If your daughter is approaching her first period, or already has one and you're looking for a better option, you've probably started wondering whether reusable period products are actually worth it.
The short answer is yes, especially for teenagers. Here's the longer answer.
What are reusable period products?
Reusable period products are exactly what they sound like: period care products that you wash and use again rather than throwing away after each use. The main options are:
Period underwear. Looks and feels like regular underwear with a built-in absorbent layer. She wears it, rinses it, washes it and wears it again. Our Teen Orgaknix Brief is made with organic cotton next to skin and is PFAS-free, so you know exactly what's touching her body. No inserts, no fuss.
Cloth pads. Soft, washable pads that clip onto underwear. Our reusable cloth pads work the same way as disposable pads but are rinsed and washed between uses, and they're genuinely softer and more comfortable against skin.
Menstrual cups and discs. Inserted internally to collect flow. Generally better suited to older teens who are comfortable with their bodies. Our Eco Period Cup is made from medical grade silicone and is a popular step up once she's comfortable with reusables.
For most girls starting out, period underwear and cloth pads are the natural starting point.
How do reusables compare to disposables?
Comfort. Period underwear wins here, most girls say it feels more comfortable than pads, with no rustling, no wings to position and no sticky backing. Cloth pads are also softer against skin than plastic-backed disposables.
Leak protection. Good quality period underwear holds as much as two to four regular pads worth of flow and lasts up to 10 to 12 hours. For school days and sleepovers, this is genuinely reassuring.
Chemicals and safety. This is where it gets important. Conventional disposable pads and tampons can contain PFAS, synthetic fragrances and other chemicals that sit against some of the most absorbent skin on the body. Our period underwear is made with organic cotton and is independently tested to be PFAS-free, which removes that concern entirely.
Cost. Disposables cost roughly $10 to $15 per month, which adds up to around $150 per year and several thousand dollars over a lifetime of periods. A good set of period underwear costs more upfront but pays for itself within a few months and lasts for years.
Environmental impact. A person who menstruates uses an estimated 10,000 to 16,000 disposable period products in their lifetime. Switching to reusables makes a significant difference.
What about the learning curve?
There is one, but it's small. The main things to get used to are rinsing before washing and remembering to have enough pairs for a full cycle. Most girls adapt within one or two periods and don't look back.
Is it right for your daughter?
Reusables work well for most girls and teenagers. They're particularly good for:
If she's nervous about trying something new, starting with one or two pairs of period underwear alongside her usual products lets her test it out at her own pace before committing fully.
The First Period Kit is designed exactly for this, giving her a mix of period underwear and cloth pads in one go so she can try both and see what she prefers. If she's already swimming or doing water sport, the Swim Kit adds period bikini bottoms to the mix so she's covered everywhere.
