Scented sanitary towels

[HavingALittleBabyToolshed]

Nearly every week I see a thread started on MN about scented sanitary towels and almost every single day I see them referred to on some thread or other.
At work we see a lot of women, who whilst they come in with something far more serious, are also impacted by thrush, itching and various other irritations because of highly scented plastics worn against the skin.

When I have my period I try to use my mooncup or reusable towels but sometimes (if I come on unexpectedly at work or out and about) I’ll buy pads which 9/10 cause me irritation because of scent.
The whole sanitary protection aisle stinks of this weird part floral/part talc stench which means you cannot discern which brand does or doesn’t smell.
Some are even marked “perfume free” but perfume free does not mean scent free.

This has such an impact on young girls who are largely reliant on what their parents buy, on women and girls on low incomes who don’t have the money to shell out on large one time spends for mooncup and anyway let’s face it they aren’t really for young girls just starting their periods and feeling overwhelmed or something every woman feels comfortable with.

Why on earth to brands like Always, Bodyform etc. feel the need to floral our fannies? Why are our periods so disgusting and revolting to them?
Are they in bed with vagisil etc.?

I truly believe this is something we should tackle as feminists because it is bonkers.

Also wanted to add (sorry for repeated messages) that this does not apply to individual-specific allergies to certain compounds. A person can develop an allergy to almost anything and it's always worth trying different products, particularly if one that used to be trouble free is suddenly causing much more severe acute irritation.

I understand Auntiestella Fortunately I didn't experience the peri menopausal flooding that can sometimes happen. My sister did and it was often so bad she ended up wearing Tenna Lady discreet which got her sorted until she went home.

I've found one good use for scented sanitary towels though:

www.theguardian.com/world/2018/aug/29/protesters-damage-sexist-open-air-urinals-in-paris

Can't do upload of pictures but this is a link regarding a feminist protest in Paris regarding the open air urinals in Paris. The pictures are priceless!

Can't do upload of pictures but this is a link regarding a feminist protest in Paris regarding the open air urinals in Paris. The pictures are priceless!

That's a little on the nose, I was expecting something like the older urinals in Amsterdam (with a fully wraparound screen).

PSA on a tenuously related note
I had an attempt at using my mooncup recently, having never really got along with it, and one day of usage gave me a scorching week's worth of bloody cystitis to enjoy on my holiday, along with the pleasure of some fairly nasty antibiotics when it progressed.
Turns out this is a thing mooncups can do for those of us susceptible to UTIs.
And now I know.

On the scented pantiliner note, I use dailies thanks to a shattered pelvic floor and confess the scented ones don't bother me too much.

I feel like I failed at menstruism with this post.

I have very heavy periods and am prone to flooding so need an absorbent pad.
I've resorted to using tena lady as they aren't plasticky and have no smell. I was dealing with constant thrush and skin irritation. Scabs would form, it was that bad.

I used to quite like the Tena Lady Discrete ones but developed a sensitivity to those after a while. Was only using them for periods too, so not all the time. They aren’t pongy though, so that’s good (and also aren’t individually wrapped, which is better for the environment, I guess?)

Barracker - you aren’t alone - I failed with cups too (which was a massive shame as I really wanted it to be the solution to my ongoing period product hell AND I found the ML measurements on the brand I used grimly fascinating - so much for that ‘only a couple of tablespoons per period’ myth!)

Grim fascination was no match for internal contact dermatitis though - holy fuck that hurt!

Honestly, I think the only thing I haven’t tried is the old fashioned sea sponge - I’ve considered it (or at least, I’ve considered the sea sponge tampons marketed specifically for period use) but can’t quite push the whole ‘living organism’ thing far enough to the back of my mind 😲

Gronky i'm only skim reading as doing other stuff aswell, but I get the impression you are and just saying "well shit happens" and it'll happen whatever you do?

The women reporting irritation soreness and thrush ect have said after changing products not containing these chemicals, no longer experience these symptoms, plus the many women who have inadvertently use one again, then having the symptoms return.

Please don't minimise what women are experiencing and why.

I use Natracare pads. They don’t contain plastic and can even be composted (although I haven’t tried yet as I lived in a flat until recently).

composting instructions

It is like fabreeze for your foof they bloody stink I use pink bodyform which for now seem to be unscented i you buy them in cheapershops but I hate that womens periods are considered foul smelling that we are unclean !

Can’t do Always since my mc. The horrible chemical smell just reminds me of awful times.
I was tempted by a menstrual cup until I watched a documentary on plastics and the scientist said they even think medical grade silicone might leach chemicals. I decided I would rather use organic cotton tampons.

JustLikeBefore might I recommend looking at the literature fully when you have the time? What I'm saying is that, even when pads aren't used at all, there doesn't seem to be a reduced rate of thrush or bacterial infections. Regarding specific brands, it's interesting to note that Women's Voices didn't test any competing brands (ideally, the ones that profess to be free of 'chemicals'). I'm not disputing that certain women have allergic reactions to certain products, I'm just saying that it's unlikely trace amounts of VOCs are a contributing factor to the reaction (if they were, then these same women wouldn't be able to fill a car with petrol or stand in front of an oven without having a severe allergic reaction). Potentially, an individual could have a reaction to a brand 'not containing these chemicals' and then find a mainstream brand perfectly fine.

While an inflammatory response does play a key role in immune function, an allergic response against a non-pathogenic, non-harmful compound weakens the ability of the immune system to respond to other actual threats. As an example, this is one of the contributing factors to diabetics being at greater risk of fungal infections.

Please don't minimise what women are experiencing and why.

Looking for a more scientifically founded explanation than scary chemicals doesn't minimise their experience but using it without proper exploration to sell a product (I'm not accusing you of being a direct salesperson) is certainly every bit as exploitative as repainting a razor pink and selling it at double the price.

There is going to be a point in the future when women will be getting back on the 'rags' which isn't a pleasant thought at all.

I think companies who sell sanitary ware products need a huge rethink. The way they are made, the way they are used, they way they are disposed of and the way they are marketed.

I’ve ran out of the ones I use but it’s usually the cheap £1 shop own brand ones that are unscented.

I’ve never understood how something that’s perfumed is allowed to be sold knowing it’s going to be in contact to anywhere on your body that has sensitive mucus membrane - you wouldn’t spray perfume in your eyes!

Forgot to say that’s in conjunction with a mooncup which although I’m happy to use it, it’s not the answer for everyone. Also use the reusable cloth ones but only at home as I found they tended to slide when I walked which resulted in an interesting bulge in the arse area!

Actually, you know what, I’ll be happy to collate a non perfumed pads list if posters want to just say on this thread or message me. I’ll then add it onto this thread when it (hopefully) reaches a sizeable list then ask MNHQ if we can have it a small a sticky somewhere.

Is that ok? Anything I’ve missed?

That's a great idea!

Post it for information. When I think of young girls going without protection due to poverty I get angry. Alternatives are going to a teacher to get the supplies in school or hoping mum or dad include it in the trip to the food bank.

Cheap and cheerful alternatives past all the advert nonsense is an excellent list.

Can I point you all in the direction of the The Red Box Project redboxproject.org/

Welcome to the Red Box Project, an initiative that quietly ensures that no young woman misses out on her education because of her period. We are 100% community driven and run by women around the UK. We place constantly stocked Red Boxes of sanitary wear in schools for young women to access, aiming to reach those who may not be able to afford these vital items.

I'm not currently involved, just following their work at the moment, but I think it's an initiative worth looking at (particularly given the current charities thread here: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3351119-Charities-we-have-concerns-about-supporting).

I’ve just posted on another thread about this...

Amazon sell a variety of organic, unscented sanpro (can be difficult to find in shops). I buy TOTM and they are excellent (tampons and pads). I’m sure the other brands are good too- we don’t need to keep buying the vile big brand ones in the supermarkets.

I have just looked my Sainsburys panty liners say fragrance free, the bodyform just talk about a fresh feeling. I can't smell anything though.

Thanks for that @silentcrow I’ll have a read of those later.

I think I’ll start a new thread asking for unscented san pro recommendations somewhere more visible like chat seeing as Feminism threads are only visible to us who use them

I buy TOTM too sometimes, although I find the box really, really annoying, and I prefer pads without wings.
I was about to buy thinx knickers until I had an email from them with the most awful gaslighting stuff about women and periods and not all people having periods being women. Particularly bad was the stuff about women’s loos. It made me so angry I started a thread about it last week, and I can’t now bring myself to buy their product. So I’ll continue with Natracare, washables, Bodyform unscented ( they did until recently make a classic thickish towel with no scent which was great but I can’t find them now, think they’ve discontinued them ). TOTM towels and pantyliners for end of period, even with the really annoying boxes...
I vary between all the above, but I always use washable ones to sleep in.

The bodyform nighttime pads are still unscented.

Delurking to say that I quite like the Kotex range that I buy from Ocado - I get a mix of maxi pads and the slim 'normal flow' ones, and neither is scented at all. They seem quite simple and fuss-free.

I keep meaning to properly look into a mooncup or Thinx underwear, but never quite seem to get round to it. Just lazy to make the change I guess.

I've spent a fair few periods trying to fight the urge to scratch myself raw with how uncomfortable the bulk of the market are making me these days (do not want to go down the mooncup route at all - issues surrounding birth trauma mean I don't want to be faffing about in there).

Lidl's about the least uncomfortable I've found - bar some in the corner shop near my mum's and 3 hours each direction on the motorway is a tad beyond where I'm prepared to drive for sanitary protection.