Period Panties | Zero Waste Bystander

This guest blog was written by my friend, Lucky Jackson. I asked her to write about her zero waste period panties after the disturbing recall of some tampons that were discovered to come apart inside a person’s body. This is the first of a series that explores zero waste period alternatives. A big thank you to Lucky for taking the time to write this article!

I’m here to chat about period panties. No, not “the old and comfy underwear some people use during their periods that they don’t care if they get some blood on” panties (which are still good panties to have though). I’m talking about actual reusable underwear that’s been designed specifically to absorb blood among any other discharge one may experience during their period without leaking onto the rest of your clothes.

How Do Period Panties Work?

They work a lot like a pad without having to deal with the uncomfortableness that happens when it moves as you walk, or the sticky side ends up sticking to itself, or the zero-waste-fact that those products are one and done and mostly end up in a landfill. Yes, yes, some might say “but it’s basically a diaper then?” Sure, if your diapers are made out of comfortable materials like cotton and bamboo fibers instead of plastic, are reusable, and overall look and feel like everyday underwear. Don’t get me wrong, you’ll notice they’re thicker, but overall it’s a pretty discreet look for those uncomfortable days.

Just to add a disclaimer this far in, I specifically use the period panties from the brand, Padkix. So any comments I make regarding the materials, how to use them, etc, will be about Padkix. On top of that, I’ve been using Padkix for at least two (maybe three?) years now; I pledged to their Kickstarter back in 2014, so I’ve had a long experience with them.

Inside of Padkix panties

Outside of Padkix panties

Now with my disclaimer out of the way, let me list some reasons as to why I find this type of underwear to be absolutely worth it.

First and foremost, they’re reusable!

Aside from the packaging that they get sent to you in, you won’t produce any further waste.

They’re long lasting.

I bought a brand new pair about a year and a half ago (the first pair were a bit small) and they still feel the same and look the same so I haven’t had to purchase any new ones and I honestly don’t foresee myself buying new ones for awhile given how well they’ve been.

They come with a red reusable waterproof bag.

Depending on how heavy your flow is, you can carry an extra one with you in that bag and when you go to switch your underwear, you can use the bag to hold your used panties until you’re home and ready to wash them without worrying about it leaking anywhere.

They’re freeing.

I don’t have to worry about tampons or pads causing any sort of discomfort when I’m already feeling uncomfortable.

They’re discreet.

Usually when on my period I’m not dressing up all fancy but I also don’t necessarily want to advertise to the world that I’m on my period. So, not having to worry about making any noises while in a public bathroom or worry that you can see my pad outline in my leggings is another relief. No, I’m not ashamed of my period, I just don’t want to broadcast it, ya know?

They’re comfortable.

I touched a bit on the materials earlier but let’s get into specifics with Padkix. Their underwear is composed of polyester for the outer layer, cotton for the inner layer, and a combination of bamboo microfiber and cotton for the absorber. On top of the material, if you have vaginismus – it’s where the muscles of the vagina are often tight which can result in insertion of tampons, period cups, or sexual intercourse to be painful – this underwear will give you a relief to not have to force yourself to be more uncomfortable!

All that said, it wouldn’t be a fair review if I didn’t list any cons to consider.

There are only two major cons about Padkix specifically that I want to mention

Since the underwear is overall thicker, you’ll want to size up (I do recommend that once you get them, you try them over your regular underwear to see how they fit as Padkix does allow size exchanges).
The pad on the inside does not go far up the front, so if you find that you bleed more toward the front than the back, you might not find this underwear to be suitable for you.

Lastly, things to consider for any period panty brand: period panties will work differently for each person depending on how heavy your flow is and your daily activities. Some people can wear padkix all day because they have light flows where as some others find that they need to change their panties every 6-8 hours because they have heavier flows; so it’s recommended that you test out your period panties on a day you’ll be home for awhile or even just at night to see your limits. Also, since my review above was mainly about padkix, please pay close attention to the materials that the underwears are made of and the reviews. Some period panties advertise themselves as panties to be worn during your period and not necessarily meant to handle everyday flows.