A Definitive Guide To Sanitary Products Through The Ages

In biblical times menstruation was more than monthly cramps; it was a spiritual practice. The theory of close females syncing their cycles originated from the Red Tent Movement in Egypt. When Aunt Flo’s made her monthly visit, the women from the community would gather in the Red tent and basically hang out together until they stopped menstruating. Is it weird we think that a period party sounds kind of awesome?!?

The Ancient Egyptians invented disposable tampons from softened papyrus, a popular plant they also used to make paper with. It’s a novel idea but we don’t think the stinging nettles growing in our gardens would do the job wince.

The Ancient Greeks used lint wrapped around a small piece of wood to make tampons. Innovative? Yes. But we can’t imagine it would be very comfortable….

In the wild West menstruation was something the cowboys couldn’t quite wrap their Stetson-clad heads around. Girls had to bleed into their knickers, but black knickers were seen as more discreet.

Menstrual pads with suspenders became commercially available in Europe & the USA, and their use became more widespread.

Thanks to the menstrual belt, the cumbersome period products of 19th century females began to get smaller, giving women more of a fighting chance of concealing their time of the month if they wished to. But it was still worlds away from the modern tampon.

Like most worn out expressions there’s an old wives' tale behind this candid phrase. War and depression took their toll in women in the 20th century, and as a result their periods were lighter, and started later. Women as a whole bled less so it was deemed prudent to stop buying sanitary protection and shove an old rag in their knickers to absorb the blood instead. Thrifty…

In 1921 disposable pad became more popular following WWI (Kotex pads were invented and marketed widely). The pads only began to sell well after women were allowed to deposit money in a box for them without speaking to a shop assistant. The Kotex pads were developed from wartime bandages which American nurses in France had started to use as menstrual pad.

Menstrual sponges were (and still are) developed to absorb menstrual blood. We don’t really understand the physics behind it but we can’t stop picturing a phallic bulge forming around our crotches if we tried this one.

In 1931 tampons became commercially available in the USA, and women’s handbags found their new best friend.

In 1937 the first menstrual cups came on the market. The cups are still available today although they've never gained the popularity of sanitary towels and tampons.

Womankind rejoiced when self-adhesive sanitary towels became available on the market. Menstrual products finally found gravity and you no longer had something gross floating around in your pants, ready to make a leap for it at any moment.