There is a huge amount of stigma attached to feminine hygiene, and I really can’t figure out why that’s still the case in the 21st century. This is something we need to start talking about more, starting from now. We don’t seem to have a problem talking about sex but as soon as we start talking about panty liners, everybody clams up. Well ladies and gentlemen, I’ve got news for you.. a new study has revealed the average Brit has sex a total of 5,778 times before they die, whilst the average woman will use nearly 11,000 feminine hygiene products over her lifetime. Nobody gets freaked out about a condom, so can we please stop freaking out about panty liners?
Women in Western cultures will experience about 450 periods in their lifetime; to put this into perspective… us ladies will spend nearly ten years of her life menstruating, yet we still don’t feel comfortable enough to talk openly about it to our friends, family or partners. Frankly, that’s absolutely bonkers, if you ask me! Breaking this taboo is something I feel pretty passionate about, incase you didn’t notice? You’re probably wondering what the big deal is, and for me the answer is quite simple: confidence. How the heck is any woman meant to feel positive about their body when they don’t feel confident?
We’re not just talking about that ‘time of the month’ either. We’ve all been there (especially in the summer time!), when you’ve had a long day, you aren’t feeling fresh and then you decide to bail on your evening gym sesh or dinner with friends because your just feeling a bit… yuck? Every girl has tried a little dry shampoo but that’s not usually enough to give you the fresh feeling you need on a humid July afternoon.
This month I’ve teamed up with Bodyform to trial their Daily Fresh Liners (£1.65) as part of their #ChallengeBodyform campaign. The idea of the project was to help break this common misconception by partaking in the challenging, and hopefully empower women, generate discussions and encourage women to be fun and fearless. Obviously, this was right up my street and I couldn’t wait to get involved.
Bodyform lovingly sent me a care package presented in a pretty tote bag. The shopper was packed with gifts, including a portable phone charger, a gorgeous compact mirror, some beautiful rose water face mist (that I’m absolutely addicted to!), solid perfume, and a pack of 30 Daily Fresh Liners. They also chucked voucher for Afternoon Tea for 2 at The Cornwall Hotel & Spa – they know how to make me a happy lady!
The hotel and spa is located about 90 minutes away from where my fiancé and I live, so it felt like a little mid-week escape for us. Equipped with my sack of treats, it felt like Christmas had come early and I was truly able to switch off from my busy work life (other than a few pings from my finance app Albert, telling my invoices are being paid on time at the end of the month, chi-ching!).
To be completely honest, I’m not usually a liner kinda gal. I’m not somebody that experiences periods on a regular basis and even when I did many moons ago, I found them to be heavy and intrusive. Another thing that made me steer clear from using sanitary towels was how they didn’t really work with a) my body shape, and b) my underwear choice. In retrospect, there’s no wonder why I didn’t feel comfortable or confident…
I was intrigued when the Bodyform range boasts that the products in the liner range has been designed to be worn with any type of underwear, are extra-breathable like cotton underwear and formulated to keep your intimate skin pH balanced. I was relieved to hear that a company had finally addressed some of the issues with existing products on the market, as opposed to keep harping on about towels for heavy periods, because that was never my issue.
I can honestly say that Bodyform have totally nailed it. The daily liners are completely unnoticeable and it’s dead refreshing to see a brand talking about feminine hygiene in a positive light. I love that a brand is focusing on how they can not only put taboos in their graves, but also how they can support women feel better about themselves. The cute care package promotes freshness, as well as inspiring women to feel confident and bold. 👏👏
