky to the wings don’t stick properly. Bloody awful.

AIBU to think they should stop messing and actually get women to feedback on these “improvements” and “new designs”

I'm glad it's not just me - I bought the usual panty liners (super light these days with Mirena fitted), or what I thought were the usual ones - and they're scented. I don't want the smell or the thrush !

What period pants and/or reusables are people using? I'd be happy to move over to period pants for most days if I'm WFH (less so if I'm out and about because outfits sometimes dictate knicker choice!)

Honestly all disposable pads just feel sweaty, itchy and smelly to me. After I was fed up of having an itchy foof for a week after my period ended, I switched to a combo of mooncup with period pants back-up and honestly haven't looked back. SO much comfier!

OMG I’m so glad you said this, I thought it was just me! I’ve used Always panty liners for years and have recently had to stop using them as they’ve started perfuming them to high heaven and it gave me the raging thrush. Wonder how many men were round the table when they came up with that idea?! I now use Bodyform liners which I don’t think are scented, certainly cures the problem anyway x

Agree OP. The only thing they should be changing is making them all biodegradable and from sustainable materials. All that artificial stuff and the plastic is horrible and just contributes to landfill and climate change.

I've just been and looked at the pack in the bathroom and it does say 'lightly scented' in tiny writing on the back, but I can't smell anything and they don't irritate.

But maybe some people are more sensitive to these sorts of things?

Anyway, they cost 49 p a pack, so it's not the end of the world to buy them to try.

The Superdrug liners are unscented, cheap and the best I've found in terms of quality. Perhaps their pads would be the same?

I know what you mean, so Irritating when they keep changing things and messing with things that were fine as they were. They've Changed the always dailies now.

I tried using a reusable but it just becomes stained and bleached which was very unattractive so needed to throw them away. I'm back to always dailies now but they've change them recently and I don't like them very much anymore.

I find a lot of the supermarket own brand pads aren't fragranced. I had to find alternatives due to most of the branded pads being fragranced. I also have a very heavy flow and so far i've been happy with Aldi, Asda and Sainsburys night pads. I'm sick of these companies putting fragrance in everything too. It's not good for your vulva and considering what they're selling they should bloody well know that.

I switched to a menstrural cup, probably one of the best decisions for me tbh

As another poster suggested, Cheeky Wipes reusable pads are great. I switched to those, and a Luna Cup, in the last years of peri-menopause (cos THAT was a few years of seriously heavy, chaotic bleeding that standard products could not cope with) and I wished, wished wished I'd made the switch sooner.

Cheaper (in the long run), more environmentally sound and more hygienic. (Once you've stopped putting unbreathable plastic in your pants, you'll realise why)

I bought a mucky box (a container to soak them in) at the same time. Only ever needed one assorted absorbancy pack and they work really well however bad it got. The pant liners were as effective as a regular pad and no embarrassing leaks, slip ups etc. You just need to remember to only wash in cold water and no fab conditioner.

A side word on cups: they're not all built the same. I found Put A Cup In It website useful for research. And dear God, research how to take one out...there's a knack.

Tesco own brand liners are unscented, I’m not sure about their pads. They seem to have discontinued the long plus liners tho, which were the ones I used.

Regarding the re usable pads, if you soak them in cold water with some vanish it does help with the stains. Ive been using mine for 7 years (have about 15). yes they are marked and not as pristine but they still work perfectly well. Also the velour patterned ones dont stain at all (but are a bit warmer).

Honestly, I don't know why people bother with disposable pads when reusuable are SOOOO much more comfortable, and never move.
I used Imse Vimse which are organic cotton, but DD1 prefers Mesara by Mother-ease - she rides a lot and says they never leak.

Lots of women/ girls must be, otherwise they would not be producing them still. I stopped buying Always pads for that very reason. They really did not need to add a scent to them.

Just checked and indeed Aldi has scented in the package 😡
Asda seem to be ok

Do any women actually like scented pads? Why on earth do the manufacturers think that’s what we all want? Is it just misogyny trying to convince us that periods are shameful and smelly?

I really don't understand scented pads.
Switched to pads a few years ago when I stopped finding tampons comfortable, and even the supposed natural ones like Natracare made me feel burny after a few days.
I've found a brand called Time of the Month which don't cause me problems, although they're not cheap. Worth it not to have a fiery foof and a round if interstitial cystitis set off though.

I think it’s pretty astonishing that the male corporate world has decided women must have scent in their pads despite the fact that most women I know don’t want - and it makes us itch.

Women really need to get together to do something about it not just switch to more expensive natural ones like Natura Care.

I'm totally converted to reusables, pads, cups and pants and haven't used disposables for about 10 years. Good for me and resource use.
I'm another who doesn't get thrush anymore and they're so much more comfortable.

They aren’t the cheapest but the Hey Girls brand isn’t scented.

Natracare are great.

Reusables are great - I got some from an Amazon seller, but I've heard good reports about Cheeky Wipes ones. I went back to disposables on holiday and although I'd never had issues with them before, now I just found them a bit... ick.

You are so right. My work started buying a brand called Hey girls for the ladies loos and they are brilliant. Made from bamboo and corn starch, they are really soft, absorbant and unscented! So comfy; I can't use period pants for the first two days as I'm so heavy.

They are a not for profit so every box you buy they give one to women/ girls.

No gender woo nonsense either.

Agree. Stock up at Aldi.

YANBU. My dd 9 has had 'the talk' at school yesterday and they were discussing sanitary protection. I use reusable ones or period knickers and will never use a disposable pad again. Even when I was caught short in another city I went to primark and bought some period knickers. I was telling dd the disposable ones are horrid.