Wave Goodbye To Period Hell With These Revolutionary Products

We're sorry period adverts, but we're never gonna “celebrate” the four-to-five-day-per-month crimson horror story that is menstruation. We would love to be shouting the news from the rooftops, 'I Got That Flow' style – dressed all in red and pouring tomato soup(?) literally everywhere to the pure disgust of the male population – but instead we usually hole up in bed with Mr Old Faithful (AKA our trusty water bottle) or drag ourselves through the work day with a box of painkillers in one hand and a multipack of XL tampons in the other. But does it really have to be this way?

Amid the painful throes of uterus Armageddon this morning, we decided that it absolutely does not; it's about time we all do our poor woman-troubled selves a favor and upgrade our period toolkit to the pro leagues – don't go telling your man about this though, because who else is going to buy us chocolate cake and give us sympathetic tummy massages? Here's our top pick of the new period products we should all be investing in – plus a couple of wildly underrated home remedies.

Livia

“Livia is the off switch for your painful cramps.” Sorry, come again? This nifty little electronic device got over 10 times its goal funds when it launched via an IndieGoGo crowdfunding campaign, and we're really not surprised. The scientifically-proven technology promises instant, pill-free pain relief. The lightweight and discreet device transmits a unique pulse that keeps the nerves “busy,” closing the nerve gate so that pain signals cannot pass through and are not felt. And you can't argue with the rave reviews. Could this be the end of period pain?

Livia is available here for $127 – and before you complain about the price, we would happily sacrifice a new pair of sneaks for a ticket out of Cramptown. 

Knixteen

Another brand that doesn't believe your period should stop you from living your life is Knixteen. This revolutionary brand uses advanced absorbent technology to create period panties for teens, not only offering backup protection against those infamous leaks, but also odor-crushing lining that keeps you feeling fresh for longer. 

Knixteen was one of the industry's first to create period underwear for teens. The entire product line was produced with teens in mind. Which means not only is the underwear made in junior sizing, but the advice Knixteen offers on its blog is designed to educate teens too, helping them feel confident with their bodies and their periods.

Shop yours here from $19.

Thinx

When it gets to really heavy flow times, we start to wonder why we even bother wearing sanitary products when our knickers – or worse, our favorite jeans – stubbornly insist on getting blood-soaked anyway. But never fear, Thinx are about to make life a whole lot easier with their revolutionary taboo-breaking product: tampon and sanitary towel-free super-absorbent and leak-resistant underwear. The reusable double-layered knickers absorb liquids and keep you dry all day long without feeling like you're sitting in your own blood. Amazing! And far from the Bridget Jones look, you can still feel fly in six different shapes.

Shop yours here from $24 with a sweet money-back guarantee. 

Diva Cup

You can't have missed the Diva Cup hype. The menstrual cup, named after a powerful Italian female deity, is fast becoming a leader in the period care market with its empowering brand ethos. The reusable Diva Cup also replaces the need for tampons and sanitary towels: a bell-shaped cup that is worn internally, low in the vaginal canal, to collect (rather than absorb) your menstrual flow for up to 12 hours' leak-free wear. Apparently it takes a little getting used to but it's already changing lives and, like Thinx, helping us save the environment.

The Diva Cup is available at selected stockists. Find out more here. 

Damiana Herb

If you like legal herbal highs, chances are you've heard of the Damiana herb. The South American-native herb can be smoked, giving a super-mild anti-anxiety “high” comparable to the initial relaxation of smoking marijuana. Its most common age-old application, however, is to be brewed as a stimulating aphrodisiac tea. We know what you're thinking: why on Earth are you trying to boost my libido when I've got Vagina Falls inside my pants?

Damiana tea is also a fantastic nerve relaxant and mood lifter: the perfect way to calm down those cramps and reduce the time-of-the-month moodiness and depression symptoms – it's a tried-and-tested PMS buster! Read more about the miracle herb and all its applications here and find out more about other herbal PMS remedies here. 

Ginger

Relax with a warm cup of ginger tea and you might find some relief from painful menstrual cramps. Ginger is an effective inflammation and pain-reliever and can also treat the nausea and upset stomach symptoms that sometimes accompany menstruation. Just chop off a couple of thumb-sized pieces, peel, then grate into a small saucepan. Bring it to the boil and simmer for one hour, then strain the ginger pieces from the tea and enjoy. You can also purchase prepackaged ginger teabags, but if you do have some man-shaped period assistance at home, we thoroughly recommend the first option for your utmost enjoyment.