What’s Really in Your Menstrual Products?
We are so excited to welcome Izzy Sarrafzadeh, CMO and Co-Founder of Viv for your V, to our blog. She graduated from Chapman University in 2019 and soon after college joined a team that saw a massive opportunity to drive sustainability within the feminine product marketplace. The viv team decided to create an eco-friendly company to overcome the challenges millions of menstruators personally run into every single month. Viv is a sustainable subscription period care brand that focuses on the environmental impact they’re making from the product life cycle.
In Izzy’s words, Viv began with the founders on their own sustainability journey; they realized that menstrual care products have a massive impact on the planet. To give you some tangible numbers, 1 menstrual pad is equivalent to 4 plastic bags and can take up to 800 years to break down (woah). Majority of emerging “eco-friendly” period care brands carry organic products, but little do most people know that these products still contain a lot of plastic. Viv strongly believes this is a message that needs to be heard.
There is so much education that needs to be had around the impact of feminine products and we are thrilled to have Izzy on our blog to help spread awareness. She will be answering a few commonly asked questions below, which were submitted by you on our stories!
Q&A:
How did you get started?
When we began making sustainable switches in our lives, we noticed that the menstrual care space didn’t have many options. Currently exists the generic brands we, as menstruators, are often introduced to day one. They have built their products around menstruators insecurities. We also see some newer brands who are creating toxin free and chemical free products. This is desperately needed in the menstrual space! But because you can still find a lot of plastic being used in their products, a gap still exists. This is when Viv was born. Viv is a new earth-friendly period care brand created by Gen-Z menstruators for Gen-Z menstruators. Viv is rewriting our relationship with our periods by emphasizing inclusivity, sustainability, and breaking the stigmas surrounding menstruation. We are here to build a new wave of menstruators and disrupt the period care market you see today.
What does sustainable really mean for feminine products?
Something I have struggled with on my own sustainability journey is being okay with taking baby steps and small moves to help the planet. A lot of the generic period care brands still use a lot of toxins, chemicals, and plastics in their products. Our brand was built to give you, as menstruators, the most sustainable period care options on the market. Menstruation is a very personal process. We have a range of products to make you feel like you are making the most comfortable step for yourself, and the planet. We have our bamboo based pads and liners, which are 95% biodegradable, have compostable wrappers, and are plastic-free. We also have our zero-waste option, the viv cup. The viv cup is reusable and can last up to 10 years! And we are now launching our tampons! They are built with an 100% organic cotton core and a plant based BPA free applicator. Our goal is to provide you with options for you to create a more sustainable cycle.
What are the benefits of eco-friendly feminine care products?
Our bamboo based products are biodegradable, plastic free, break down in 5 months, and are toxin-free. The generic pad and liner brands can take up to 800 years to break down! We also carry a zero waste option of menstrual cups. By using a viv cup every cycle, think of all of the disposable period products you could be saving! And our tampons are built with a plant based applicator, which is a much more sustainable option than the plastic alternative.
Is your packaging also sustainable?
Yes! As a company, we prioritize sustainability from the products all the way to the packaging. All of our boxing is recyclable from the individual boxed items to the shipper and mailer boxes. Something we love to emphasize is that our pad and liner wrappers are also compostable!
Do sustainable feminine care products work the same as the standard products we are used to?
Great question, and the answer is absolutely. We want to bridge the gap between choosing products that perform well and are beneficial to the environment. Our product line performs the same as your competitors, if not better! Our viv cups are built to hold a range of from 20ml-25ml where most can range anywhere from 15-30ml. The cups can be in for up to 12 hours and honestly hold more than you would think, as a consumer myself! Our pads and liners are made out of bamboo and corn fiber so they are extremely absorbent! Viv liners can hold up to 13ml while most generic brand liners hold up to 2.6ml. Viv pads can hold up to 110ml while most others can hold up to 20.8ml! Our Viv tampons hold the same amount of liquid as our competitors, ranging from 6-12 grams depending on the absorbency.
Can you PLEASE explain menstrual cups and how they work?
ABSOLUTELY. There is NOT enough information out there about menstrual cups. I will admit, before I started diving into the sustainability space, I had never heard of a menstrual cup before. As a new user to the viv cup myself, I can say it is an absolute game changer.
A menstrual cup is a flexible cup shaped to be inserted in the vagina when you are menstruating to collect the blood, rather than absorb as other products do.
To start, make sure you boil your cup before first use to get rid of any bacteria. Then wash your hands! You can fold the cup in many different ways to insert it, make sure to practice with your cup before trying it out. My personal favorite is the triangle! Once inserted rim first, it should sit a few inches below your cervix. To make sure there is a suction to prevent leakage, run your finger around the bottom of the cup to feel it has expanded and is round. Depending on your flow, the cup can stay in anywhere from 6-12 hours! You can even learn more about your cycle by checking the mL lines when removing the cup. When you are ready to remove it, sit over the toilet, place one finger on the bottom of the cup and push in to release the suction created. Loop a finger into the ring stem and slowly remove. Dispose of the fluids in the toilet. Be sure to clean and sanitize the cup between uses and cycles with water and a gentle cleanser.
TIP: When just starting out with the cup, try removing and inserting it in the shower- beginning and end of your day! It makes it easier to manage the mess!
The viv cup is made of 100% medical grade silicone. It was built with ridges to help create a seal when inserted and a ring stem for a seamless removal and insertion process. They are also darker colored to help prevent any staining or discoloration.
What type of feminine care is the most eco-friendly?
Our zero-waste option, the viv cup is the most eco-friendly option on the market to date! They prevent the need to purchase disposable period care products, therefore creating less product, and more importantly, packaging waste. With proper care, they can last up to 10 years! Using a menstrual cup for one year instead of disposable period products can impact the environment 98.5% less and only costs 10% as much!
