Us girls have a love-hate relationship with our periods. Periods come with annoyances such as a bloated abdomen, unforgiving cramps, fatigue, headaches, hormonal breakouts, and a general feeling of being cranky. But hey, you’re not pregnant, so that’s an overall win right? Of course if you’re trying for a baby, that’s a whole different ball game. If it’s not bad enough you’re feeling all of the above symptoms, you’ll be making frequent bathroom trips, staying as far away from white or light colored fabrics as possible, and wearing the dreaded, decidedly unsexy period underwear… Can it get any worse?
Possibly, but it could get a whole lot better too! Ever since I made the conscious decision last year to clean up my act (both beauty and food-wise), I’ve become more aware of daily products I use and their effect on my body. Walk down the feminine hygiene aisle of any supermarket and take a look at the products on the shelves. Marketing claims boast of a “fresher feeling” or “greater confidence”, with the implication improved cleanliness will promote good health.
Here’s the catch: Did you know tampons, sanitary napkins, and most personal lubricants are considered by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) medical devices? By that ruling, products classified as medical devices need not disclose ingredients on packaging. Check out this video demonstrating what happens when an organic VS conventional sanitary napkin is burned.
The difference is stark–the organic pad burns slowly and cleanly without much soot, while the conventional pad creates plenty of black smoke and residue, indicating the pad may contain dioxins, synthetic fibers, or petrochemical additives. Is this something you want in close contact with sensitive vaginal tissue which tends to potentially be more vulnerable when exposed to irritants? No wonder I suffer from the occasional case of rashes after using conventional sanitary napkins! If you’ve ever bought a tube of Vagisil in a desperate attempt to ease the itchies, you know what I’m talking about.
That’s why I’m so thankful to have finally found an affordable alternative to conventional sanitary napkins. I was recently introduced to the Organic Bon range of biodegradable sanitary napkins brought in by Virtuoso-Organic. With a smooth, downy top sheet made from 100% Texas organic cotton (USDA certified), Organic Ban is non-irritating and will feel breezily comfortable to wear in Singapore’s humid weather. This is a big thing you guys, you might think you’re using cotton when it’s really a cotton-poly blend with rayon. Don’t take my word for it, check out this brand comparison.
I love how the sanitary napkin is so thin I almost forget I’m on my period. In terms of absorbency, it performs as well as mainstream brands like Whisper’s Ultra despite its delicate appearance. Obviously if you have a heavy flow, please change your sanitary napkin more often. It’s unhygienic, and dangerous to wear a soiled sanitary napkin for an extended period of time! I experienced no leakage or overflow while road-testing Organic Bon, even when worn overnight (I toss and turn quite a bit!). There are different sizes to suit everyone’s needs from a humongous (330mm), almost diaper-like sanitary napkin for overnight/heavy flow usage, to regular panty liners (155mm) you can use for daily comfort.
Here are the different sizes available and their respective prices:
- Panty Liner (155mm, 34pcs): SGD5.80
- Small (210mm, 18pcs): SGD6.60
- Small (210mm, 28pcs): SGD9.60
- Medium (240mm, 16pcs): SGD7.20
- Large (280mm, 14pcs): SGD7.80
- Overnight (330mm, 10pcs): SGD5.80
They don’t differ much in price from your conventional sanitary napkins so I fully recommend buying Organic Bon if you have a choice. I personally am never going back to conventional sanitary napkins again. The Virtuoso-Organic team is working hard to make Organic Bon more accessible to the masses. As of now, Organic Bon is available for purchase online from the official Virtuoso-Organic website, Lazada Singapore, and soon RedMart. If you happen to live near Shunfu Market, Organic Bon is also available for sale at Sharon Organics, Block 320, #01-38 Shunfu Market.
Virtuoso-Organic has very kindly offered my readers 10% off any purchases via their official website from now till 31st September 2015, so please make use of the opportunity to give Organic Bon a try! Simply enter the code CHARM10 under Discount Codes, and click “Apply Coupon”, before you proceed to Checkout. Unfortunately for my overseas readers, Organic Bon is currently only available to Singapore residents. Not from Singapore? Don’t fret because there are plans to expand in the future. I’ll be sure to keep you posted!
Disclosure: The above products were generously provided by Virtuoso-Organic for review, I do not receive any compensation. The opinions expressed herein are mine and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Virtuoso-Organic.
