My name’s Lauren and I wear reusable period pads
And not just that, I love them so much I created my own UK made brand ‘Wear ‘em Out’
Wear ‘em Out is taking the world by storm and has brought the conversation of reusable period pads firmly into the mainstream, having been listed in Glamour magazine online as one of their ‘7 best reusable sanitary pads for a more sustainable period’ they even went as far to describe our pads as ‘One of the most stylish and sleek reusable sanitary towels brands around’, I’ll take that babes.
But let’s go back to why I’ve been wearing reusable pads for over 7 years, and why I built a brand that is being now being sold all around the world, and shouted out in magazines (Glamour was not our first rodeo, we’ve been spotted in Stylist, Cosmo and loads more (give us a Google)
I first made the switch to reusable period pads when I learned about the damage disposable pads were doing to the planet (more on this later), and even more worrying, the damage they were potentially causing to my hormonal health (again, I’ll go into more detail later).
With all my new found knowledge I felt I had no choice but to (begrudgingly) step into the reusable pad game.
At this time the only pads that I could find on offer were so ugly, and made with such a basic design that I didn’t feel any compulsion to talk about them – and the very real reasons why I made the switch – with my friends, meaning this much needed conversation still wasn’t being had, and in fact only reinforced the shame I had already been feeling around my periods.
Fast forward 5 years and by then a full convert, I decided that there was a huge opportunity to bring not only the ‘reusable period products’ conversation to the fore, but also, to bring a reusable period pad that people would be happy to shout about, and happy to share with anyone and everyone they came into contact with.
Due to it’s (in the words of Glamour mag) ‘stylish and sleek’ design, and the confidence in which it gives the wearer, Wear ‘em Out really were making waves in not only reducing landfill but also reducing period shame and I could not be prouder of what we’ve created
Now, let’s get down to the nitty gritty, the why we should consider the switch and how to go about it….
A few facts for you to wrap your head around;
200,000 tones of menstrual waste hits UK landfill per year in the UK, this waste takes between 500-800 years to decompose due to the fact that these products and their packaging are made up using 90% single-use plastic (the equivalent to 5 carrier bags per pack).
And it’s not just where it ends that causes the problem, all the energy, materials and transport it takes to make a single-use product has to be factored into the bigger picture
4.8 pieces of menstrual waste is found per 100m of British beaches being cleaned, due to the high plastic content these items must never be flushed, not only do they create a huge cost for the water companies in unblocking the sewers, they do also end up as food for our sea-life, or part of our picnic when having a day at the beach
There are reportedly up to 3,000 toxic chemicals found in currently disposable menstrual products, these toxins are said to be playing havoc with our hormones, Women’s Voices say ‘Research shows that many of today’s menstrual and intimate care products contain a host of chemicals linked to cancer, disrupt hormones, and unnecessary allergic reactions’
The scary stuff is that currently the UK have no legislation in place to say that the disposable companies don’t need to list the full ingredients on the packets, meaning we can not make informed choice about the products we are exposing the most absorbent part of our bodies to for up to a week a month
But now you have this knowledge, you can make an informed choice with your period protection, but, I do know it’s not as straight forward as that make that final leap into the mysterious world of reusables, so here’s my top 3 ‘how to’ tips
- Go at your own pace, wear them only at home to begin with, or maybe even just at night. It might feel more comfortable for you to just start wearing them when you’re not even on your period so you can get a feel for them and get used to seeing them in your wash
- Have a little read of our 4.9* out of 985 reviews left by our customers on our Trustpilot, you’re not alone in your fear of switching
Connect with me on the socials Instagram or Facebook and ask me ANYTHING, I’ve been where you are, I know it can feel weird and scary, the unknown always does but, once you’ve had all your questions answered, and you’ve taken the leap, trust me – and many of our customers – when we say ‘they’re a game changer’
If you’re already one of our fabulous customers and are loving your pads tell us about it in the comments below, we always love to hear about any positive impacts switching to reusables will have had on your period
And if you’re not yet a customer and have any questions at all, take a look at our FAQ’s or if you prefer, drop me an email to lauren@wearemout.co.uk, I’ve got you babes ❤️
All the love
Lauren
xx
