Menstrual & Intimate Care

Choosing Menstrual & Intimate Care Products

The most useful place to start is with the job you need the product to do. Period care includes internal protection such as tampons and external protection such as pads and liners. Intimate washes and wipes are for cleansing, while vaginal moisturisers have a separate moisture-care role. Dedicated bladder protection is different again.

Match period care to your flow

Menstrual flow often changes throughout a cycle, so it can be useful to have more than one absorbency or format available. Tsuno Organic Cotton Tampons come in Mini for lighter flow, Regular for medium flow and Super for heavier flow. Absorbency refers to how much menstrual fluid the tampon is designed to hold.

Choose the lowest absorbency suitable for your current flow and change tampons regularly according to the manufacturer’s directions. A tampon should never be left in for more than eight hours. These simple habits help reduce the risk of toxic shock syndrome.

For external protection, compare absorbency alongside length, thickness, wings and coverage. Tsuno Natural Bamboo Pads have a bamboo-derived top sheet and come in regular, super and overnight formats. Regular pads suit many everyday needs, while super and longer overnight designs provide additional absorbency or coverage. Natracare Maxi Pads offer a thicker, more cushioned shape than many ultra-thin pads. Neither style is automatically better: the difference is in how the pad sits, feels and fits your preferences.

Choose between pads and panty liners

Panty liners are thinner and generally less absorbent than menstrual pads. They can be useful for light spotting, the beginning or end of a period, or as additional protection with an internal menstrual product. Tsuno Natural Bamboo Panty Liners and Natracare Curved and Mini Panty Liners provide different shapes and levels of coverage. A curved liner follows the shape of underwear, while a smaller straight format may feel less noticeable.

For regular or heavier menstrual flow, choose a pad with a suitable absorbency rather than relying on a liner. Product ratings aren’t directly interchangeable: a Regular tampon and a Regular pad don’t necessarily hold the same amount.

Understand the materials

Organic cotton is cotton grown according to organic agricultural standards. It’s used in Tsuno tampons and selected Natracare period products. Bamboo-derived materials, including those used on Tsuno pads and liners, are processed into soft surface fabrics and shouldn’t be confused with raw bamboo fibre. Plant-based cellulose is also used as an absorbent material in selected products.

Finished period products combine several materials for absorbency, structure and performance. Natracare uses organic cotton covers and plant-based materials, including biodegradable plant-based backings, in relevant period products. Environmental features vary, so terms such as plastic-free, biodegradable or certified organic should be understood as product-specific rather than applying automatically across the category.

Gentle intimate cleansing

Intimate washes are developed for gently cleansing the external genital area, or vulva. The vagina is internal and naturally maintains its own environment, while the vulva can be washed with warm water or a suitable mild cleanser. A dedicated wash is an optional personal preference rather than something everyone needs.

YES CLEANSE includes Rose and Unfragranced formulations, while Kolorex offers botanical intimate-care options. Intimate wipes provide another external cleansing format, particularly when travelling or away from home. CleanLIFE Meno Clean Intimate Menopause Wipes are developed with changing personal care preferences around menopause in mind. Natracare Safe to Flush Moist Tissues are paper-based tissues with botanical ingredients. Their UK Fine to Flush certification is distinct from Australia’s AS/NZS 5328:2022 flushability standard, so flushability shouldn’t be assumed for other wipes.

Moisture care and changing needs

Vaginal moisturisers provide ongoing moisture care for vaginal dryness, which can become more relevant during perimenopause or menopause but may also occur at other life stages. YES Vaginal Moisturiser is available in a 100 mL tube and as individually measured prefilled applicators for internal use.

A vaginal moisturiser serves a different purpose from a rinse-off cleanser or a personal lubricant. Moisturisers focus on longer-lasting hydration, while lubricants are generally used for the immediate reduction of friction during intimacy. Detailed format comparisons are available in our natural lubricant category.

Menstrual protection and bladder protection are different

Bladder protection products are developed for urinary leakage, which is thinner and faster-moving than menstrual blood. Their absorbent structures are made to manage that difference, so a menstrual liner isn’t necessarily the most suitable substitute. If you’re choosing protection for light bladder leakage, look for a dedicated product with the right absorbency and fit. More detailed guidance can be added when Shop Naturally’s dedicated Bladder Protection category is available.