Here's the maths nobody hands you at your first period: the average person who menstruates will use somewhere between 11,000 and 17,000 disposable pads or tampons across a lifetime, spend well over a thousand pounds on them, and send most of that plastic straight to landfill, where it can take 500 years to break down.^[1] Nobody explains that at school either.

The good news is that switching to organic or sustainable period products isn't the faff it used to be. Menstrual cups, period pants, organic cotton pads and reusable cloth pads have all had a glow up in the last few years, and for most people they work out cheaper, kinder to sensitive skin, and considerably lighter on the planet. The market has genuinely matured too, so you're no longer choosing between "works well" and "environmentally friendly." You can have both.

This guide walks you through exactly what each product does, what it actually costs over time, how to switch without wasting money on things that don't suit you, and (because this is MyOva) what changes if you're managing PCOS and your cycle doesn't play by the usual rules. Your diagnosis is a starting point, not a verdict, and that includes how you manage your period.

Why Go Organic or Sustainable With Your Period Products?

Short answer: Sustainable period products save money over time, cut plastic waste, and keep synthetic materials and fragrance away from sensitive skin.

There are three honest reasons to switch, and none of them require you to feel guilty about the tampons you've used for the last fifteen years.

The cost adds up faster than you'd think

A box of disposable pads or tampons costs roughly £3 to £5 and lasts one cycle. Over a year that's somewhere between £36 and £60. Over a decade, £360 to £600. A menstrual cup or a set of three pairs of period pants can cost that much in a single purchase and then last for years. It's front loaded spending instead of a drip feed, which is exactly why it feels expensive at first and then stops feeling like an expense at all.

The waste is genuinely enormous

Conventional pads are often up to 90% plastic by weight, and most tampon applicators are plastic too.^[1] In the UK alone, an estimated 4.3 billion pieces of menstrual product related plastic end up in landfill or the ocean every year.^[2] Reusables don't eliminate your footprint, but they take a genuinely large bite out of it.

Your skin might thank you

Conventional pads and tampons are often made with synthetic fibres, adhesives, and added fragrance sitting directly against some of the most absorbent, sensitive skin on your body. If you've ever finished your period with irritation, itching or a rash you couldn't explain, that's not random. Your body is trying to tell you something, and for a lot of people the message is "stop putting synthetic fragrance next to me for five days a month."

Organic cotton products and medical grade silicone cups skip the fragrance, the chlorine bleaching, and most of the synthetic fibres, which is why so many people with sensitive skin, eczema, or vulval irritation find they simply feel more comfortable.

It adds up beyond your own bathroom cabinet

There's a knock on effect too. Fewer disposables bought means fewer manufactured, packaged, and shipped, which chips away at the demand side of the plastic problem rather than just the disposal side. It's a small individual choice, but small individual choices are how large scale demand shifts actually happen, one shopping basket at a time.

What Are the Main Types of Sustainable Period Products?

Short answer: Your four main options are organic cotton pads, menstrual cups, period pants, and reusable cloth pads, each with its own cost and learning curve.

Let's go through each one honestly, including the bits nobody puts on the packaging.

Organic cotton pads and tampons

These look and behave almost exactly like the conventional versions you already know, just made from organic, unbleached cotton with no synthetic fragrance. They're disposable, so they're not the biggest sustainability win on this list, but they're the easiest possible first step if reusables feel like too much change at once.

• Pros: zero learning curve, widely available in supermarkets, no insertion required for pads, biodegradable
• Cons: still a recurring cost, still generates waste, tampons carry the same general TSS guidance as any tampon
• Cost: similar to or slightly higher than standard brands, roughly £3 to £6 per box

Menstrual cups

A small, flexible cup, usually medical grade silicone, that sits inside the vagina and collects rather than absorbs flow. You empty it every 4 to 12 hours depending on your flow, rinse it, and reinsert. It has the steepest learning curve of anything on this list and also the biggest long term payoff.

• Pros: holds significantly more than a tampon (often three times the capacity), can be worn up to 12 hours, one cup can genuinely last a decade with proper care
• Cons: takes a few cycles to get comfortable inserting and removing, public toilet changes can feel awkward at first, sizing matters and getting it wrong is a common first purchase mistake
• Cost: £15 to £30 upfront, then close to nothing for years

Period pants (period underwear)

Ordinary looking underwear with built in absorbent layers, worn alone on lighter days or as backup with a cup or tampon on heavier ones. This is genuinely the easiest reusable option to start with because there's nothing new to learn; you just put them on.

• Pros: no insertion, most comfortable option for a lot of people, doubles as backup for leak anxiety, machine washable
• Cons: needs washing between wears, can feel damp on the heaviest days without a backup product, upfront cost per pair adds up if you buy a full week's worth at once
• Cost: £15 to £35 per pair, with most people owning 3 to 6 pairs

Reusable cloth pads

Fabric pads, often with a waterproof layer, that fasten around your underwear with poppers and get washed and reused. They sit somewhere between period pants and disposable pads in terms of how much adjustment they need.

• Pros: often the cheapest reusable per pad, easy to combine different absorbencies, gentle on skin, no insertion
• Cons: bulkier than disposables, need rinsing before a full wash, drying time can be a genuine logistics issue if you only own a few
• Cost: £6 to £15 per pad, needing 4 to 8 for a full cycle

Product	Upfront cost	Typical lifespan	Best for
Organic cotton pads/tampons	£3 to £6 per box	Single use	An easy first step, or travel
Menstrual cup	£15 to £30	Up to 10 years	Heavy flow, long term savings
Period pants	£15 to £35 per pair	2 to 5 years	Comfort, beginners, backup wear
Reusable cloth pads	£6 to £15 per pad	3 to 5 years	Sensitive skin, lighter days

What Should You Consider If You Have PCOS?

Short answer: PCOS periods are often heavier and less predictable, so you need higher absorbency options, backup supplies, and skin friendly materials on standby.

This is the section most sustainable period product guides skip entirely, and it's the whole reason MyOva exists. PCOS periods don't follow the tidy 28 day cycle most product packaging assumes, and that changes how you shop for period products.

Heavier or unpredictable bleeding

High androgen levels and irregular ovulation, common features of PCOS, can lead to a thicker uterine lining building up over a longer stretch of time. When it finally sheds, flow can be heavier and last longer than a "textbook" period.^[3] If you're relying on a single small tampon or a light pad, you're setting yourself up to leak, and that's not a personal failing, it's a product mismatch.

The practical fix is capacity. A high capacity menstrual cup, period pants rated for heavy flow, or doubling up (cup plus period pants as backup) gives you far more room for error than any single lighter product.

Irregular cycles make "always carrying supplies" tricky

You're not imagining it, if your cycle is 24 days one month and 52 the next, "just track your period and pack accordingly" is genuinely useless advice. This is exactly where reusables earn their keep: a menstrual cup or a couple of pairs of period pants living permanently in your bag means you're never caught out, because you're not restocking a disposable supply on a schedule your body has no intention of following.

Skin sensitivity around the vulva

PCOS is also linked with higher rates of skin sensitivity and irritation in some people, and synthetic fragrance or friction from conventional products can make that worse during a period that's already lasting longer than you'd like. Organic cotton and medical grade silicone are usually the gentler choice here. Insulin resistance, which shows up in a large proportion of PCOS cases, has also been linked with skin changes that can make the vulval area more prone to irritation, so cutting out one obvious irritant, synthetic fragrance, is a sensible place to start rather than a nice to have.

Practical tips for switching when your cycle isn't predictable

• Buy a higher capacity cup size than the "beginner" recommendation if your flow runs heavy; sizing up rarely causes problems, sizing down often does
• Keep one full reusable "emergency kit" in your bag at all times rather than relying on remembering to restock
• Pair a cup with period pants on your heaviest days instead of trusting one product alone
• Wash reusables the moment you're home so they're always ready, not drying on a rack when you need them

This is what I wish someone had told me: managing a hormonal condition and managing your period supplies are two separate jobs, and it's worth solving them separately. If heavy or unpredictable periods are part of your PCOS picture, a daily myo-inositol supplement like Myoplus may help support hormonal balance alongside the practical side of managing flow. It's not a magic fix, but it gives your body what it's often missing.

How Do You Switch to Reusable Period Products Without Wasting Money?

Short answer: Start with one product type, buy the smallest trial size available, and give yourself two to three full cycles before deciding what works.

The research on this is actually pretty clear: most people who "try reusables and hate them" made one of two mistakes, they bought the wrong size, or they expected day one to feel as easy as a product they've used for years. Here's how to avoid both.

Start with one product, not a full wardrobe

Don't buy a cup, six pairs of period pants, and a stack of cloth pads in the same order. Pick the product that matches your biggest frustration right now, heavy flow points you towards a cup, comfort and simplicity points you towards period pants, sensitive skin points you towards organic cotton or cloth pads, and start there.

Buy a trial pack or the smallest size first

Many period pants brands sell a single pair before you commit to a full set. Some cup brands offer a "try before you switch" size or a money back guarantee within the first few months. Use these. A £15 cup that doesn't suit you is a far cheaper lesson than a £90 set of six pairs of pants in the wrong absorbency.

Set realistic expectations, especially with cups

Almost everyone finds their first one or two cycles with a menstrual cup a bit fiddly. Folding technique, finding the right angle, and trusting the seal all take a few goes. This is completely normal and not a sign you're "doing it wrong." Give it three cycles before you write it off.

Keep one backup disposable option on hand

Even committed reusable users often keep a small pack of organic cotton pads or tampons for emergencies, travel, or days when washing isn't practical. This isn't a failure of the switch, it's just sensible.

Budget the switch across a few months, not one shop

You don't need to replace your entire period drawer in a single weekend. Buy one cup or two pairs of period pants this cycle, add to the collection next cycle once you know what you actually like, and let the full switch happen gradually. It's kinder to your bank balance and it means every purchase after the first is an informed one rather than a guess.

Are Reusable Period Products Safe to Use?

Short answer: Yes, when cleaned properly and used per manufacturer guidance, reusable products are considered safe, though hygiene and wear time still matter.

Safety with any internally worn period product, cups included, comes down to two things: following the wear time guidance on the packaging, and cleaning things properly.

Toxic Shock Syndrome basics

Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS) is a rare but serious illness linked to tampon and, less commonly, cup use.^[4] The general, widely published safety basics are straightforward: follow the manufacturer's instructions for your specific product, don't leave a tampon or cup in longer than recommended, wash your hands before and after insertion or removal, and use the lowest absorbency that suits your flow rather than the highest "just in case."

If you develop a sudden high fever, a rash that looks like sunburn, dizziness, vomiting, or diarrhoea while using a tampon or cup, remove it and seek urgent medical help straight away.^[4]

Cleaning and sterilising reusables properly

• Menstrual cups: rinse with water between emptying, wash with a mild, fragrance free cup cleanser or unscented soap between cycles, and sterilise by boiling in water for 5 to 10 minutes at the start and end of each cycle
• Period pants: rinse in cold water after wear, then machine wash on a cool cycle without fabric softener, which can clog the absorbent layers over time
• Reusable cloth pads: rinse in cold water first (hot water can set staining), then wash as normal and air dry fully before storing

Root cause, not symptom suppression, applies here too: proper cleaning isn't optional admin, it's the whole reason reusables are safe to use cycle after cycle.

Patch test new materials if your skin reacts easily

If you already know you're prone to reacting to new fabrics or materials, wear a new pair of period pants or a new cloth pad for a shorter stretch the first time, and check your skin afterwards. Most reactions to reusables come from a specific fabric blend or a cleaning product, not the concept of reusables themselves, so it's usually solvable with a small swap rather than abandoning the product entirely.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are period pants actually reliable, or is that just marketing?
For light to moderate flow, most people find period pants fully reliable on their own. For heavy flow, especially heavy PCOS related bleeding, pairing them with a cup or tampon as backup is the safer approach rather than relying on pants alone.

How long do menstrual cups last?
A good quality medical grade silicone cup can last up to 10 years with proper cleaning and storage, though most manufacturers recommend checking it periodically for tears, discolouration, or a change in texture and replacing it if you notice any of these.

Are reusable period products safe?
Yes. Menstrual cups, period pants, and cloth pads are all considered safe when used according to manufacturer instructions and cleaned properly between uses. The same general TSS guidance that applies to tampons applies to cups.

What's the best period product for heavy flow?
A high capacity menstrual cup is usually the single best option, since it can hold roughly three times what a regular tampon holds. Pairing a cup with heavy flow period pants as backup gives extra peace of mind on the heaviest days.

Do sustainable period products work for irregular periods, like with PCOS?
Yes, and in some ways they suit irregular cycles better than disposables. A cup or a few pairs of period pants kept permanently in your bag means you're never caught without supplies, regardless of how unpredictable your cycle is.

How much money do reusable period products actually save?
Most people recoup the upfront cost of a menstrual cup within 6 to 12 months and save several hundred pounds over the following years, since a single cup can replace hundreds of boxes of disposables over its lifespan.

Is it normal for a menstrual cup to leak at first?
Yes, minor leaking in the first cycle or two is common while you're learning the right fold and finding the correct angle for your body. If leaking continues past two or three cycles, you may need a different size or firmness.

Can teenagers use menstrual cups or period pants?
Yes, both are widely used by teenagers, and many brands make smaller sized cups and pants specifically for younger or first time users. Period pants in particular are a gentle, low pressure starting point.

Conclusion

Hormonal literacy isn't complicated, it's just rarely taught, and the same is true of period products. Nobody sits you down and explains that your options go far beyond "pads or tampons," or that the product that suits your best friend might be completely wrong for you if your cycle behaves nothing like hers.

Start with one change. Try one cup, one pair of period pants, or a small trial pack of organic cotton pads, and give it a proper few cycles before judging it. If your periods run heavy, long, or unpredictable, as they often do with PCOS, build in backup supplies and a bit of extra capacity rather than assuming the "standard" advice applies to you. Your body is trying to tell you what it needs. It's worth listening.

Further Reading

• Understanding and managing period pain
• What a missed or irregular period could mean
• What is PCOS? A complete guide

References

1. Women's Environmental Network, "Environmental impact of disposable menstrual products," wen.org.uk
2. House of Commons Library, briefing on plastic waste from menstrual products, parliament.uk
3. NHS, "Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)," nhs.uk/conditions/polycystic-ovary-syndrome-pcos
4. NHS, "Toxic shock syndrome (TSS)," nhs.uk/conditions/toxic-shock-syndrome

This article is for general information only and does not replace advice from your GP or a qualified healthcare professional. Food supplements should not be used as a substitute for a varied and balanced diet. If you're pregnant, breastfeeding, taking medication or managing a diagnosed health condition, check with a healthcare professional before starting a new supplement.

References