How to Maintain Hygiene During Your High Tide

When women (and young ladies) are experiencing their period, whether for the first time ever, or for the umpteenth time in decades of routine cycles, having a few key practices in mind during that “time of the month” will assist you in staying clean and clear of any hygiene issues that could potentially arise mid-menses. Here are a few ideas to keep in mind when maintaining your sanity and sanitation during your period.

1) Pick Your Products. Choosing which sanitary product(s) you are going to use can vary – both in comfort and in absorbency. Whether you prefer the use of pads, tampons, menstrual cups or even period panties designed to absorb blood, the ultimate motivation behind such purchases and use is going to be finding what best supports your style and seepage, while also ensuring that you are changing each accordingly. Ideally, your best bet is to err on the side of caution and comfort and to stick to one or two products that work well together. For instance, a tampon that also is coupled with period panties will not only absorb initial hemorrhaging, but also catch any excess in the period panties before ruining your outer layer of clothing. If you prefer not to penetrate with tampons or menstrual cups, the use of sanitary napkins (pads) can also be used and placed conveniently over top a pair of period panties, designed to catch any additional blood not originally absorbed within the pad’s boundaries (either due to movement, size of the pad or flow of your cycle).

2) Swap Sooner rather than later. When using any products, a good rule-of-thumb – and most conservative approach - is to change out used products for new products any time more than 50% of the product has been used or every two hours. This prevents drying, chafing and issues of long-term exposure to the skin from causing rashes, or even worse, infections. Naturally, this can be case-by-case and vary greatly on the rate at which you are releasing blood, as well as, your level of comfort when using such products. Either way, gauge where your flow is throughout the day and check every couple of hours to be on the safe side. Whether you are filing your products or not, it benefits you to change up the very cloth that is either alongside or inside your body’s most delicate parts.

3) Nightime Protection. Many women will shower prior to settling in for the night and prepare a product for them to sleep in (typically pads with period panties) so as to balance a need for protection and absorption, without extending past the rarely recommended eight hours max for any product – particularly tampons, which can prompt Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS) and can be read about here. (Insert TSS article from previous blog). A consideration is to avoid the tampon and instead consider either a pad, or even period panties when having a lighter cycle, as laying horizontally often slows the flow. Even then, when awaking, you may choose to have a pad already available for the inevitable reaction to gravity once you stand up and make your way to the bathroom. Ideally, again, finding what is comfortable for you, without pushing the limits on exposure to products is the goal.

4) Wash well. When showering or bathing (yes, contrary to popular belief, bathing isn’t as taboo as it was once expected to be during your cycle), you certainly want to avoid certain fragrances and harsh chemicals that could disturb or even react with the sensitive areas associated with your period. Instead, committing to a washcloth specifically for each shower session and for the local area solely is ideal. Using a gentle or mild soap specifically made to support the cleansing of such areas is best, while also ensuring that you’re washing the very materials used to cleanse almost directly after – and perhaps even separately – either in the machine or by hand.

5) We Swipe right and We Wipe front-to-back. It is not uncommon at all for those with a heavier cycle or higher flow to find that their menses blood covers more than just the opening of their vagina. Oftentimes, as we moved throughout the night’s sleep or the day’s activities, we find that blood has made trails to many nooks and crannies. When wipng these crevices clean, consider using a gentle approach of course, while also ensuring that your are wiping from front-to-back, so as to avoid contaminating any vaginal areas and openings with possible waste from behind. This can cause issues that result in painful transmissions of dirt and bacteria.

6) Hands-free (of) devices. Put the phone off to the side. Focus on the task at hand and give your body the attention it deserved during the cleansing process. Not only can your phone distract you from properly cleansing yourself and heeding the above recommendations, but it also can harbor bacteria that is transferred from your hands to your phone to your face… or vice versa, from your phone to your hands and now to your vulnerable vagina. Consider washing your hands before you even begin the process of changing your sanitary products. After washing your hands – for the highly-regarded twenty full seconds of “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”, keep the phone off to the side and continue with your hands and minds focused on just the sanitation portion of your bathroom trip alone. Swap out. Swipe and Wipe. Then after flushing and wrapping away your used contents, revisit the sink for another two full rounds of stardom (or the Happy Birthday song, if you prefer). Give you phone a good wipe down with an appropriate amount of paper towels and then return it to your pocket or elsewhere as you open the door with anything other than your bare hands.

7) Consider period panties.  Made specifically for keeping you dry and stain-free.  After all, if your leaks are hitting your clothes, they have likely managed to spread across your inner thighs and creases. Our power layer mesh does not pool bacteria because it dries quickly. This helps with the obvious issues of chafing, which can cause further infection, while also offering an alternative solution to tampons, which when worn for too long, pose the risk of Toxic Shock Syndrome. You can be confident of both leaks and looks... browse our many designs! 

As these are just a few of many practices set to help you with your hygiene routine during your cycle, we’d love to hear from you! What have you found to be the most helpful and beneficial ways to stay clean during “that time”?