Product Review: Lunapads

***Disclaimer: I have in no way been financially or otherwise compensated by the makers of Lunapads. I am writing this review simply to express my experience with this product, in the hopes of it being able to be a resource on first-hand experience for another woman who may be interested in trying this product as other ladies' blogs were for me.***

This month was the first time I tried Lunapads.  They are cloth, washable, reusable menstrual pads (boys, this is your cue to keep scrolling down the page). I have been interested in finding an alternative menstrual product for quite some time now. The fact of the matter is, for the past three years or so, my periods have gotten heavier and more painful. I've had more "accidents" this year alone than I did when I first started menstruating at 12 and trying to figure the whole thing out. Regular disposable pads weren't cutting it. I was at the point where I was wearing more than one at a time and was still dealing with leaks. I was pretty close to either just cutting my uterus out myself, or purchasing post-partum pads from a medical supplier. Tampons were useless--soaked within an hour and I had more leaks with them than with pads. Plus, I would get really bad cramps when I used them. A college roommate of mine used a DivaCup. I thought it was a pretty genius idea, but I figured since tampons irritated me, that a DivaCup would too. Same with sponges and other intra-vaginal products.

As far as I'm aware, no one I currently know uses cloth pads.  I had heard of Lunapads and other brands of reusable pads before, but I figured it would be a pain in the ass (or vagina). How would you wash them? Do you wash with them with your regular laundry? How do you change them in a more public restroom? I scoured the internet and various blogs looking for reviews from other women regarding their experience with Lunapads. Most of them seemed to be from women who didn't work in an office or have a very active lifestyle so I was a little apprehensive to try. However, Lunapads has some pretty good videos regarding the laundry issue and a great FAQ section. It didn't seem as complicated as I thought it was so last month I took the plunge and purchased a starter kit (I got the owl print ones). I also purchased an overnight pad since that I have most of my "accidents" while I'm sleeping. I also purchased a laundry bag to wash/store them in.

Each Lunapad came with two different types of liner inserts that you can use for the days when your flow is heavier. One has wings and the other doesn't. I think this is the coolest part about this product because you don't really need to buy different products for different amounts of flow you'll have. You can use one pad all day by just removing a liner. I should also mention that this kit included a cute little 2-pocketed, lined bag to keep your pads in. I use it when I'm in the restroom: one pocket for the new pad and one for the used pad/liner.

An example of a pad with liner.


I have to say that so far I LOVE these things! This is the first period in 3 years that I haven't woken up in the morning to discover that my bed looks like a crime scene. And I know this may sound odd, but my cramps have definitely decreased this month. I don't have my usual irritated and itchy sensation during my period that I've normally had. I definitely think that the material in disposable pads was the culprit. Also, I was a bit worried about "odor." It's bad enough that the bathroom in my office building isn't the cleanest; I didn't want people to think that the stench was from me. These pads don't have any deodorant in them, but you don't smell when wearing them.

Pros:
1.) Less money--you don't have to buy different types of the same product for the different days of your period. While yes, these may seem a bit expensive up front, you will be saving a lot of money over time by not having to purchase products every month. If properly taken care of, Lunapads can last for years.
2.) Less environmental impact--did you know that the average woman throws away 250 - 300 lbs of pads, tampons, and applicators over the course of their lifetime? Now multiply that by about 150 million (US pop. is 300 million, women make approx. 51%) and that's a lot of garbage. Keep in mind, while some tampons are made of cotton, applicators are typically plastic. Not to mention all the chemicals that are used in the bleaching of these products, the deodorants in these products, and the amount of energy to takes to manufacture and package these. Pads themselves aren't sterile so they don't need to be individually wrapped. It's just more waste. While disposable pads and tampons are convenient, I think relying on them solely is a problem. I am keeping my tampons for the days when I exercise, swim and such, but otherwise I will definitely be sticking with these pads.
3.) Cute--I mean, have you seen all the cute patterns these things come in? Who says that "shark week" has to be a miserable and drab experience!?
4.) Absorbency--I find that Lunapads are way better at absorbing menstruation than the disposable I've used (and I've used just about every single brand out there). I haven't had a single drop go anywhere other than on the pad. This product does exactly what I've always wanted a pad to do.

Cons:
1.) Dealing with blood--This isn't really a "con" for me but I can see how other women may not like it. My dad was a butcher and his apron was always covered in some type of blood or viscera when I would see him at work so this aspect doesn't really bother me at all.  I don't really find this any different than dealing with tampons or disposable pads. In fact, I actually find that this is less messy.
2.) Washing them--When I get home, I just soak these in cold water to prevent a stain from setting in then wring them lightly out and wash them in the washing machine. But I understand that for some people they may have roommates who wouldn't exactly appreciate walking into the bathroom to see a bunch of dirty pads floating in the sink or bathtub. I will admit, this is kind of annoying because I don't want to have them laying around and possibly stink until laundry day, but I don't really soil enough clothes to warrant doing laundry more than once a week. Thankfully for me, my dad is the one who does the household laundry and he's offered to toss my stuff in with the towels and stuff when he does laundry (which is all the time).

So overall, I think Lunapads are pretty great. They are exactly as I expected and they work better than I imagined they would. For me, these are amazing and I highly recommend these and similar products. Maybe you're not a pad person. Maybe you would prefer a menstrual cup or tampon. That's totally cool. You need to find the product that works best for you and Lunapads work for me. :)