Emergency Period Kits for Teens! Comparing Tampons & Pads, what’s the best?!

We get REAL here & share all the ins & outs. First you need to be prepared! It’s always important to be prepared, especially when it comes to puberty and periods. Even if you haven’t started your period, it’s crucial to have the materials necessary because it’s nearly impossible to tell when it will start. As a Large family, we like to be open, honest and prepared when it comes to growing up and how bodies change. If you have questions about what’s best or what we prefer with regards to tampons, pads, pantiliners, and other feminine products then continue reading, because we cover it all.

What’s In Our Emergency Kits?

The best way we’ve found to be prepared for puberty changes is to create an emergency kit. Usually, we get some type of toiletry bag that can hold all of our necessities, but even a pencil bag or any little pouch to keep all these items together is very beneficial. Some items that we find we like to add to our emergency kits are vaseline/chapstick/lipgloss (something to keep lips hydrated whenever needed), tide mini sticks, febreze fresheners, mini lint rollers, face cleansing brushes, cleansing water, deodorant, blemish patches, foil eye masks, tissues, body spray, and anything else we may need at any given time. Of course for the girls, we also include feminine products as well.

Feminine Necessities

For our family, we have different preferences when it comes to what feminine products we use. For the little girls, Cora and Evee, they only really need pads and pantiliners for their pre-puberty kits. For the older girls, when it comes to all the different kinds of feminine products there were some varying opinions, you should definitely watch the FULL video to see everyone’s opinions! 

Pads

The teens really only use the pantiliners and the occasional thin pad, they like the Kotex for flexibility. I, myself, feel the need to use a pad with the tampon or cup. Older women like myself have that wonderful opportunity to having heavier periods. I prefer Stayfree brand to most other pad brands as they feel the best & are great against leaks.

• Pure: Chlorine, bleaching, dye, and fragrance-free, cotton material, ultra-thin, wings, and sustainably sourced.
• Stayfree: Cotton material, thicker, a bit stiffer, wing and wingless, anti-leak channels, four-wall protection, and built-in odor neutralizers.
• Always: Has a large variety of kinds to choose from, more flexible material, thin, form-fitting, adaptable, and breathable. The Always Z pads are perfect for people who have a heavier period.

Tampons

We have tried most tampons out there. I’m moving towards the organic brands because let’s be honest…we should all be very aware of what we put into our bodies! Check each section to see who prefers what…but there are a few new brands out there that we just recently discovered & we will try those out and get back to you.

• Tampax (My (Rach) Preference): Five different absorbances, great comfortability, LeakGuard Braid, free of dye, perfume, latex, BPA, and elemental chlorine bleaching, and easy-to-insert applicator.
• Lola: Organic cotton, gynecologist approved, hypoallergenic, serious leak protection, cardboard applicator, or non-applicator tampons, and quality ingredients. 
• Playtex (Klai’s ride or die):  Designed for physical activity, moves with you, flexible fit, and leak barrier.
• Kotex: Great for travel, Comfortflex grooves, move with you, pocket-sized, the Click Kotex tampons go from compact to full-sized protection in one easy step, individually wrapped, fragrance-free, and made with 100% elemental chlorine-free bleached rayon.
• Juste (New product for Rykel): 100% cotton core, no dyes, fragrances, or chlorine bleaching, plastic applicator, and super absorbent.

Cups

My all new favorite. There are so many wonderful things to say about cups. They can be scary at first – but really once you get the hang of it, it can save you so much money and its so good for the environment because you aren’t putting a ton of waste out there.

• Diva: A reusable menstrual cup, which is more eco-friendly than disposable pads and tampons. More monetarily friendly, because it’s reusable. Up to 12 hours of protection. Chemical-free and medical-grade silicone.
• Pixie Cup: A reusable menstrual cup. Empty your cup, wash it, and reuse it. There are 3 different sizes. Can last up to ten years, and is eco-friendly.
• Flex (disposable cup): The rim’s ComfortSeal technology warms and forms to each body for the perfect fit. Made with no BPA, phthalates, or rubber latex, only 100% medical-grade polymers. Fewer cramps because it sits in the vaginal fornix instead of the canal. Has 12-hour protection because the catch collects three times more blood than a super tampon.

Cups and discs are intended to replace tampons and they can hold up to three times more than tampons. They are reusable, you can wear them all night or day, with zero waste, no strings. Go to putacupinit.com to find out what product and size would be best for you. These quizzes provide you with a perfect match for your body and your period.

Other Emergency Kit Products We Love

• Mixhers (Supplements by women for women): Drink mixes made specifically for women. They help balance out hormones, which makes for better periods and cramps and provides a happier and healthier period.
• Freshen Wipes: These are feminine body wipes. These wipes are designed to be gentle for your area down under.
• Body Spray: Have you ever left the house, been at work, gotten to school, and realized I didn’t put on deodorant or perfume. That is why we keep a mini body spray bottle in our emergency bags.
• Febreze: These are to-go fabric refreshers. Similar to the body spray, these are perfect to keep you and your clothes smelling good and fresh.   
• Tide Mini Stocks: Tide-to-go mini instant stain remover pen sticks are the perfect size to fit in your emergency kit bag. You never know when you’ll have a little spill, or make a little mess. 
• Tissues: If you’re a crier (like some of us) then you need to keep a pack of tissues available at all times. We needed to restock Klai’s tissues because Jothan is leaving for his mission very soon and she is going to miss him like crazy.
• Bandaids: I always find myself or someone around me needing a bandaid, and they’re nowhere to be found. Keeping bandaids in the emergency kit is essential, it is a life-saver…literally…kind of.
• Pain Reliever Medicine: We always keep ibuprofen or Tylenol in our emergency kits because you never know when period cramps are going to hit, when a headache will start, or when you’ll have any kind of bodily pain, so these are perfect to keep on hand.

There’s More

We have a bunch of videos surrounding these kinds of topics, such as periods, puberty, the sex talk, and more. We also have more information about boy’s puberty kits. We hope that our tips and suggestions will help you get through your periods. Our emergency/period kits are truly a game-changer when it comes to puberty. Getting everything ready and all consolidated in one place makes at least a couple of things easier when everything else during puberty seems out of whack.

We love sharing our thoughts on these and we want to hear what you have to say. Comment what’s your go-to product of choice! 

-rach