Daisy reviews THINX!

Plastic free period product review – THINX Period pants

A City to Sea volunteer Daisy gives THINX period pants a try and reports back. These are her thoughts on this increasingly popular product for managing your period…plastic free!

‘I try to live in as environmentally-friendly way as possible, even during my period. I first learnt about reusable period products at Sussex Uni where they give out free Mooncups. As different reusable period products have grown in popularity, I thought I’d give another plastic free product a go with; the THINX pants.

Empowering young women

I feel that with all the threats the planet is currently facing, now is the time to move away from single-use plastic period pads and tampons (which includes most supermarkets own-brands, Lil-lets, Tampax, Always, Bodyform) and try something new.

I first starting using THINX pants a few months ago – I trialled their ‘Hiphuggers’ (which hold up to two tampons worth of blood) and their ‘Cheeky’ (one tampons worth). They’re a great ethical company that have a pay-it-forward scheme and are general do-gooders in the movement against period poverty. THINX aim to empower young women through their schemes – giving women access to period products and providing funding for programs and services that support under privileged people with periods, including survivors of domestic violence, refugees, and the homeless.

Trialling the pants…

When you receive your THINX order they come in a sweet little bag that contains all the care information you need. At the beginning I was apprehensive about wearing them out in public and getting caught short, but I needn’t have worried.

I’m so happy to have discovered period pants – no longer will I experience the mad panic whilst staying at my in-laws house that I haven’t got any tampons and a) have to pretend I need something from the shops or b) have to ask my boyfriends mum for a tampon.

During the first few days of my cycle I used the pants alongside a Mooncup and after that the pants worked great on their own. They are the comfiest pants I own now, and, I sleep in them, cycle to work in them and can go about my daily life without worrying if I’ll get nappy rash or if the product will need readjusting like pads.

I’m comfortable with period blood but I know that many people aren’t. What’s great about THINX pants is that you don’t see any of the blood. The blood is absorbed by the pants’ black fabric, which is only 3mm thick, so they’re even less ‘gory’ than the usual tampon or pad.

Something that gives me great comfort about period pants is that the fear of toxic shock syndrome is non-existent. I also work at festivals and my full-time job is alongside adults with learning disabilities – now I no longer watch the clock wondering when I last put my tampon in or worrying when my next break will be so I can change my pad.