Freda Organic Period Care Is Tackling Period Poverty Worldwide
Here at Mookychick, we’re sick of how little say women get to have in what happens to their own bodies. From medieval abortion laws to birth control options that prioritise profit, women are told their physical needs and desires are a not-so-close second. When it comes to anything physical, like periods, it’s important to know what you want and make sure you get it.
Periods aren’t a joke, and they’re not taboo. They’re just body stuff that happens and needs to be cared for in ways appropriate to the person. That’s why we love the work of upfront period activists like Tara Costello. It’s also why we love period care that breaks away from the hold that big brands have over supermarket chains.
You need organic period care? That’s very reasonable, since tampons are something you stick inside yourself. You want to explore a range of options to see what works best for you, from pads to tampons to period cups? It sounds a sensible request. A key part of period positivity is sharing our experiences (if we feel comfortable to do so) and talking it out – so that everyone knows what period care options are available.
Now we’re here to talk about Freda Organic Period Care and why we’re glad it exists.
The Freda manifesto – access to period care is a basic human right.
Women and those who menstruate in developed countries and aren’t displaced are immensely privileged when it comes to having safe periods. We have running water available on tap. We can wash our clothes and bodies in a regular basis in our own homes. We have the money and information resources to explore options like organic period care. Not everyone has that freedom of choice.
Affi was inspired to start the business after she saw refugees stuck at border crossings on the news. She came from a refugee background herself, and considered how any menstruating refugees would struggle to get access to period products, which weren’t included in hygiene kits provided by the UN and relief organisations. She researched further, and discovered that common period products are made on the cheap, with added chemicals that aren’t needed and don’t have to be disclosed to the user.
In order to actively make a difference to global period poverty, Freda campaign for universal access to period care products. They donate a portion of all profits to initiatives fighting to address period poverty. That’s why they’ve partnered with Bloody Good Period and A Bloody Good Cause in the UK, and Kilipads in Tanzania. They’re also the first non-fashion brand to join Fashion Revolution, a movement advocating for greater transparency, sustainability and ethics in fashion.
Freda period care products are chemical-free, renewable and bloody good.
Freda products contain no chemicals. Their tampons are made from 100% certified organic cotton. They’re biodegradable, hypoallergenic and contain none of the chemicals and synthetic fibres commonly found in tampons. Freda period pads also contain 100% eco-friendly and renewable materials.
We put them to the test…
Mookychick’s Freda Flow Test
Our hugely unscientific method of trialling Freda’s period products was a three step process:
- Have a period.
- Use Freda’s products in place of big-brand tampons and pads.
- Say what we thought.
The results? Well, Freda period care products definitely work. They hold the flow, and they feel comfortable to use. We tried a stroke test on the tampons before insertion, because the human skin is so sensitive! Compared to big-name brands, the Freda 100% organic cotton tampons somehow felt nicer. Very slightly more fluffy and less slick, but indefinably more welcome to the touch.
We tried out the tampons (which come in three sizes), day pads, heavier night pads and panty liners. For a heavy flow, pads worn in combination with super-sized tampons were our jam. For the peak flow days, we went with super+ tampons.
With the period pads in particular, you could really tell that this stuff would be likely to biodegrade one day once it went into landfill. It felt so natural on the skin. Regular pads have that awful plastic feel where you just know it’s a present Mother Earth doesn’t want to receive. Guess what, though? The pads aren’t made out of cotton. As cotton doesn’t have the same absorbency as non-cotton, the pads are made from 70% renewable materials (as opposed to 30% industry standard). They also have an eco-friendly starch-based biofilm back sheet.
We used approximately the same number of tampons/pads we would with any other big-name brand, so we think that it would be quite easy to know how much to order for your subscription box.
The Freda period care subscription box
So how do Freda period care products actually work?
You have two options to buy:
- Order a one-off purchase
- Create a subscription box
You can create your subscription box to order. If you create your own subscription box, you get a lot of leeway. You can choose up to four products in sets of four to make up a box of 16 products, which will cost you £6.99 a month.
That means you can, for example, have eight super-absorbency tampons, four super+ tampons, and four night pads every month for £6.99.
How often do you get your Freda box? Well, you can say how often you want it (e.g. every month) or you can use Freda’s Period Calculator to sync it to your cycle.
You can, obviously, cancel or tweak your subscription at any time. And it’s bloody good to know that a portion of the money you spent goes to initiatives working to eradicate period poverty around the world.
Visit the Freda Period Care Website to learn more.
