The History of Period Products

There comes a time when you realize you've been doing something the same way for years. Not since it's the best way, but since it's the only way you were ever shown.

This is the kind of story we have with pads and tampons.

Most of us probably didn't sit down to go over all of our options. Instead, we were given a box with a quick explanation, and from there, it became a part of our monthly standard. We learned how to plan ahead, to carry extras, to deal with the little annoyances, and eventually it became routine. Not necessarily comfortable or ideal… just normal.

As women start to rewrite the script, we begin to ask questions… Who designed pads and tampons? Were they designed with us in mind? And do these products still make sense for us today? These questions open the door to a much bigger conversation.

Where Pads and Tampons Came From

For most of history, before commercial products existed, women relied on homemade solutions like cloth pads made from old rags or other absorbent material. These were used, washed, and reused. Things started to shift in the early 1900s when nurses during World War I noticed that cellulose, used in medical care, was highly absorbent and worked well for period care. This led to the first mass-market disposable pad (1).

The modern tampon entered the picture in 1931 when Earle Haas filed the patent for the design we are familiar with today. He experimented with cotton fibers and a string for removal, and introduced the idea of an applicator to make insertion easier, something that would later evolve into plastic applicators. The patent and trademark rights were eventually bought by Gertrude Tenderich, founder of the brand we all know today, Tampax (2).

Designed in a System That Left Women Out

It's important to understand that much of this development happened when women's health wasn't being studied or prioritized the way it should have been. Up until the 1990s, women were often excluded from clinical trials (3), and a lot of medical research was based on male bodies and then generalized to women's bodies. Add in the stigma around periods and how rarely they were discussed openly, and it's not surprising that period care hasn't evolved as quickly as other areas of health and wellness.

These innovations were still significant at the time, but they were shaped within a system where women weren't deeply included in research or product development. As a result, design often prioritized convenience, profitability, and social norms over comfort, transparency, and how products actually feel on our bodies.

For a long time, the conversation wasn't about what is best for our bodies. In fact it was not a conversation at all. It was just pads or tampons, since those were the only options. That was it. That's why having more options today is creating a real shift in how we think about period care.

More Options, and More Room to Choose

From the early 2000s to the present, we now have menstrual cups, menstrual discs, reusable cloth pads, organic cotton alternatives, and period underwear. It gives you more options to choose what feels best for your body and your lifestyle.

And to be clear, this isn't about saying pads and tampons are bad, or that you need to throw out what you've always used. There is a reason they have been the default for decades. They are accessible, familiar, and for many women, still the go-to. It's more about realizing that just because something has been normal for a long time doesn't mean it's the only option you have, or the best one.

Pads and tampons were created in a different era, with different priorities, and without the full understanding we have today of our bodies. And honestly, now that we have more information and more choices, it makes sense that we are starting to ask more questions. Especially when newer alternatives, like period underwear, can make the whole experience feel a little easier, a little more comfortable, and a lot less like something you have to manage.

That's really what this shift is about. Not that we were doing it wrong before, but realizing you don't have to settle in the same way anymore. Whether you stick with what you know, mix different options together, or move toward things like period underwear, the point is the same. You finally have the space to choose what actually feels better for your body and fits more naturally into your life.

Coming Full Circle

It almost comes full circle. Before commercial products existed, women relied on reusable cloth-based solutions that were washed and reused. Her Bloom period underwear brings back that same idea of reusability and practicality, but with modern materials, design, and comfort built in.