CEO and Owner of Minksie, Lou took over the sanitary brand after experiencing heavy periods and uncomfortable nights in her own cycle in March 2022. She knew that this investment had the potential to help so many women suffering from heavy periods, leaking or discharge as well as saving the environment from tons of plastic sanitary waste each month. With this goal in mind, Lou dedicated her time and effort to transform the period industry.

 Plastics: They're everywhere.

It is estimated that women use more than 11,000 disposable menstrual products in their lifetime- roughly 22 products per cycle. Whether you use sanitary pads or tampons, period waste is often flushed down the toilet, blocking drains and sewers, or sent to landfill. These menstrual products are made from 90% plastic. Microplastics are particularly harmful because they infiltrate water supplies, carry toxins into the ocean and take twice as long to decompose. Over 100,000 sea mammals die each from from plastic consumption. This has adverse affects on marine biodiversity and the food chain.

Minksie: What they offer.

Minksie offers a wide range of plastic-free alternatives to the regular sanitary pad. Lou's bamboo period products are:

• More absorbent.

• Comfy.

• Easy to wash.

• Reusable (of course).

There are all sorts of products. Light, medium and heavy alternatives depending on your flow, starter-kits for beginners, panty liners for lighter flows or discharge and heavy/night towels. There are also dry/ wet storage bags to keep your pads neatly out the way. They come in three different patterns too - cactus, rainbow and panda.

 Period Starter-Kits

 Sanitary Pad Set

How to wash:

You can either hand or machine wash your pads. If you hand wash, Minksie advises that you rinse the pad in cold water first, then rinse thoroughly with a detergent of your choice. If you machine wash, the pads can go in with your normal load or separately but you must not use fabric softener because this will weaken your pad's absorbency. Likewise, Minksie recommends you don't put them in the tumble-dryer.

Plastic Free July is swiftly coming to an end. Yet, swapping to Minksie pads is a great plastic-free alternative for your monthly cycle. I'd highly recommend Minksie for their products, brand value and customer service.

For statistics and more information https://www.wen.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/Fact-Sheet-Environmenstrual.pdf

This blog is by Rachael Sustainable Edit in partnership with Minksie and Lou kindly sent me a starter-pack to try her products.