Cotton or conventional period care: What's the difference?

Cotton – you probably know it from your T-shirts, jeans, sheets, towels and plenty of other clothes and textiles. But the fluffy fibre is less known in period and incontinence care. Weird, because cotton pads, pantyliners and tampons have a bunch of benefits for your cycle, skin and the rest of your body. So how does 100% cotton period and incontinence care compare to its conventional, synthetic counterparts? If you want to make an informed choice between synthetic and cotton, keep scrolling.

What’s up with cotton? 

Hailing from the cotton plant, cotton is a soft, fluffy and natural fibre – the most commonly grown natural fibre on this planet, to be exact. That makes sense. As far as natural fibres go, it’s fairly cheap to produce and doesn’t require the use of animals (like silk or wool do). But more importantly, cotton interacts with your body in a very comfy way. Natural and cool to the touch, it’s especially known for its softness. It’s also very breathable, which is why you sweat less in a cotton top than you do in a synthetic one. As such, wearing cotton is often said to alleviate atopic dermatitis and similar skin conditions. 

Let’s zoom in on cotton period and incontinence care

This is already great when you’re picking out a new bathrobe or a pair of socks. But cotton’s qualities come in especially handy when zooming in on period or incontinence products – think cotton pads (whether pads for your period or pads for bladder leaks), cotton tampons or cotton pantyliners. So, let’s dissect those products. If we take a cotton period pad, for example, it’ll look something like this.

1. The topsheet is the part of a pad that directly touches your skin. Our topsheets are made of 100% GMO-free cotton. This makes it natural, soft for your skin, hypoallergenic and very breathable.
2. A pad’s core is the part that actually absorbs your period blood (or pee, if you’re opting for an incontinence pad). Our pads and liners have a 100% GMO-free cotton core. Because cotton is naturally absorbent and breathable, it’ll keep you dry and irritation-free without additional chemicals like chloride, perfume or synthetic absorbents.
3. Finally, all pads need a leak-proof backsheet, which prevents period blood or pee from leaking out of your pad and onto your clothes. Our backsheets are made from a unique, breathable plastic. You’ll read more on that breathability below.

What makes cotton period and incontinence products so special? 

Softness is generally a prerequisite for the sensitive skin around your vagina. Moreover, cotton is super absorbent – with the ability to hold up to 27 times its own body weight in water. That’s why cotton period products don’t need the addition of gel, pearls or other absorbents to keep you dry.  And what about breathability? In period and incontinence products, cotton’s natural coolness and breathability are useful beyond preventing a sweaty vulva and groin area. Although definitely not dirty, period blood does contain bacteria. Most of the time, these are healthy bacteria – similar (but not the same) to the bacteria living on your skin’s surface. 

Again, these bacteria or not inherently dirty, smelly or bad. But when trapped in a hot, airtight space (a.k.a. in synthetic pads or liners), the cumulation of heat, sweat, skin and blood or pee can cause your bacteria to multiply. This, in turn, can irritate your skin or smell bad. So, synthetic pads and liners often rely on perfume to keep you “odour-free.” But that perfume can cause even more irritation because, much like cotton, your vagina is incredibly absorbent. Thanks to their breathability, cotton period or incontinence products don’t allow bacteria to multiply. They naturally prevent irritations and bad smells – without the addition of perfume or chemicals.

How does cotton compare to conventional period and incontinence care?

Commonly, single-use period and incontinence products (including tampons, pads and liners) are made from a blend of synthetic fibres – which are a bit cheaper than cotton. Moreover, these products are mainly concerned with hiding your period, often using perfume, chloride, chemical absorbents and non-breathable plastic to do so. If you compare them, a conventional pad would look something like this. 

1. In mainstream pads, topsheets are often made from a synthetic material like polyester or polyethene or a semi-synthetic material like viscose. These materials use chemicals in their production process and are not very soft or healthy for your skin.
2. Mainstream pads usually have a cellulose core (either from wood pulp, polyester or viscose). These materials aren’t naturally as absorbent nor breathable as cotton. So most pads rely on superabsorbent polymers or other chemical absorbents to keep you dry and add perfume to eliminate any bodily smells.
3. In conventional pads, the backsheet is also made of plastic. However, this tends to be a less breathable variety.

How do I know it’s time to switch from synthetic to cotton?

Traditionally, these products have dominated the drug store shelves for years. So chances are, you’ve used them for your first period – and you might continue to do so. However, single-use cotton period and incontinence products are gaining popularity – and you can find them in most drug stores today. As you’ve read above, they tend to be more natural (free of dyes, perfume and chlorine) and much more breathable than their synthetic counterparts. This makes them beneficial all the time. But there are some signs that you could really benefit from the switch to cotton period (or incontinence) care. 

• If you have sensitive skin, or had any allergic reactions or skin irritations during or right after your period – or after wearing a pad
• If you often get yeast infections (including thrush) – especially right after your period or after wearing a pad
• If you wear pantyliners or (incontinence) pads daily
• If you (like an increasing amount of people) want to take a more natural approach to your cycle