We caught up with the eco-conscious brand to discuss all-things period care - from reusable menstrual cups to biodegradable tampons.
26
Feb
Madi Cardoso
Founded by a mother-and-daughter duo, &SISTERS create menstrual products that are better for your body, our planet and our sisters. In fact, they’re the only 100% certified-organic and 100% plastic-free period-care brand out there.
We posed some questions to the game-changing brand and got to learn all about its values, solutions and impact.
Q: Why should we make the switch from mainstream period products to &SISTERS?
{Answer} &SISTERS are the ethical, sustainable period care brand that’s better for our bodies & our planet.
Endorsed by medical professionals, &SISTERS’ organic cotton period-care products contain absolutely no nasties. Unlike mainstream products, &SISTERS’ cotton tampons, pads & liners are 100% plastic-free, certified organic, hypoallergenic, biodegradable & pesticide free. They’re also non-toxic, eco-friendly, bleach free, chlorine free & viscose/rayon free.
&SISTERS’ cotton products are also made from just one ingredient – 100% natural, organic cotton certified to the Global Organic Textile Standard (the gold standard).
It’s important to switch to &SISTERS’ more sustainable, natural range because everyday over 2.5 million tampons, 1.4 million pads & 700,000 liners are flushed down the toilet in the UK. Since mainstream products are made up of mainly plastic & chemicals, this unfortunately can end up polluting & damaging our rivers & ocean ecosystems.
We want to educate on the importance of choosing plastic-free, biodegradable & natural period care & to educate on how to correctly dispose of our sustainable products so we can help to look after our planet.
With one mainstream pad taking roughly 500 years to break down, why wouldn’t you switch to &SISTERS’ 100% biodegradable cotton range?
&SISTERS’ also offer a reusable period care solution – the nüdie menstrual cup. Designed by specialists in London to uniquely support & reassure you during your period, the nüdie cup has a silky smooth, super soft finish, with an easy-to-hold Pebble™ pull for extra comfort & three release holes to make it easier to remove. It’s 100% hypoallergenic, BPA-free & can be worn safely for up to 12 hours at a time. Ideal for those on-the-go!
Make the switch to &SISTERS & let’s keep it natural.
Q: You characterise your products as ‘conscious’ – what do you mean by this?
{Answer} “We want to be kinder to ourselves, to each other and to our environment & we want to be part of creating products that help us to be just that.” Claire Lettice, Co-Founder of &SISTERS.
Here at &SISTERS, we pride ourselves on being transparent & real so that you can trust the ingredients & production process behind our products. Not only are our organic cotton products 100% certified organic, but they also contain no harmful chemicals.
Choosing organic means that farmers are paid more fairly, more natural growing processes are followed, 91% less water is used, water quality is improved & fewer greenhouse gases are emitted.
Our tampons, pads & liners are all sustainably sourced & individually bio- or paper-wrapped, they’re recyclable and biodegradable too. The &SISTERS’ nüdie cup is made from medical-grade, naturally occurring silica – AKA sand!
We believe that we have two homes – the earth and our bodies – and we’re here to help you take care of both. Periods are natural, shouldn’t your period care be too?
Q: Let’s talk materials and processes – how do you choose what goes into/makes your products?
{Answer} We’re proud to offer the best-in-class period care product range.
We understand that what you put in & against your body matters & that’s why we only use 100% certified organic cotton.
Free from pesticides, fertilisers, perfumes, dyes, chlorine, dioxins, rayon, cellulose, wood pulp and super absorbent polymers (SAP), our tampons, pads & liners are individually bio- or paper-wrapped.
Our applicator tampons are made with biodegradable cardboard & our pads & liners consist of a biodegradable plant based waterproof back sheet – made from cornstarch.
Q: For those who are new to menstrual cups – could you summarise what they are and how they’re beneficial?
{Answer} The &SISTERS nüdie cup is the eco-friendly, reusable & ultra-reliable alternative to disposable tampons or pads.
Designed by specialists here in London, the nüdie is perfect for every day of your period & ideal for those on-the-go.
From light to heavy flow days, it can be worn for up to 12 hours at a time, providing leak-free protection that you won’t even feel. Unlike pads & tampons, the nüdie cup collects menstrual fluid rather than absorbing it & you can wear a liner for extra reassurance if preferred when you first use your nüdie.
Available in three sizes, the nüdie has a silky smooth, super soft finish, with an easy-to-hold Pebble™ pull for extra comfort & three release holes to make it easier to remove to uniquely support & reassure you during your period.
It’s 100% hypoallergenic, BPA-free & cruelty-free. Plus, over its 10 year span, the nüdie can help save over 2,000 disposable period products from going to landfill, helping minimise carbon footprints!
Every cup comes with an easy-to-use instruction guide and a small cotton bag ideal for storage on the go.
Q: You donate 10% of all profits to the &SISTERS Foundation – why is this important and what impact does it have?
{Answer} Period poverty is a global issue, with millions of women worldwide staying at home during their period because they can’t afford period products.
We believe that no woman should be held back by the virtue of her gender.
With UNICEF estimating that at least 1 in 10 girls in Africa and India miss or drop out of school because of their periods, we want to smash the taboos surrounding periods.
That’s why 10% of our profits go to supporting women’s health, education & economic empowerment, so our customers can feel good about doing good too.
Discover &SISTERS
It’s here! &SISTERS is now available at Gorgeous Shop – and we couldn’t be happier.