The Best Menstrual Care Products That Make Us Rethink Our Period
Impactful, ethical, sustainable, tax-free, traceable, carbon-neutral… These words don’t spring to mind when you mention menstrual care, but that’s exactly why Nadya Okomato and Nick Jain founded a menstrual care brand that IS impactful, IS ethical, IS sustainable… You get the picture. Now, that’s a mic drop moment if we’ve ever heard one.
Let us introduce you to August; a menstrual care brand that currently stocks THE comfiest pads, liners, and tampons on the (online) shelves. As a brand, they also give back to their community, providing people all over the world with access to free period products. Oh, and all of their marketing is real, authentic and free of shame and stigma. Honestly, without sounding like a total fan girl (which I am btw), August doesn’t just sell period products; it’s nurtured an online community that’s loving and accepting.
August also challenges the ingrained period stigmas that exist in our society in a way that we’ve never yet seen from any other menstrual care brand. Without this becoming a fully-fledged love letter to the brand, here’s everything you need to know about August, from the manifesto to the product lineup.
The August Brand Story & Mission
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The revolutionary brand started in 2020 when Nadya and Nick began growing their online community, discussing all things periods without shame or stigma, of course. They began engaging in conversations covering everything, from what menstrual care products their community was using to what it’s like being a non-binary or trans menstruator. For the following year they collected all of this data, and soon enough, in June 2021 launched their first product along with a series of brand initiatives.
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First and foremost, August products are sustainable; their pads and tampons are biodegradable, they use ethical labor, and are carbon-neutral (more on that when we get into the product deets). August also believes businesses have the responsibility to give back, and so with every product bought, they donate period products to an underserved school. At check-out, they also give you the option to donate to their non-profit partner: No More Secrets, Mind Body Spirit Inc. With every $5 contributed, they donate 10 pads. They also DEFINITELY do not believe in tampon tax, so if you’re ordering from any of the 30 states in the USA that still has tampon tax, they cover it.
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As for the culture, as we’ve mentioned, they’ve created an inclusive, safe space for menstruators regardless of their gender, race, or sexual identity. They also don’t glamorize the experience; they talk about bleeding with honesty, including cramps, period poos, and blood.
The Products
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Ok, now let’s get into the product deets…
You know that moment when you try a product, and you can tell the person who created it shared your concern or POV and tried to address it from a genuine, authentic standpoint. That’s how I felt when I first tried August. Seriously, everything from the shopping experience that allows you to create your own box feels like it was created by menstruators for menstruators. And that feels empowering – there’s none of this blue period blood or “ultra-discreet” menstrual care that makes you feel like you have something to hide.
We love that August uses a build-a-box system, so you can add in however many products of whichever products suit your monthly flow; whether you want some light tampons, some night pads, and maybe some liners, you can build it out to suit your needs.
PADS, $4.45 +
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The August PADS are 100% organic cotton. As they’re free of plastic, they’re literally SO comfortable and breathable. The back sheet film also uses advanced technology to remove residual heat and moisture to keep it comfy for hours. This also makes them more absorbent – none of that soggy wet pad feeling. Oh, and they’re fully biodegradable. Fun fact: while most pads take between 500 to 800 years to decompose, August PADS decompose within a year. They also offer two variations: the Day Pads, which are 240mm long, and the Night Pads, which are 290mm long.
TAMPONS, $4 +
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Just like the PADS, the TAMPONS are made from 100% organic cotton and are fully biodegradable. Even plastic long-applicators are recyclable. As for the shape, the tampons open axially – basically like a pair of angel wings – to best fit the natural shape of your vagina for more efficient absorption and heightened comfort. They also have light, regular, and super tampons, so you can pick whichever suits your menstruating habits.
LINERS, $7 +
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Last but not least, you have the August LINERS intended for light flows, breakthrough bleeds, or the last couple of days of your period. As you’ll probably guess by now, they’re comfy, biodegradable, and made from organic cotton.
They also have some other cute accessories and merch you should check out. We’ve just added the August ZIPPER POUCH, $5, to our cart to stash all of our period care in one place.
For more period 101: check out 21 facts you should know about your period.
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