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You can now shop period underwear at Woolworths

IMAGES VIA BONDS

WORDS BY JASMINE WALLIS

Incorporating sustainability into your cycle has never been more accessible.

Growing up, there were only two common period products on the market: pads and tampons. And while these plastic-covered items serve a very important function, after they’ve been used, thrown in the bin and have made it to landfill, they take at least 500 years to break down


  • Period underwear is always made up of at least three layers – the knitted inner layer that’s next to the skin and wicks moisture away from the body, a super absorbent middle layer and a water-impermeable outer layer
  • Depending on your choice of brand, your period underwear could be made up of synthetic fibres, merino wool, bamboo or cotton

It’s a scary thought that a product you use for a couple of hours will still be here when your Great-Great-Great Grandkids are around, but thanks to new technologies and increased knowledge around single-use plastics, people who menstruate now have more options when deciding what they want to use. 

In the last few years, there’s been a flood (pardon the pun) of Australian brands developing new, sustainable ways to look after yourself during your period. This includes the release of period-proof swimwear, menstruation-friendly running shorts and pastel-coloured menstrual cups. But one item that’s now beginning to line the shelves of most mainstream Australian supermarkets is sustainable period underwear. 


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How does period underwear work?

Period undies are just like regular ones, except they have built-in, leak-proof technology. It depends which day of your cycle you’re on but in general, you’d change your underwear as often as you would a pad. But instead of sending it to landfill for the next few centuries, you put them in a hot wash and reuse them over and over again. 

While it’s never been easier to incorporate sustainability into your cycle, it’s important to note that having the ability to buy any form of reusable or single-use menstrual products is a privilege in itself. A recent report has found that more than 800 million people around the world are living in period poverty, meaning they don’t have access to or can’t afford sanitary items. 

If you do have adequate access to period products, what you use is your choice, but if you’re in a position to do so, by investing in reusable menstrual products like period pants you’ll be helping both the environment and your bank account. To give you a starting point on investing in menstrual underwear, we’ve found the best brands available at your local supermarkets and stores around Australia. 

Bonds: Broad choice of design

Named the Bloody Comfy Period Undies, iconic Australian underwear brand, Bonds, has designed reusable, leak and odour-proof period pants. They combine five absorbent layers (the same absorbency as four tampons’ worth) and are made with environmentally-friendly organically-grown cotton. Ranging in design from bikini to full brief, the Bloody Comfy Period Undies have loads of underwear designs to choose from to keep you protected yet feeling yourself during your period.

Price: $20 – $29.95

Sizes: 6 – 20 

Available at: Big W, Target, Woolworths

Love Luna: Great for heavier flows 

If you’re worried about not being able to invest in period pants because of your flow, try Love Luna. Founded in 2017, Love Luna are committed to making products that are good for the planet. Its period underwear is affordable and comfortable and while they have a great range of briefs for light to medium flows, the stand-out item is the Bamboo Brief for heavier periods. With seam-to-seam coverage, Love Luna has created this high-waist design specifically with new mums and heavy bleeders in mind. 

Price: $15 – $20

Sizes: 6 – 20

Available at: Big W, Target, Woolworths

Modi Bodi: The most size-inclusive

While being able to buy period underwear at the supermarket is accessible, not everyone can buy a one-size-fits-all brief. Modi Bodi, self-proclaimed experts in leakproof apparel, has created a wide range of styles and sizes in its period underwear collection. Ranging from a size 4 to a size 22, Modi Bodi even sells period-proof g-strings (yes, really!) and comfortable boyshorts. You can also shop by absorbency to find a pair or three that suits your monthly cycle.

Price: $23.50 – $35

Sizes: 4 – 22

Available at: Big W 

Toms: The organic trailblazers

Toms has been in the more environmentally-friendly period game for a while now thanks to its organic cotton pads and tampons. But earlier this year, Toms also joined the reusable period underwear revolution. At the time of its launch, Toms founder Aimee Marks told Fashion Journal that the aim of the reusable period underwear is to “open up conversations about our period, which ultimately helps to normalise period and menstrual health”, and that’s something we should all be getting on board with. Made from soft and breathable organic cotton, these briefs hold up to two regular tampon’s worth of blood. 

Price: $15

Sizes: 6 – 20 

Available at: Coles 

To find out more about how period underwear actually works, head here for a rundown on the science behind the panties.

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