By Emma Raho
It’s a pretty exciting time for feminine hygiene - There’s a sentence I never anticipated writing - We’re slowly but surely moving away from the environmentally unfriendly and expensive tampon or pad option and experimenting with other ways to stay clean and comfortable during our periods. Having had wildly unsuccessful attempts at using a moon cup I decided to seek out some other reusable methods of managing Aunt Flo.
There’s a lot of skepticism surrounding period proof underwear. It almost seems to easy? Too good to be true? However, often the simplest solution is the best. ModiBodi have a range of underwear, activewear and swimwear in different kinds of absorbencies to fit all types of body shapes. Each item has very sciencey sounding descriptions of interlocking fabric and wicking but all I really want to know is do they actually work or is this going to be the second form art trip “unpleasantness” all over again?
ModiBodi were good enough to send me a pair of knickers and a pair of leggings to try. Getting straight to the TMI which will be the theme from here on, I no longer have the 9 day cripplingly painful periods I used to have thanks to modern medicine so I opted for the light to medium absorbency for my newly medium flow.
Emma: Not going to lie, putting on a pair of knickers with no other protection is weird as hell. After decades of tampon use I’m hugely unsettled by this whole undies and go situation, especially on day two which we all know is generally a scene from Reservoir Dogs at the best of times. I expected to feel squishy and gross and was super paranoid about leaking however that didn’t happen much to my relief. I attended two meetings (during one I sat on a light coloured chair, the horror!) and I honestly forgot I even had my period aside from the odd stab in the uterus every now and then. The material absorbed all the liquid so I wasn’t sitting in a puddle, they were comfortable and didn’t leak. Same went for the active wear but even weirder putting on leggings without knickers. I planned to work out in them to really put them through their paces but then I remembered I’m horribly unfit and never go to the gym so I wore them to run some errands instead. I was concerned about them not fitting “snugly” where it counts but these leggings really came to the party and kept everything under control. They were also really comfortable. I thought cleaning would be a gross mission but a quick rinse and chucked in a normal wash was all it took to have them looking brand new again.
If you’re a heavy bleeder who isn’t quite ready to ditch the tampons, these products are still an essential bit of kit. I wish I’d had them a few years ago when I spent 9 days obsessed with the fact I may have leaked onto my clothes, chair, or someone’s fancy cream velvet couch. These undies can take that worry away by being your last line of defence against the stain we all dread. I doubly wish I’d had them when I was heavily pregnant with both my children as they also absorb urine from having your bladder roundhouse kicked by someone who only grew feet half an hour ago. ModiBodi do retail a range of maternity products that are well worth checking out.
Lily: Even on my heaviest days these Undies really lived up to their name, I was worried about leaking on the side or sitting in an uncomfortable puddle of blood, but I didn't even feel a thing! They absorbed everything really well and there was absolutely zero leakage out of them. Even working an 8 hour shift at Maccas these Undies really stood the test of time and didn't embarrass me in front of my coworkers. I would seriously recommend these for anyone who is over tampons and pads and wants a great reusable alternative that you can just rise and chuck in the washing machine.
If you haven’t given period proof underwear a go yet I highly suggest you do. They can function in so many different ways you’ll wonder how you managed without them.
Disclaimer: While these products were gifted to the Sans Pareil Online team to review, our opinions are our own and we have not been paid or coaxed to say something either way. If you would like to have your product reviewed please contact us here.
