If you are a person that bleeds, then you are being reminded of period products more or less every month. Luckily, we are now living in times where period products are easy to come by in most places in the world. But are they vegan-friendly and cruelty-free? Sadly, not all of them are.
There are two things to consider for a cruelty-free and vegan period product:
1) Was animal testing involved for the material and for being approved for human use?
2) What materials are the products made of?
1. Animal testing and period products
When we think of animal testing, we think of cosmetics or medical products – but probably not of period products. Sadly, even here, a lot of harm can be caused to a lot of innocent, sweet lab animals. Because period products still fall under the category of medical products and these kinds of products have to be monitored for safety – and sadly a modern society still has to hurt animals for this. Bite Size Vegan has written a more in-depth article on this – feel free to check her out.
Menstrual cups are made from medical grade silicone – which has also been tested on animals at some point. It is possible that the company that produces the cups did not test on animals themselves and the batch of silicone they are using might be cruelty free, but the whole process – if you trace back the steps – was not. It is up to you how far you want to trace things back anyway – but it’s still worth mentioning. It is important to note, however, that menstrual cups are a lot more sustainable than single-use products such as tampons or cotton pads – and this will inevitably also have a positive effect on our environment and therefore also on the animals.
2. Vegan-friendly material
Now, after trying to find a method that involves none or as little animal testing as possible – sadly, we all now that we can only be „as vegan as possible“ and make compromises somewhere (as I am writing this from a laptop that contains animal products) – let’s look at the material they are made from. Most vegan single-use period products are made from cotton. If they are not vegan, they might use bleach, that has potentially been tested on animals (and isn’t great for your private parts, too) and can even use animal-derived products. If you don’t want to put it in your mouth, the you probably don’t want to put animal-products in other body parts, either. Plus, if you dispose of these products, then you might actually end up putting this toxic waste into the environment and potentially hurting animals – and that’s also not vegan.
What about reusable products then? Most commonly known are menstrual cups, period underwear and reusable pads. For the cup, I recommend looking at the company and if they claim to be cruelty-free and vegan. It is worth the research, as you are likely to keep your cup for about 10 years. For underwear and pads made from fabric, you are advised to check the material, because some do contain wool, which isn’t vegan. So make sure that they only use only plant-based materials. If you want to maximise sustainability (and also allow your private parts to breath better), try to find some brands that only use cotton or other organic material, as some use plastic-derived fabric, that isn’t biodegradable.
A vegan period kit?
In my opinion, the best vegan-friendly period kit is made of reusable products that are also labeled cruetly-free. I can only speak from my own experience, but I use my menstrual cup usually two or three days, when my period is at it’s strongest (or if I want to go swimming), paired with my period underwear. I own three panties and that is usually enough to hand-wash and dry them before re-using them. In case that doesn’t work out, I own 3 reusable pads that I can use in-between or towards the end of my period.
What works best for you is really for you to decide. I know that some people are afraid to use menstrual cups, and as someone that suffered from yeast and bladder infections for most of my adulthood, let me reassure you: they are great! They don’t dry you out like tampons do, and you learn so much more about your period; you can see when your blood is lighter or darker and just get a little bit more in touch with your own body. You will rarely find yourself in an awkward spot to change the cup, as you normally do it in the morning or evening, when you are likely in the comfort of your own home. And you don’t have to remember to bring tampons everywhere you go – which was something I never remembered to do. My friend Mia, who is a menstrual activist, has gone a little more into detail on how the menstrual cup has changed her life.
To sum up, it really is worth doing a little bit of research about the products that you want to buy. If you buy single-use ones, this can really have a big impact as you are going through a big amount of products throughout your life period (hehe). If you want to switch to reusable products, you don’t need to constantly buy new products, so you can spend that time researching about the companies to make you put your money to good use. After all, we can all agree that veganism isn’t only about what we put into our mouth, right?
Disclaimer: I put the links for the products that I use in the text, but I paid for all of them myself.
Products that are vegan AND do not test on animals:
https://www.peta.org/living/personal-care-fashion/cruelty-free-menstruation-guide-period/
I’ve used the following articles for research
https://menstrualcups.wordpress.com/2015/02/02/animal-testing/
https://www.crueltyfreekitty.com/bath-body/cruelty-free-feminine-hygiene/
https://beyouonline.co.uk/blogs/news/how-to-have-a-100-vegan-period
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