Menstrual Hygiene Day With &SISTERS

The 28th May each year marks Menstrual Hygiene Day, and in acknowledgement of this, we have teamed up with sustainable and organic period product brand, &Sisters who offer some insights into why this day is so important. We had the opportunity to ask Lucy, the Co-Founder of &Sisters some questions, and we hope you find them as useful as we did. Read on to discover more.

What is the Importance of Menstrual Hygiene Day?

Launched in 2014, menstrual hygiene day is a worldwide initiative. It is celebrated on the 28th day of the 5th month every year, purposefully chosen to represent the average number of days of a menstrual cycle, being 28, and the average number of days, being 5, you menstruate for. The theme of Menstrual Hygiene Day this year is 'Action and Investment in Menstrual Hygiene & Health', with the purpose to raise awareness of the challenges and hardships facing those experiencing poor menstrual hygiene. Poor menstrual hygiene as a result of a lack of education, persisting taboos, limited access to hygienic menstrual products, and poor sanitation infrastructure hinders the educational opportunities, health and overall social status of women and girls around the world. In light of this, there are millions who are prevented from reaching their full potential.

Can you Give us Some Tips for Sustainable Period Care?

Skip conventional and mainstream products and switch to organic and reusable period care. Our organic cotton range is made from just one ingredient - 100% organic cotton. This means they’re free from bleach, pesticides and any nasty toxins! Research done by &SISTERS found that shockingly 80% of women mistakenly believe that the mainstream products they use are entirely made from cotton when in fact they’re often made of rayon and can contain up to 90% plastic. Hopefully, you'll agree that plastic is not something we should be putting into our bodies. After all, periods are natural, shouldn’t our products be too?

Can you Tell us a Bit About the Story Behind &SISTERS, and the Inspiration Behind the Name?

&SISTERS was founded by daughter-mother duo - Lucy and Claire Lettice launching back in 2018 after both women recognised the need to introduce a new kind of conscious period care, to a category that lacked innovation and was stuck in the dark ages! Although many think Claire and Lucy are sisters, hence the name, the name actually represents a metaphorical 'sistershood' of all those who menstruate, whether it's mothers and daughters (in the case of Claire and Lucy), sisters, friends, partners or anyone else - it is 50% of us after all!

Are There Any More Products in the Pipeline?

We are often asked what exciting products are in the pipeline, and this of course is top secret, but as soon as we can reveal the details of future launches, we will!

What is the Impact of Non-Sustainable Period Care on the Environment?

Mainstream products can be composed of up to 90% plastic and take over 500 years to break down - which only adds to our global waste and plastic problem! It's estimated that a woman uses approximately 11,000 disposable products in her lifetime meaning that the global impact of this is huge and we need to act now! The lifespan of 1 period cup can be up to 10 years saving 2500 disposable period products going to landfill, and that's why we’ve eliminated plastic from all of our products and packaging, from the certified organic cotton core of our tampons through to our bio-wrapped outer packaging on our pads and liners too. Our cotton is 100% organic and Soil Association certified - using 91% less water and 62% less energy in its production compared to conventional cotton! Oh and we’re 100% vegan & cruelty-free too ?