Tampons

If you think you’ve got a stuck tampon first things first: do not panic. Your tampon isn't going anywhere & it isn’t going to get lost inside of you. 

If you do forget to remove your tampon (at the end of your period for example) there’s a chance that it can become compressed at the top of your vagina and become harder to remove. It’s also possible for the string to end up inside your body, especially if you forget you already had a tampon in and insert another or have sex with a tampon in. 

Here’s what you should do if you have a stuck tampon:

1. Wash your hands thoroughly and get in a comfortable position - this may be on the toilet, laying down with your feet resting on a stool, squatting or standing with a leg up on the bath or toilet. 
2. Gently push as if you’re having a bowel movement. Sometimes this can be enough to push the tampon out. Be careful to not push too hard for too long.
3. If this doesn’t work, take a deep breath and relax your muscles.
4. Carefully insert one finger into your vagina (you might want to use some organic lubricant here to ease any discomfort) and slowly move it in a circle - you’re looking for any sign of a tampon inside your vagina.
5. If you found it, gently insert two fingers and pull on the tampon or string very gently.
6. Finally, use your fingers to check if there’s any pieces of tampon still inside your vagina. 

Never use foreign objects such as tweezers or tongs to assist with removing a stuck tampon.

If you’re experiencing any of the following symptoms then do not attempt to remove the tampon:

• An unpleasant smell or vaginal discharge.
• Pelvic or tummy pain.
• Pain when you pee.
• High temperature.
• Itching, swelling or redness around your vagina.

You will need to seek medical assistance for removal & treatment for possible infection and you should also seek medical assistance if you think you still have pieces of tampon inside of you. Having a tampon or pieces of a tampon inside of you can increase your risk of TSS (toxic shock syndrome) a life-threatening & serious infection.

Always use the tampon with the lowest absorbency to meet your needs. You might find that it helps to use different absorbency levels throughout your period – most people find their flow is heavier during the first few days. Here’s a quick guide to our absorbency levels:

Light - perfect for light flow days at the beginning or end of your period.

Medium - ideal if you’ve ever bought ‘regular’ or ‘normal’ tampons.

Heavy -  for the heaviest flows, choose these if you’ve ever found yourself soaking through pads & tampons quickly.

Absolutely! Our applicator tampons do require “unlocking” before you can insert but that’s easy too:

1. Hold the tampon by the grooved rings

2. Twist the inner tube to “unlock”

3. Insert into your vagina as normal!

No, inserting a tampon shouldn’t hurt and when inserted correctly should be barely noticeable. Even if you can feel your tampon, there should be no pain when inserting, wearing or removing, here’s a few reasons why you may experience discomfort on occasion:

• Your vagina is dry - this can happen at the beginning or end of your period when your flow might be light. 
• Your pelvic muscles are tense - if your pelvic muscles aren’t relaxed enough it can cause some discomfort. So, take a few deep breaths and completely release your pelvic muscles.
• You have vaginismus - a condition that causes involuntary contraction of muscles around the vagina when penetration is attempted. Individuals may feel a burning or stinging sensation.
• You’re suffering from vulvodynia - a persistent & unexplained pain in the vulva.
• You have vaginal cysts - a small sac typically filled with fluid either on or in the vaginal lining, a cyst can form if the vaginal wall is injured (childbirth, surgery or even a bacterial infection) although some cysts don’t cause any pain or discomfort and even go away on their own, a Bartholin gland cyst is a type that can return and cause pain.
• You have vaginitis - an inflammation of the vagina that causes discharge, itching & pain. 

Here’s a quick guide to inserting a tampon:

1. Wash your hands and remove the tampon from its wrapper.
2. Get yourself in a comfortable position.
3. If using an applicator tampon, twist & push to unlock the applicator
4. Use one hand to hold the tampon by the applicator and use your other to open the labia (the folds of skin around the vulva).
5. Gently push the tampon into your vagina and push the plunger of the tampon up to release from the applicator.

One of the easiest ways to know if your tampon needs changing is to give a light tug on the tampon string, if it starts to pull out easily then it’s time to change.

Around the 4 hour mark is a good time to check whether your tampon needs changing, however remember you should never leave a tampon in for more than 8 hours even if you haven’t filled it.

Tampons should be changed every 4-8 hours, however this does depend on your flow. If you’re experiencing a particularly heavy flow you may need to change in less than 4 hours, but you should never wear a tampon for more than 8 hours.

Yep, it’s absolutely safe to sleep with a tampon in, however there’s a few things to keep in mind:

1. Use the right absorbency for your flow. It’s super important to use the right absorbency that suits your flow, here’s a blog on how to find the best period care absorbency for you.
2. Insert the tampon just before you go to bed - you should only wear a tampon for 8 hours before replacing it with a new one.
3. If you’re dealing with a heavy period, you may want to wear a pad or period pants for extra security. 

Our tampons are made from 100% organic cotton. They contain zero irritants and zero plastic.

Our tampon applicators are made from 100% biodegradable cardboard and contain zero plastic. In fact, they’ve been voted “Best Eco-Friendly Tampons” by Good Housekeeping & Cosmopolitan magazine!

Organic cotton is naturally soft, pH-neutral, breathable and absorbent. Unlike commercially grown cotton, it’s been grown without the use of fertilisers, herbicides & pesticides.

Mainstream period care brands on the other hand, bleach their tampons using chemicals called dioxins to give them their signature white colour which are found to be highly toxic, disrupt hormones and even cause cancer. And it doesn’t stop there. These brands use a chemical cocktail of plastic, pH disrupting perfumes, dyes, fertilisers & pesticides which can create an environment where bacteria thrives and potentially cause nasty infections like thrush, BV or contact dermatitis. This is also bad news for anyone who suffers from dry skin as these chemicals will only cause irritation and worsen symptoms. 

Our organic cotton tampons are 100% organic cotton and have an added superpower: protective veils. A shielding layer of organic cotton, these veils prevent rogue fibres from staying behind (usually during insertion & removal) and potentially creating a breeding ground for harmful bacteria. Whilst your vagina is an amazing & self-cleaning organ and should be able to expel most things, it may be unable to flush out all pieces of tampon fibre left behind. Most mainstream brand tampons have no veil at all, so there’s nothing stopping fibres and even microplastics from staying behind and potentially causing infections. 

So, if you’re looking for period care that’s free from harmful chemicals, breathable & will not cause irritation, organic cotton is for you.

Tampon veils are a shielding layer of organic cotton that prevent rogue fibres from staying behind (usually during insertion & removal) and potentially creating a breeding ground for harmful bacteria. Whilst your vagina is an amazing & self-cleaning organ and should be able to expel most things, it may be unable to flush out all pieces of tampon fibre left behind. 

Most mainstream brand tampons have no veil at all, so there’s nothing stopping fibres and even microplastics from staying behind and potentially causing infections, however all of our tampons feature protective organic cotton veils. 

Organic cotton is a natural, breathable & hypoallergenic fibre, so that means there’s zero chance of the material affecting the delicate skin of the vagina with pH disrupting perfumes or dyes frequently found in mainstream period care. 

Our organic cotton tampons also have an added superpower: protective veils. A shielding layer of organic cotton, these veils prevent rogue fibres from staying behind (usually during insertion & removal) and potentially creating a breeding ground for harmful bacteria. Whilst your vagina is an amazing & self-cleaning organ and should be able to expel most things, it may be unable to flush out all pieces of tampon fibre left behind. Most mainstream brand tampons have no veil at all, so there’s nothing stopping fibres and even microplastics from staying behind and potentially causing infections.