The quest for a luxurious plastic-free sustainable period with Modibodi
This post is in paid partnership with Modibodi.
All thoughts and opinions are my own, unaltered and unedited as always. Affiliate links feature throughout.
The pursuit of a plastic-free, sustainable and luxurious period is one I take very seriously.
Figures from the Marine Conservation Society show that on average, 4.8 pieces of menstrual waste are found per 100 metres of beach cleaned. For every 100m of beach, that amounts to 4 pads, panty-liners and backing strips, along with at least one tampon and applicator. This National Geographic article provides in depth insight into the impact our cycles have on the planet. Like many other women I don’t want to contribute to 40 years of landfill waste to manage my cycle which shouldn’t be a problem in the first place. We should all be much better catered for by now.
Since realising the impact my natural cycle has on the planet I’ve been determined to reduce it where I can. Sadly I’ve found this a difficult switch to make. Things are beginning to change but traditionally there isn’t much period talk around let alone plastic-free period talk. When nobody is talking about something we have no idea who to turn to. We cannot be what we cannot see. In the beginning, armed with no more than good intentions, I wasn’t sure what products to try or what would work. As a result of blind experimentation I’ve made a fair few mistakes. Zero-waste can often mean sacrificing quality and comfort but I don’t want this to be the case, and definitely not when it comes to something as important as my cycle. Since reading Maisie Hill’s Period Power and indulging in Claire Baker’s work I’ve come to regard my cycle as sacred.
I don’t want to make sacrifices, if anything I want to improve my experience. When Modibodi dropped me an email and asked if I fancied giving their leak-free period wear a whirl I promptly sent them my address and waited by the letter box. Modibodi are a sustainable brand supporting women to not only make the ‘unmentionable’ mentionable but also up our much deserved comfort levels. They offer a selection of different products on their website modibodi.co.uk including activewear, swimwear and maternity ranges that come in all shapes, sizes and absorbencies too. They use merino wool in their designs but do offer vegan alternatives.
A lot of options were already sold out which I took as a promising sign, but I managed to get my hands on two styles that caught my eye and were available in my size. I tried out the beige sensual hi-waist bikini and the black vegan bikini. I ordered my regular size and went for light-moderate absorbency in both. I’m always changing my underwear during my period so I didn’t expect to wear them for longer than half a day max. I’ll often pair period underwear with washable sanitary towels too so they act as a back up and I don’t have to change them as often. Feeling fresh and clean throughout my period is my top priority.
My first impression when my Modibodis arrived was they were just like ordinary underwear – big tick. When it came to using them I realised their sizes run small, which I’ve found is true of most period underwear – so if you do give them a try keep this in mind. It’s also worth remembering that our bodies change shape and size throughout our cycles and are at their largest around menstruation. Our regular size at day 14 can be completely different to our regular size at day 1. Understandably period underwear has to be snug to avoid leaks and this is probably the biggest downside for me. I’m not one for baggy knickers but I don’t like anything that feels overly snug either. Crawling into my period cave is the time I take life easiest. I take extra special care of myself and it’s when I need to feel at my comfiest. The soft material was unrivalled by anything else I’ve tried but I do wish I’d ordered a bigger size to compare so I could see if this had any effect on how well they worked.
Before I go on it’s worth saying I’m picky with underwear. I have just one style I like and I own nine identical pairs. These are hands down the most comfortable and normal feeling period underwear I’ve tried so far. The last thing I want from period underwear is to feel like I’m wearing a nappy and I loved how both of these made me feel like myself. The merino wool is extremely soft, sweat wicking and natural feeling. No plastic sanitary towel could compete. This meant the sensual hi-waist pair were my favourite. I love the lace detail on these too. The vegan bikinis still felt really comfortable and performed extremely well. No leaks. Although I preferred the higher waist for comfort, black did feel like the more practical colour choice. The highlight of period underwear is how washable it is meaning less shopping for disposable products and zero plastic waste.
Big thank you to Modibodi for sponsoring this post and helping us all increase our comfort levels while reducing the impact our cycles have on the planet.
Have you tried zero-waste period underwear? If you’ve got any questions just leave them in the comments below or drop me an email if you’d prefer. Feel free to use the 15% discount code NOPANICPERIOD15 if you fancy giving Modibodi a go. Modibodi are delivering straight to our doors to help with isolation requirements right now so we have one less thing to run to the shops for.
