Modern women today are getting more periods than ever. In the early 1800s, girls wouldn’t normally get their first period until they were 17 years old, while the average age nowadays is around 12.  According to scientists, this is due to several factors like improved nutrition and increased stress levels (yes, this can trigger the start of your period!). Aside from that, previous menstruating folks also spent the majority of their fertile years pregnant because of lack of contraceptives, thus putting their periods on hold for months at a time. As our experiences with periods have evolved, so have the products we use to manage our cycles. Gone are the days of using natural sponges, bandages, and lint-wrapped wood. Today, getting tampons is as easy as walking to your neighborhood grocery. You can even have safe, organic pads delivered to your home in just a few clicks. In fact, the “feminine hygiene” industry has reportedly reached a whooping $21.6 billion globally. 

So how exactly did we get here? Let’s talk a walk down menstruation memory lane. 

Ancient times: Wood, textiles, and animal fur

Around the world, various cultures and civilizations made their own form of menstrual products using natural resources that were available. Ancient Egyptians, for instance, were said to use papyrus fibers or lint wrapped around wooden sticks to create tampons. Meanwhile, in Chinese culture, people packed grass or sand and wrapped it in textiles to wear as protective pads. On the other hand, Native Americans would use buffalo skin, and other Indigenous tribes built lodges specifically for menstruating individuals, who would squat over mats made of absorbent grass. One thing that’s common across history is that menstruators always relied on mother nature to get them through that time of the month.

1800s to 1900: The start of the “feminine hygiene” market

Throughout most of the 1800s, Western societies started turning to homemade menstrual cloths fashioned out of woven fabrics and flannel. However, it wasn’t long before people began worrying about the bacterial growth from using these rags. With that, the “feminine hygiene” market was born. Interestingly, the first disposable pads were a wartime invention. In the midst of World War I, American paper products company Kimberly-Clark created bandages made from Cellucotton — a combination of wood pulp that was five times more absorbent than cotton bandages. These pads were attached to a belt-like device that held the pad in place, but historians claim that they were notorious for slipping as the wearer moved around. 

Between 1854 and 1915, 20 patents were filed for menstrual products — including rubber underwear, Johnson & Johnson’s gauze-covered “Lister’s Towels,” and the very first menstrual cup. A far cry from the silicone cups we know today, previous menstrual cups were typically made of hard rubber or aluminum (ouch). By this time, period products were being marketed door-to-door and began appearing in product catalogs, drug stores, and department stores. Unfortunately, because of the strong stigma surrounding menstrual hygiene, companies had to deal with tight advertising restrictions, which caused products like “Lister’s Towels” to be discontinued. Even Kotex’s first pads in the early 1920s were considered commercial failures. The sole exception to this was Nupak, a brand of disposable pads that only saw success thanks to their discreet packaging and advertising campaigns targeted at “dainty” women. 

In 1931, the first disposable tampons were introduced to the market. It comes as no surprise that there was a widespread misconception that using tampons caused one to lose their “virginity,” which manufacturers and medical experts had to constantly clarify. Package instructions also had to explain that users could still pee while wearing a tampon, emphasizing the difference between the vaginal opening and urethra. Though it took a while for communities to embrace tampons, these products signaled the start of a new kind of bodily freedom — allowing menstruators to go about their day without inconvenient waistbands getting in the way. 

60s and beyond: Approaching modernity

From there, period product innovations continued. Following Stayfree’s launch of the world’s first adhesive pad in 1969, various kinds of pads were introduced — from modern maxi pads and pads with wings, to heavy-flow pads and liners. Alongside this, more tampon brands also started hitting the market. But between 1979 and 1996, news of over 5,000 cases of Toxic Shock Syndrome linked to a specific tampon brand alarmed consumers. Of course, this brand was eventually pulled out of the market, and it did not discourage people from using tampons. Instead, the incident shed light on insufficient government regulations over menstrual product safety. This created a new demand for “natural” and safer alternatives, such as period sponges (an aquatic organism made of a substance called spongin). During this era in 1956, the menstrual cup also underwent a major makeover. First invented by actress Leona Chalmers in 1932, she then filed her second patent and improved the cup’s design by adding air vents to aid in removing the cup — a feature that is still currently used. It wasn’t until 2001 when the first medical-grade silicon menstrual cup was made and became the device that many menstruators love today. 

Present time: The resurgence of reusables

At present, consumers are spoiled for choice when it comes to how they want to manage their periods. Peruse the shelves of any drug store, and you’ll see an array of colorful tampon boxes and pads of all shapes and sizes. And while the reusable cloth pads of the 1800s were abandoned for single-use products throughout the 20th century, we’re now seeing a resurgence of reusables as more people become aware of the environmental impact of disposables. Whether you’re a menstrual cup advocate or a period panty convert, there’s a reusable product for every kind of lifestyle and preference. Not to mention, companies  have also started offering more eco-friendly pads made from biodegradable and plant-based materials (just like us at Halia!). Indeed, it’s a welcome return to nature that prioritizes people’s health and the planet. 

We have yet to see what the future of our flow will look like. But with products like pads with purifying Nannogenic technology, smart cups that track your cycle health, and tampon monitors slowly entering the mainstream, it’s sure to be an interesting one for all people who bleed.