Is It Time To Rethink Everything You Know About Feminine Hygiene?

So yes, it is time to rethink everything we know about feminine hygiene. Not because we’ve been “doing it wrong” but because we’ve finally learned how to do it better. Read more.

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For decades, feminine hygiene has been sold with a whisper and a tacky floral print. Soft pink packaging. Euphemisms like “that time of the month.” Dainty pad commercials with blue liquid. The industry, and much of society, believed that menstruation needed to be dressed up, softened, concealed.

Ketan Munoth, co-founder at Plush, shares why it is the time to rethink everything you know about feminine hygiene.

But we’re not in that world anymore. At least, we shouldn’t be

Feminine hygiene is undergoing a revolution, and it’s about time we stop tiptoeing around it and start walking in, loud and proud. Because the truth is, frills and flowers are no longer enough. For the millions who menstruate, this isn’t about aesthetics. It’s about dignity, comfort, access, and functionality. It’s time we rethink everything we thought we knew about feminine hygiene.

Function Over Frill: The New Gold Standard

There was a time when the most “innovative” thing about a sanitary pad was its scent. A vague lavender-musk meant to make people feel a little less weird about the fact that it was designed to absorb blood. Products were made more to be discreet than to be effective.

Today’s menstruators are demanding and deserve more. We’re seeing a pivot from aesthetic embellishment to genuine utility. Period panties that provide 12-hour protection and absorb the equivalent of three pads. Menstrual cups that offer comfort and sustainability. Heating pads that are ergonomic, wearable, and targeted to relieve cramps efficiently.

This shift isn’t just welcome, it’s essential. A generation raised on choice and individuality is no longer willing to settle for “one-size-fits-all” hygiene. Whether you're curvy, athletic, postpartum, perimenopausal, or anywhere in between, your body has specific needs. And finally, brands are beginning to respond with products that accommodate different body types, flows, and sensitivities.

Awareness Was the First Step. Education and Change Must Follow

We’ve spent the last decade talking more openly about periods on social media, in schools, and boardrooms. That’s progress. But awareness without education is just noise.

Menstruation is still shrouded in misinformation. Many young menstruators still don’t know how to track their cycles, understand what’s normal and what’s not, or when to seek medical advice. In many parts of the world, menstruation continues to be a reason for exclusion - from school, from sports, from society.

Change begins when awareness meets actionable education. Education must go beyond “here’s how to use and dispose of a pad.” It should include conversations about menstrual health, reproductive rights, and how to advocate for one’s own body. Only when we pair open dialogue with tangible resources can we begin to truly empower.

Loud, Proud, and Period Positive

The days of sneaking pads in black plastic bags have not gone completely, but we’ve made progress. We’re living in an era where brands are engaging with their menstruating audience in ways that are not performative. 

Being loud and proud about periods isn’t about making others uncomfortable. It’s about normalizing what’s natural. It’s about creating space for conversations that help dismantle the stigma. When people speak openly about their period stories about the cramps, the mood swings, the leaks, the wins, they permit others to do the same.

Advocacy Shouldn’t Be a One-Gender Job

Periods aren’t just a “women’s issue.” They’re a human issue. Because while not everyone menstruates, everyone exists in a society that’s shaped by how menstruation is treated.

That means advocacy must be intersectional. It must include men, partners, fathers, teachers, and policymakers. When men speak up about period products, or make sure that schools have accessible menstrual care for all students, or simply keep pads in their home bathrooms without shame, that’s progress. When companies offer paid menstrual leave or build inclusive policies, that’s allyship.

We can’t keep putting the onus of change solely on those who menstruate. If we want a world that respects menstrual health as fundamental health, everyone needs to participate in the conversation and in the solutions.

The Future of Feminine Hygiene Is Bold

So yes, it is time to rethink everything we know about feminine hygiene. Not because we’ve been “doing it wrong” but because we’ve finally learned how to do it better.

Better means products that work with, notagainstst their bodies. It means conversations that are inclusive, educational, and stigma-free. It means placing function above frill and truth above taboo.