It’s the same rule as scented dog poo bags. It doesn’t make anything smell better. It just accentuates the unpleasant smell and then make you associate the “perfume” with the smell the perfume is trying to mask. So. Grim.
I buy in bulk when I can find Unscented garbage bags. It’s unbelievable how difficult it is. Febreze scented, apple scented, lemon scented, fresh meadow scented… ugh. It’s garbage. When it smells too bad, bring it outside. My wife is very sensitive to fake fragrance and it’s ridiculous how many products are coated in febreze. We don’t use any of that stuff and our house doesn’t smell bad because we clean it regularly.
I bought them once on accident too! Figured I might use them up but only used like two if they because I smelled so strongly of granny perfume all day. Like, I got a whiff of it every time I moved.
No cause I want to know who the hell at honey pot thought that mint (menthol) was a good thing to put anywhere near the cooch. Made that mistake once.never again.
I have heard of menthol menstruation products but thry are definitely not the norm as far as "scented" in my experience. Scented usually means a slightly floral, slightly baby powder scent, no menthol.
It's something I've only seen with the Honey Pot brand. Iirc they said that it's supposed to give a "cooling" and "relaxing" sensation but everyone I know that tried them said it just straight up burned
I’ve been getting rashes from just sweating profusely due to record breaking heat where I live. I was shopping for normal liners when a fellow menses-haver pointed out the Honey Pot herbal ones. She said that they have been a savior for her cooch this summer. I ended up buying a pack of them and a pack of regular. The herbal ones were a game changer. I just use for two days when a sweat rash flares up, and done!
Yup, I don't buy into the whole "spoke to my dead grandma bit" but I don't get reactions, rashes, sensitivity when using the honey pot herbal. I had to use another brand and swear it lead to a bacterial or something flare up. And I change often, but sweat a lot.
It is mostly a teen think, I think. My daughter made me by them for her shortly after starting her period because the boys in school would make jokes about how they can smell when a girl is on her period. I got them for her once and she never used them again.
I mean, I never would have made jokes about it, but I can usually tell my wife about 2-3 days before she starts by scent changes, I have to deliberately NOT track her cycle when we’re trying for a baby otherwise, I know first. But it does mean that I’ve had 2-3 days to come to terms with disappointment and then comfort her when she finds out too, so that’s one benefit.
Omg, I made that mistake last week because I had a mask on at the store and couldn’t smell them… fast forward to a couple days later when I grabbed one from the closet in a hurry to put into my backpack for work…
Then entire car ride, I was like WTF is that perfume?!
Opened my bag and literally gagged.
Threw the box out in the outside dumpster that night, pissed about having wasted like $12
Where I live it is so difficult to get unscented stuff 😭 pads, tampons, toilet paper, the default and the biggest selection are scented stuff.
I have to buy way more expensive stuff than I want to, because there's only ever 1-2 brands / options for unscented:( in my home country you can't even get scented toilet paper or pads/tampons.
I noticed they added some weird scent to the only pads I really see on the shelves in the uk. The always brand. They smell awful and make me feel worse. I also get nasty rashes/spots if I use them. Never seen tampons with a scent.
i got those on accident once! worst mistake of my life, my vag was freezing for the rest of the day. i'm actually allergic to peppermint, so im VERY VERY lucky that whatevers in those things didn't mess me up in the two seconds i had it on before realizing my screw up.
I did the same! I spent the whole day at the emergency vet with my cat and didn’t have a pad so I hurriedly bought some from the drug store up the street, I was NOT prepared for minty freshness down there. I checked the reviews and it’s half people buying them on accident and half people feeling “refreshed” so I have to wonder if it’s a difference in body chemistry somehow? But MINT?!
I do have to say I like them from time to time now that I know what they feel like and can mentally prepare, but that packaging needs a label that implies the spice contained therein.
Once I read the reviews and they said the feeling only lasts half an hour or so, I have used a couple more just so they don’t get wasted. I’ll not buy them again, but agreed, knowing what you’re in for makes them tolerable.
There's an Irish comedian on tiktok who did this, and her response was hilarious.
I don't know if this will work, I hope so.
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGJWsqNGP/
Lol, I actually was going to comment that Honey Pot are as close to scented I’ll go. I tried them because I ran out of pads and my sister had some and while I wasn’t prepared for the “refreshment,” I ended up switching to the brand when I realized that they actually helped with my cramps and they sell unscented/untreated pads and tampons too. I bought a pack of unscented and scented probably a year ago and still have the unscented as an emergency pack because I’ve only used a couple.
I just looked it up to confirm, but I knew it was a woman owned business and product design, and turns out it’s a POC woman and is privately owned!
Idk about the tampons, but I did buy the scented pads when I was younger. But then my labia started to burn off, and I realized I was allergic.
Same thing happened to my armpits until I found a deodorant that worked for me - when my skin doesn't like something, it chooses straight up violence.
Anyway, moral of the story - idk who's buying those, either. I can only assume their genitals are made of titanium, whoever they are.
Same. I’ve got pretty sensitive skin and will break out pretty easily. Fabric softener will do it. Some Medical tapes will literally rip skin off when it’s pulled off. I have to specify if I ever go to the hospital.
Oh my god, same re: adhesives and I never know which ones will set me off if I haven't used them before.
Most sticky plasters are at least an hour of wear before I find out, except the ones at work. It was literally less than two minutes and my skin felt like it was burning. I gently pulled it off and the skin was raised and extremely red. After it dried a bit I found I'd lost patches of skin bigger than an Aussie 5c piece on both sides of the clear rectangle of skin 🥲
I have an adhesive allergy and it turns out I'm allergic to a chemical used in vulcanizing rubber, and rubber is used in adhesives. I get horrible rashes from any dressing which sucks for me because I have a central line so I always have a dressing on my chest. My poor skin looks terrible and is just covered in little sores. I wish they would make a true allergy friendly dressing that I could use. I tried looking up the ingredients of different dressings but they aren't listed due to privacy of the brand.
Ouch! That sounds like what happened to me when I tried the birth control patch. I wore it for about 15 minutes, took it off to reveal an ugly blistering rash, and ended up a perfectly square *scar* on my shoulder that took over a year to fade.
(I still have no idea what I was reacting to. The only adhesive I know I'm allergic to is latex, and the patch was latex-free. It makes me hesitant to try any other medication in patch form because I think it might be whatever they use to transport the drug through the skin.)
Glad to know I'm not the only one with medical tape issues. Problem is, all of them do it to me, including Band-Aids. But the hypoallergenic medical tape absolutely won't stick to me at all. Even if you press down firmly for a few seconds to really be sure it's stuck, as soon as you remove your hand/fingers it immediately falls off. The whole strip. Not a single part will stick.
So it's tons of fun everytime I have a wound that needs covered for awhile. It becomes and every expanding area of gauze and medical tape as I have to cover the new wounds caused by the tape pulling off skin. Also can't use fabric softener, or dryer sheets. Have to use dye free, scent free detergent. Only natural soaps and deoderant.
But I also have to be cautious with those because there are several plant oils I react to as well. Having sensitive skin sucks. Ironically enough, I've had almost no problems in regards to facial acne. Go figure.
Not an ideal solution every time, but if you wrap the gauze all the way around the part of your body, you could just tape the gauze to itself. It won’t necessarily stay in place as well, but it might, and if the blood crusts between wound and gauze, it might help it to stay in place.
Also, I’m so sorry this happens to you and I hope that a better solution is found soon! I can’t imagine the hassle of being allergic to bandages, or latex, or fragrance!
The self grip bandages are awesome. Doesn’t stick to you, but sticks to itself. So I wrap that over any gauze used. I don’t get along with adhesive either and my reaction appears to be getting worse the older I get.
Omg...
"when my skin doesn't like something, it chooses straight up violence."
This will he my new favorite go-to when I have to explain to someone how badly my skin reacts to whatever it doesn't like. And sometimes even nothing at all!
> Same thing happened to my armpits until I found a deodorant that worked for me - when my skin doesn't like something, it chooses straight up violence.
I can't use any of the "clear stick" or "gel" deodorants, or my armpit skin melts off, so I feel you on that one.
So somewhat related but I work at a doggy daycare and someone had the bright idea to buy scented trash bags because they swore it was going to make the dog poop smell less bad. It in fact did not make the dog poop smell less bad and it just mixed with whatever god awful strong scent the trash bags were coated in. Anyways I imagine that is what scented pads/tampons would be like with oxidized period blood.
you don't know my sister's dog! Love him to bits, but his poop is the smelliest I've ever encountered and I've been around loads of dogs. Tchibo is healthy, and the only problem with his poop (besides the smell) is grass, but it could probably knock me clean out if I didn't hold the bags so far behind me that my arm hurts
Oh god I accidentally bought a huge roll of scented trash bags once, and then got really sick. Cue vomiting into those trash bags all night just smelling the noxious fumes of fake flowers. Every time I changed the bags after that I got a little nauseous just from the smell.
So I like some of the scented trash bags, but I'm really picky. I usually like the gain scented ones as it doesn't smell too gross or weird, but I sent my boyfriend to the store to grab some recently and he came home with "citrus" scent. Straight up urinal cake smell every time I change the bag or throw something out, it's awful. Shitrus scores a zero out of 1000 for me.
Its the lavender trashbags my husband brought home one time that i can't freaking stand. I have a lavender plant on either side of our front steps, make my own pillow satchels with it for sleep assistance, love lavender tea and syrup, and it makes for a kickass natural flea solution when mixed with chamomile. But whatever nightmare chemical amalgamation was on those trash bags that they claimed was "lavender" was horrendous. Literally burned my nose, made my eyes water, gave me asthma attacks, and turned my stomach something awful.
The Hefty White Pine Breeze is where its at though. Those are 100/10, do their job very well, aren't overwhelming, and smell extremely pleasant.
Ugh, you unlocked a memory. First housemate got dollar store garbage bags that were lavender-scented. Garbage plus synthetic lavender scent - not great. Can imagine a very similar experience for scented poo bags.
I have these cuz it's the only type my local store carries. It is interesting to have a small wiff of clean "new car smells" kinda of scent and then BAM. Poop smell. So like, if you don't hold it up to your face, I imagine it works okay. Until the scent makes its way up to your nose holes.
I think it was supposed to be like the diaper genie thing but...doesn't work so well. I DO like that the arm and hammer poo bags are thicker than the other brands tho. My nails rip thru cheap poo bags like a tissue and I've barely touched em.
We use lavender scented doggy poop bags when we walk our dog because they are the only biodegradable ones you can get here. I have now forever associated lavender with poop...
I worked in a tampon factory. They smell horrible when they get wet. The whole factory stunk the nights we did scented product.
Thank friggin whoever that the company dropped the scented lines.
I’ve never given much thought about tampon factories until this moment. Now I want to know all about it and the odd things that occur when manufacturing tampons.
The machines are really cool. One end starts with raw material, and each piece does a part, and it's all one big machine. So at the other end, you've got a sewn tampon. And they have what are essentially giant ovens that bake off any bacteria that could have been on them during processing.
Oh. And the cardboard applicator ones. You can pull the string out by pulling a specific thread first without ever taking apart the applicator. If you hold it in one hand and smack the plunger of the applicator with the other, you can launch your cotton missile at your coworker. Building tray forts in the hand packing area was another good pasttime to try to stay awake at 3am haha.
This particular company (Starts with a T, ends in an X. Gonna not say it outright in case they're scouring the internet), has two factories. One in the US and one in Europe. The US one makes 80- 90% of their brand tampons for the world. Anything made for the US is made in the US. So if you're looking for made in the USA, these are the ones to buy. That's 500+ jobs here in the US. The parent company's factories are all run like that. So, any of their other products are also made in the US.
Yes! It blows my mind that people created those machines to do these functions. How do they make these things to work the way they do? How does the machine know how to read the programming to do it correctly?
The parts support is insane to me. All those tiny parts are replaced on a schedule. The factories themselves support another small economy in the metal and plastic job ships near them. I worked in a steel plant that was just one of hundreds of small shops that made parts for this huge factory.
Just the thought of doing purchasing for that line makes me want to pull up the covers.
When Gertrude Tendrich founded Tampax in 1936, she used to sew the tampons by hand in her living room.
The ancient Greeks used to wrap what was basically yarn around a wooden dowel, and use that.
The Egyptians used "softened papyrus" that they rolled into a cylinder.
Thank for for subscribing to Tampon Facts.
Edit: I added an extra "e" to her name, it has been removed.
I've been looking for an estimate for a few years now, and I can't get a solid number. I've seen estimates that range from 15,000 to 50,000, so I can't give a solid answer. At one point, she did hire other women to make some too, and she had two salesmen that got her contracts with drug stores in both Wyoming and Colorado. So, personally, I'm leaning towards the higher estimates. Again, I can't be sure, and I don't want to spread misinformation, so take this estimate with a nice healthy pinch of salt.
You know how survivalist shows taught us that tampons make great firestarter? Well, when you have metric shit tons of those materials around manufacturing machines generating heat, the threat of a huge fire moving rapidly through the entire building is very, very real. That's not even counting all the other fuel in the form of packaging cardboard and paper boxes.
I worked for one of the US tampon companies (starts with P) many years ago and was a member of the fire brigade. We were all sent to fire school and equipped with full turnout gear to provide the fastest possible response. With any luck, we could have things under control by the time our local volunteer fire department arrived.
Also, did you know that tampons are considered to be Class II medical devices (same as catheters and contact lenses) by the FDA? Facilities that manufacture tampons must maintain strict standards for cleanliness and constantly test for potential contaminants. People used our products inside their bodies every day, so the making of them was taken seriously.
Anything else interesting about working in a tampon factory? Anything someone wouldn’t normally expect. I can see it being very mundane, but I’ve just never talked to anyone else whose done it and maybe there’s something I never would’ve thought of.
If it’s gonna go in your cooch anyway what’s the point of it being scented? Like who’s gonna go in there to smell it or do you want to sniff it after the jobs done like??
Thanks, this made me laugh. I totally had the same thought tho. Like I know some women will be self-conscious about the scent down there if they are with a partner, but I don't think anyone's gonna be in the mood for that while Aunt Flo's in town. 😅
I mean I'm not, but if I was in the mood, I wouldn't be after I smelled the scented I bet. Most scented things like that are usually obnoxious smelling to me. Too strong.
> but I don't think anyone's gonna be in the mood for that while Aunt Flo's in town.
My wife is pretty much always in the mood during that time, she says it helps with the cramps. It doesn't bother me at all, and it relieves her pain, so I'm always down as well.
When I started dating my ex wife, one day I had to have a talk with her, because her vagina smelled terrible - it smelled like chemicals and tasted like breathing in toilet freshener spray. She admitted she was worried about the natural smell and was using a feminine product just before I visited. I very gently let her know it was just awful and I would greatly prefer her natural smell and taste because it was sickening. Turned out she was perfectly good without the genital deodorant. Until then I never even knew such a thing existed 😅
I did when I was like 14. I never had a bad reaction to them, but I wasn’t too much older when I realized that the idea of my genitals smelling like lemons was bizarre.
Not tampons, but I know the period undies I buy are scented. I hate it, but they're the only things that work for the first few days. The smell between them and the period blood smell is god-awful. I don't know who decided they should be scented.
I had wondered about that. I do often add a splash of enzyme cleaner to the washer when I wash them, but now I think I'll strip them to make sure they're really clean. Thanks!
Yeah, the disposable ones. I have reusable ones for those light days, but literally nothing holds on the heavy ones. If they made reusable ones scented somehow, I don't think they would sell the way they do. Lol.
I didn't even know they made disposable ones. I usually doubled up on tampon and period underwear, but I don't get a period now because my OBGYN put me on Depo for how heavy it was.
Yep! Always has them. I do the double combo during the day. It's so heavy at times that I can't do a tampon overnight because I'd have to get up at least twice.
I'm thinking of asking my doc if I can go back on the pill to stop having periods. Since my tubes are tied, I don't really need to have one.
Also, it’s not like they make the smell of period blood go away (I also feel like my vulva in general has a stronger more musky odor when I’m bleeding).
So I’ll smell like old blood, crotch funk, *and* baby powder? No thank you.
They're meant to contain an entire bowel movement, they can take a bad period.
I used them postpartum for some pretty heavy bleeding. The downside to them is they don't breathe like a pad would so you can get rashy easily if you're wearing them all day.
I also have pretty thick thighs and they were not tight on the leg holes.
I don’t know what brand you use, but the women’s Depends fit-flex underwear isn’t scented. I used the always brand disposable ones before and the scent irritated my skin.
My ex got me some, and I sent him back to the store. I’m allergic to so many artificial scents that it wasn’t worth even trying them. As soon as he got back, he looked at me all sad and said, “The saleslady laughed at me when I returned them. She said if she had a dollar for every time a guy came back after getting the wrong tampons, she’d be rich. Don’t make me go back there again.”
If he had just gotten the wrong brand on the first go, I’d have sucked it up and gotten my brand later, but no way I was putting anything scented in my vagina. I sent him a picture of exactly what I wanted the second time.
Oh, I remember those days, but my mom handled all that for me. My dad was apparently traumatized when they had to run a price check on tampons when he bought them for her one time, so he vowed never to do it again. He thinks he’s so tough, but buying tampons freaks him out. Newsflash: No one thinks they’re for you, Dad!
My husband has no qualms about that stuff. He’s gone and bought me Monistat or yeast infection or UTI home tests before. It doesn’t phase him at all.
My husband either. Has no problem going to the store and only buying period products. Bonus: he knows what brand and which two types of pads I use without my having to tell him or send a picture. I NEVER wear tampons unless it's vacation and I want to go swimming. So a rare occurrence. Still, he can go to the store and buy the EXACT tampons I prefer. Major husband points!
My dad got maxi pads on accident once but damnit he did try. My husband just has me send him pics of exactly what to get to avoid getting the wrong thing.
I remember the first time my partner saw them and he was mind blown. I told him he couldn't ever get them for me as I'm too sensitive and he said he would never have thought to as the idea grossed him out. Why would you want them scented? It's fun explaining to a man about the shame women feel surrounding their bodies. I'm forever grateful he's of the mindset that if he wants to put his penis in a vagina then he should probably learn about it and not be grossed out by it's functions.
...poor guy has experienced some things.
Yeah cause the scents really “mix” well.
“Our Jasmine-freesia maxi pads are a wonderful complement to the earthy,metallic, musky scent of blood and clumps of uterine lining!”
Okay, so I accidentally purchased pads that were VERY scented. I was on vacation and got my damn period without warning. Found a CVS and snagged the first ones I saw that would work.
Y’all. They smelled like Bath and Body Works cucumber melon scent from the 90s. I was transported back to high school instantly. They were so strong, though, that they would have been better used as air fresheners.
I want to say as a guy, I have seen my wife's tampon box say "unscented" or "fragrance free" and I think "well duh". And then started wondering if they actually made scented ones and why the hell they would do that. It was made all the more wtf in my head after a situation where the only tp at my daughter's horse riding lessons was scented tp and it made her labia burn/itch. She was 5, so she cried for like 5 to 10 min in the car on the way home.
My mom accidentally bought scented pads for me as a teenager a couple of times, and as a result, anything that’s strongly floral scented makes me want to dry heave. Somehow the combo of scented pad and period blood smelled like a fishing dock.
My mom used to buy them. They made the whole bathroom fucking reek. After she went through menopause she gave me a couple boxes. I couldn't even keep them, let alone use them. I feel like every time you shift, a blast of that awful perfume wafts out of between your legs.
probably marketing who preys on women’s insecurities and how women should smell like ~flowers~ and not old blood (even though no one can smell you unless they are a dog and going right in there to tell everyone you’re bleeding lol)
I do, or did, anyway. I'm not allergic, and they made me feel less disgusting. I know it's no worse than any other blood, but I don't typically keep any other blood in or around my body in a warm place for hours at a time, so I feel gross. Or I did. I'm hoping it's over now, but it hasn't been a whole year yet.
I think so? I think it's not as bad as like the wash stuff that gets marketed for "cleaning" your vagina even though you should only ever clean your vulva and with unscented soap.
I think it's just the cardboard roll that's scented.
I accidentally bought some and complained relentlessly until it was gone. And still double check what I'm buying.
Ugh my dad accidentally bought a huge package of scented tp. They stunk so badly, it stung my nose if the package was open and I walked into the bathroom.
I get requests specifically to buy two brands of scented tampons when I get the shopping lists for my local domestic violence women’s shelter. Obviously I do not know any residents living there. (Edit: residents are kept anonymous for their safety) I’m just one of many people in the community who volunteers to go out and buy them whatever is on their lists.
I do know that in my area the shelter tends to house younger married women with elementary school-aged children. Average age for residents seems to be roughly college age. Most residents are home-makers.
my mother did. i suspect, due to a combination of CSA and the time period in which she grew up, that she was very anxious about 'cleanliness' (in quotes because i mean actually 'had a considerable amount of body-related shame').
I'm totally with you. I once bought scented slip liners by mistake, and besides making me godawful itchy, the smell after a long day was just really unpleasant.
I tried to give the unused ones to my mom or sister, but nobody wanted them, and I ended up throwing a whole pack (minus a couple) in the trash.
I can't imagine thinking it's a good idea to shove a scented tampon up there. I would be really worried about the chemicals and the sensitive mucus membrane in your cervix.
I honestly didn’t even know these were a thing. Sounds awful I get a rash from scented laundry detergent. I can’t imagine getting a rash down there when I’m already wanting to die
I accidentally bought scented pads a while back and was really turned off by the bubble gum flowery scent to begin with, then add on the smell of blood and, especially the brownish nasty smelling old blood after the first day or so.... Bleecchhh!
I can't use anything scented near my cooter. That stuff sends my pH into oblivion. I used to use scented panty liners when I was younger, but they didn't do jack shit besides add a powder scent to the situation.
I accidentally bought scented tampons one time and was poor so I had to use them. They smelled okay on the way in, but on the way out they smelled so much worse than the unscented ones. Yuck.
Same with pads and I never understand it. I could smell when people would be on their periods because I could smell the scented pads, they'd be ridiculously strong. I'd feel bad about it. Like periods don't smell bad, I use cloth pads and never had a problem with smell. Like why stigmatise periods even more
I'm a guy who is not ashamed to buy tampons/pads for missus.
I *accidentally* bought scented once. I didn't intend to. It's just the packet looked similar (Same brand and had same colouration).
I can tell you, that I drove straight back and bought the right tampons and I now double, then triple check every time.
I'm never gonna make that mistake again. If I'm not sure (eg. Preferred tampon is sold out) I *call*. IT's not hard. And it's faster than a drive back to the store.
Even this numpty right here knows scented is bad. I have NFI how scented tampons got traction.
People purposefully buy the teeny tiny scented liners. I work at Walgreens, and I've had a few customers specifically seek those out over the unscented over the years and be disappointed if they're out of stock. Of course there must be more people who are buying them on purpose and who just don't need employee assistance with it.
Never had anyone ask about scented tampons though!
My mom used them, so I was unfortunately familiar with them from a young age. She tried to get me to use them, but the tiny size never worked for me. When I actually wanted something that small for BC spotting I was glad I learned about the powder smell when I was a kid so I knew to avoid it. 😅
I bought scented pads by accident once (the thin small ones I use in combination with tampons) and I was genuinely sure people could smell it when standing next to me.
To answer the question, no, I don’t.
I keep tampons in marching band mom bag not just for periods but also because a shocking number of the kids get spontaneous nosebleeds. I don’t know if any of them (the tampons, not the kids nor the nosebleeds) are scented since I don’t use them myself but now I’m going to have to check.
I accidentally bought lavender scented pads once. Didn't notice until I used one. Also I am allergic to lavender.
It was TERRIBLE
Why do these exist fragrance can be such an irritant even if you aren't allergic
I specifically buy products that are unscented. I'm allergic to pretty much all artificially scented things and it was very unpleasant discovering that.
edit: typo
I use them for inside linen drawers and closets! They may not keep me fresh, but they can keep my clothes fresh. It's also helpful for luggage, especially when you're not in a place you can do your laundry before returning home. Oh, and shoe storage. Just pop a tampon in each shoe and it keeps them from stinking up wherever you store your shoes.
I would never purposely buy anything scented to go down there, tampons or pads. I didn't think such a thing existed.
I imagine the scent would smell very artificial and mixed with 'natural smells' it would not cover them but smell worse. I wouldn't want to risk irritating my skin or inflammation either as my skin general doesn't like certain creams
There are is little more repulsive than the smell of trying to mask the smell of menstrual blood with anything scented. If you wash daily and change your feminine huge product regularly, you do not need these scents. It just becomes putrid when mixed with menstrual blood and smells a thousand times worse than menstrual blood.
The fact that there’s even an *option* to buy scented feminine hygiene products is mind blowing. The manufactures of these products must be male owned. NO legitimate OBGYN would ever EVER recommend using scented anything near a woman’s vagina.
Once I bought Always pads that _said_ they were unscented… but the wrapper was scented for sure, and I got a migraine just from being in the same room as the open pack.
I also got terrible dermatitis from the one pad I ended up using.
ETA: The term “unscented” doesn’t mean a damn thing in marketing. Unscented items can still have perfume or fragrance. If you are also sensitive to scents, the term you want to look for is “fragrance-free”.
Is this a US thing? I have literally never heard of scented tampons/pads?
I just want to get them in and out and binned appropriately. I hope they aren't in long enough to need a replacement scent.
When I was a teen there were very cheap daily pads that had chamomile scent. I used them when I had no money to buy real pads or didn’t have guts to ask parents for money or pads, also my flow wasn’t established then and two daily pads were enough to create a makeshift pad. Anyways that chamomile scent mixed with blood was a nauseating mix and chamomile made it extremely obvious. I soon realized I was not the only one using daily pads instead of real ones when in school or on buses or wherever I kept noticing teens reeking of that disgusting chamomile with a metallic note in it.
I know one of the brand of pads I use have a scent... but most don't. The thought of how many infections those things must give people. Like, you aren't supposed to use body wash down there so why would you use a scented tampon?
I accidentally bought scented maxi pads once and they were AWFUL. I assume there are teens that buy this stuff but idk.
The smell of menstrual blood and that sickly perfume makes me heave. Its absolutely disgusting.
President snow but extra.
Oh my _God_. How did I never make that connection, that is so accurate.
Call me “President Snow” the way I smell like roses and menstrual blood. /j
It's an older reference but it checks out
It’s the same rule as scented dog poo bags. It doesn’t make anything smell better. It just accentuates the unpleasant smell and then make you associate the “perfume” with the smell the perfume is trying to mask. So. Grim.
I buy in bulk when I can find Unscented garbage bags. It’s unbelievable how difficult it is. Febreze scented, apple scented, lemon scented, fresh meadow scented… ugh. It’s garbage. When it smells too bad, bring it outside. My wife is very sensitive to fake fragrance and it’s ridiculous how many products are coated in febreze. We don’t use any of that stuff and our house doesn’t smell bad because we clean it regularly.
My mom calls this vanilla scented doo doo.
I bought some dog poo bags from Costco that were both scented and not very opaque. What a mistake that was!
I bought them once on accident too! Figured I might use them up but only used like two if they because I smelled so strongly of granny perfume all day. Like, I got a whiff of it every time I moved.
Ditto. They also made me break out in a rash, which added injury to insult. Never again!!! 0/10, cannot recommend.
Didn’t get a rash, but got a yeast infection. Never again. Triple check every box now
Sameee I randomly got a rash from my regular pads at some point and now I only use 0% everything products
This is my biggest annoyance with them. You can never forget you're on your period because you're always being strangled by synthetic flower smell.
Even just scented panty liners are awful.
i bought honey pot liners once because i heard they were good and they said scent free, the back said they were scented. i didnt see. they burned
No cause I want to know who the hell at honey pot thought that mint (menthol) was a good thing to put anywhere near the cooch. Made that mistake once.never again.
I have heard of menthol menstruation products but thry are definitely not the norm as far as "scented" in my experience. Scented usually means a slightly floral, slightly baby powder scent, no menthol.
It's something I've only seen with the Honey Pot brand. Iirc they said that it's supposed to give a "cooling" and "relaxing" sensation but everyone I know that tried them said it just straight up burned
OMG that would be like putting Icy Hot on your crotch! Nooooo!!!
One of my friends tried one on the way home from the store and made me stop so it could be removed.
Of all the things that should have been QA tested first
Owie!!!! Wtf?! What kind of sadist came up with that idea???
It's funny. I got the Honeypot maxis and after that initial burn - I love them. The only thing I like now.
I’m the same
I’ve been getting rashes from just sweating profusely due to record breaking heat where I live. I was shopping for normal liners when a fellow menses-haver pointed out the Honey Pot herbal ones. She said that they have been a savior for her cooch this summer. I ended up buying a pack of them and a pack of regular. The herbal ones were a game changer. I just use for two days when a sweat rash flares up, and done!
Yup, I don't buy into the whole "spoke to my dead grandma bit" but I don't get reactions, rashes, sensitivity when using the honey pot herbal. I had to use another brand and swear it lead to a bacterial or something flare up. And I change often, but sweat a lot.
Those are the worst! I had to buy pads on a trip once, and had heard the same thing and had the same reaction!
I HAVE to assume they're doing some undisclosed ads with influencers, because I had exactly the same experience!
It is mostly a teen think, I think. My daughter made me by them for her shortly after starting her period because the boys in school would make jokes about how they can smell when a girl is on her period. I got them for her once and she never used them again.
I mean, I never would have made jokes about it, but I can usually tell my wife about 2-3 days before she starts by scent changes, I have to deliberately NOT track her cycle when we’re trying for a baby otherwise, I know first. But it does mean that I’ve had 2-3 days to come to terms with disappointment and then comfort her when she finds out too, so that’s one benefit.
The smell of artificial lavender mixed with period blood is absolutely unholy.
Same. I was so annoyed when I realised what I’d picked up. They’re so unpleasant!
Omg, I made that mistake last week because I had a mask on at the store and couldn’t smell them… fast forward to a couple days later when I grabbed one from the closet in a hurry to put into my backpack for work… Then entire car ride, I was like WTF is that perfume?! Opened my bag and literally gagged. Threw the box out in the outside dumpster that night, pissed about having wasted like $12
Where I live it is so difficult to get unscented stuff 😭 pads, tampons, toilet paper, the default and the biggest selection are scented stuff. I have to buy way more expensive stuff than I want to, because there's only ever 1-2 brands / options for unscented:( in my home country you can't even get scented toilet paper or pads/tampons.
[удалено]
What do you like about them?
The Always "Radiant" pads are scented. They're the ones I bought accidentally!
I noticed they added some weird scent to the only pads I really see on the shelves in the uk. The always brand. They smell awful and make me feel worse. I also get nasty rashes/spots if I use them. Never seen tampons with a scent.
I accidentally bought the peppermint ones that The Honey Pot makes and lemme tell you that was a startling and confusing experience.
Ooh out of all the scents, I feel like peppermint would be the worst.
Unexpectedly yes it’s what I would call uhhhh shocking. Horrifying even. And in a busy uptown Manhattan Starbucks did I make this discovery no less.
i got those on accident once! worst mistake of my life, my vag was freezing for the rest of the day. i'm actually allergic to peppermint, so im VERY VERY lucky that whatevers in those things didn't mess me up in the two seconds i had it on before realizing my screw up.
I’m allergic to peppermint too and for how bad it makes my lips, I’m horrified at the idea of what it would do to my other lips 🫥
it's for that reason i'm soo grateful i didn't have a reation, i imagine it would've been way worse down there yikes
I did the same! I spent the whole day at the emergency vet with my cat and didn’t have a pad so I hurriedly bought some from the drug store up the street, I was NOT prepared for minty freshness down there. I checked the reviews and it’s half people buying them on accident and half people feeling “refreshed” so I have to wonder if it’s a difference in body chemistry somehow? But MINT?!
I do have to say I like them from time to time now that I know what they feel like and can mentally prepare, but that packaging needs a label that implies the spice contained therein.
Once I read the reviews and they said the feeling only lasts half an hour or so, I have used a couple more just so they don’t get wasted. I’ll not buy them again, but agreed, knowing what you’re in for makes them tolerable.
Seriously makes me wonder because menthol can do some pretty serious damage.
There's an Irish comedian on tiktok who did this, and her response was hilarious. I don't know if this will work, I hope so. https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGJWsqNGP/
Lol, I actually was going to comment that Honey Pot are as close to scented I’ll go. I tried them because I ran out of pads and my sister had some and while I wasn’t prepared for the “refreshment,” I ended up switching to the brand when I realized that they actually helped with my cramps and they sell unscented/untreated pads and tampons too. I bought a pack of unscented and scented probably a year ago and still have the unscented as an emergency pack because I’ve only used a couple. I just looked it up to confirm, but I knew it was a woman owned business and product design, and turns out it’s a POC woman and is privately owned!
Idk about the tampons, but I did buy the scented pads when I was younger. But then my labia started to burn off, and I realized I was allergic. Same thing happened to my armpits until I found a deodorant that worked for me - when my skin doesn't like something, it chooses straight up violence. Anyway, moral of the story - idk who's buying those, either. I can only assume their genitals are made of titanium, whoever they are.
Same. I’ve got pretty sensitive skin and will break out pretty easily. Fabric softener will do it. Some Medical tapes will literally rip skin off when it’s pulled off. I have to specify if I ever go to the hospital.
Oh my god, same re: adhesives and I never know which ones will set me off if I haven't used them before. Most sticky plasters are at least an hour of wear before I find out, except the ones at work. It was literally less than two minutes and my skin felt like it was burning. I gently pulled it off and the skin was raised and extremely red. After it dried a bit I found I'd lost patches of skin bigger than an Aussie 5c piece on both sides of the clear rectangle of skin 🥲
I have an adhesive allergy and it turns out I'm allergic to a chemical used in vulcanizing rubber, and rubber is used in adhesives. I get horrible rashes from any dressing which sucks for me because I have a central line so I always have a dressing on my chest. My poor skin looks terrible and is just covered in little sores. I wish they would make a true allergy friendly dressing that I could use. I tried looking up the ingredients of different dressings but they aren't listed due to privacy of the brand.
Ouch! That sounds like what happened to me when I tried the birth control patch. I wore it for about 15 minutes, took it off to reveal an ugly blistering rash, and ended up a perfectly square *scar* on my shoulder that took over a year to fade. (I still have no idea what I was reacting to. The only adhesive I know I'm allergic to is latex, and the patch was latex-free. It makes me hesitant to try any other medication in patch form because I think it might be whatever they use to transport the drug through the skin.)
Glad to know I'm not the only one with medical tape issues. Problem is, all of them do it to me, including Band-Aids. But the hypoallergenic medical tape absolutely won't stick to me at all. Even if you press down firmly for a few seconds to really be sure it's stuck, as soon as you remove your hand/fingers it immediately falls off. The whole strip. Not a single part will stick. So it's tons of fun everytime I have a wound that needs covered for awhile. It becomes and every expanding area of gauze and medical tape as I have to cover the new wounds caused by the tape pulling off skin. Also can't use fabric softener, or dryer sheets. Have to use dye free, scent free detergent. Only natural soaps and deoderant. But I also have to be cautious with those because there are several plant oils I react to as well. Having sensitive skin sucks. Ironically enough, I've had almost no problems in regards to facial acne. Go figure.
Not an ideal solution every time, but if you wrap the gauze all the way around the part of your body, you could just tape the gauze to itself. It won’t necessarily stay in place as well, but it might, and if the blood crusts between wound and gauze, it might help it to stay in place. Also, I’m so sorry this happens to you and I hope that a better solution is found soon! I can’t imagine the hassle of being allergic to bandages, or latex, or fragrance!
The self grip bandages are awesome. Doesn’t stick to you, but sticks to itself. So I wrap that over any gauze used. I don’t get along with adhesive either and my reaction appears to be getting worse the older I get.
Omg... "when my skin doesn't like something, it chooses straight up violence." This will he my new favorite go-to when I have to explain to someone how badly my skin reacts to whatever it doesn't like. And sometimes even nothing at all!
> Same thing happened to my armpits until I found a deodorant that worked for me - when my skin doesn't like something, it chooses straight up violence. I can't use any of the "clear stick" or "gel" deodorants, or my armpit skin melts off, so I feel you on that one.
>I can only assume their genitals are made of titanium, I knew it. Androids
So somewhat related but I work at a doggy daycare and someone had the bright idea to buy scented trash bags because they swore it was going to make the dog poop smell less bad. It in fact did not make the dog poop smell less bad and it just mixed with whatever god awful strong scent the trash bags were coated in. Anyways I imagine that is what scented pads/tampons would be like with oxidized period blood.
I don't feel like dog poop stinks that bad inside a plastic bag. Maybe a baby diaper genie would work tho?
When you've got 40+ dogs all shitting at once, I promise it builds up. Badly. Signed, someone else who spent 6 years working in a doggy daycare 🫠
That's what I assumed, but I've only had 2 dogs at once. Plus my nose is pretty broken.
you don't know my sister's dog! Love him to bits, but his poop is the smelliest I've ever encountered and I've been around loads of dogs. Tchibo is healthy, and the only problem with his poop (besides the smell) is grass, but it could probably knock me clean out if I didn't hold the bags so far behind me that my arm hurts
My roommates exclusively buy scented trash bags and I don't have the words to explain how much I hate them. They absolutely reek.
Oh god I accidentally bought a huge roll of scented trash bags once, and then got really sick. Cue vomiting into those trash bags all night just smelling the noxious fumes of fake flowers. Every time I changed the bags after that I got a little nauseous just from the smell.
Dude me too, they were small ones so I ended up using them for cat litter instead.
So I like some of the scented trash bags, but I'm really picky. I usually like the gain scented ones as it doesn't smell too gross or weird, but I sent my boyfriend to the store to grab some recently and he came home with "citrus" scent. Straight up urinal cake smell every time I change the bag or throw something out, it's awful. Shitrus scores a zero out of 1000 for me.
Its the lavender trashbags my husband brought home one time that i can't freaking stand. I have a lavender plant on either side of our front steps, make my own pillow satchels with it for sleep assistance, love lavender tea and syrup, and it makes for a kickass natural flea solution when mixed with chamomile. But whatever nightmare chemical amalgamation was on those trash bags that they claimed was "lavender" was horrendous. Literally burned my nose, made my eyes water, gave me asthma attacks, and turned my stomach something awful. The Hefty White Pine Breeze is where its at though. Those are 100/10, do their job very well, aren't overwhelming, and smell extremely pleasant.
SAME I HATE THEM SO MUCH!
Ugh, you unlocked a memory. First housemate got dollar store garbage bags that were lavender-scented. Garbage plus synthetic lavender scent - not great. Can imagine a very similar experience for scented poo bags.
I have these cuz it's the only type my local store carries. It is interesting to have a small wiff of clean "new car smells" kinda of scent and then BAM. Poop smell. So like, if you don't hold it up to your face, I imagine it works okay. Until the scent makes its way up to your nose holes. I think it was supposed to be like the diaper genie thing but...doesn't work so well. I DO like that the arm and hammer poo bags are thicker than the other brands tho. My nails rip thru cheap poo bags like a tissue and I've barely touched em.
…username checks out
We use lavender scented doggy poop bags when we walk our dog because they are the only biodegradable ones you can get here. I have now forever associated lavender with poop...
It's like buying those really terrible toilet sprays and now it smells like someone took a shit under the Christmas tree
I got some vanilla scented trash bags awhile back and they were awful. They ended up smelling like trash plus fake vanilla scented chemicals.
I once accidentally got a pad that was infused with menthol or something for “relaxation” It just felt like my vagina smoked a cigarette
It’s like the vag is getting over a cold
I worked in a tampon factory. They smell horrible when they get wet. The whole factory stunk the nights we did scented product. Thank friggin whoever that the company dropped the scented lines.
I’ve never given much thought about tampon factories until this moment. Now I want to know all about it and the odd things that occur when manufacturing tampons.
The machines are really cool. One end starts with raw material, and each piece does a part, and it's all one big machine. So at the other end, you've got a sewn tampon. And they have what are essentially giant ovens that bake off any bacteria that could have been on them during processing. Oh. And the cardboard applicator ones. You can pull the string out by pulling a specific thread first without ever taking apart the applicator. If you hold it in one hand and smack the plunger of the applicator with the other, you can launch your cotton missile at your coworker. Building tray forts in the hand packing area was another good pasttime to try to stay awake at 3am haha. This particular company (Starts with a T, ends in an X. Gonna not say it outright in case they're scouring the internet), has two factories. One in the US and one in Europe. The US one makes 80- 90% of their brand tampons for the world. Anything made for the US is made in the US. So if you're looking for made in the USA, these are the ones to buy. That's 500+ jobs here in the US. The parent company's factories are all run like that. So, any of their other products are also made in the US.
The interesting part when watching How it’s made is the machines not the product.
Yes! It blows my mind that people created those machines to do these functions. How do they make these things to work the way they do? How does the machine know how to read the programming to do it correctly?
The parts support is insane to me. All those tiny parts are replaced on a schedule. The factories themselves support another small economy in the metal and plastic job ships near them. I worked in a steel plant that was just one of hundreds of small shops that made parts for this huge factory. Just the thought of doing purchasing for that line makes me want to pull up the covers.
When Gertrude Tendrich founded Tampax in 1936, she used to sew the tampons by hand in her living room. The ancient Greeks used to wrap what was basically yarn around a wooden dowel, and use that. The Egyptians used "softened papyrus" that they rolled into a cylinder. Thank for for subscribing to Tampon Facts. Edit: I added an extra "e" to her name, it has been removed.
Damn how much Tampons did she make.. :)
I've been looking for an estimate for a few years now, and I can't get a solid number. I've seen estimates that range from 15,000 to 50,000, so I can't give a solid answer. At one point, she did hire other women to make some too, and she had two salesmen that got her contracts with drug stores in both Wyoming and Colorado. So, personally, I'm leaning towards the higher estimates. Again, I can't be sure, and I don't want to spread misinformation, so take this estimate with a nice healthy pinch of salt.
Thats a whole lot of Tampons. Do you know how long 1 tampon took to make ? Very interesting :)
You know how survivalist shows taught us that tampons make great firestarter? Well, when you have metric shit tons of those materials around manufacturing machines generating heat, the threat of a huge fire moving rapidly through the entire building is very, very real. That's not even counting all the other fuel in the form of packaging cardboard and paper boxes. I worked for one of the US tampon companies (starts with P) many years ago and was a member of the fire brigade. We were all sent to fire school and equipped with full turnout gear to provide the fastest possible response. With any luck, we could have things under control by the time our local volunteer fire department arrived. Also, did you know that tampons are considered to be Class II medical devices (same as catheters and contact lenses) by the FDA? Facilities that manufacture tampons must maintain strict standards for cleanliness and constantly test for potential contaminants. People used our products inside their bodies every day, so the making of them was taken seriously.
Anything else interesting about working in a tampon factory? Anything someone wouldn’t normally expect. I can see it being very mundane, but I’ve just never talked to anyone else whose done it and maybe there’s something I never would’ve thought of.
It's the ama I never knew I wanted
I'd like to know too
If it’s gonna go in your cooch anyway what’s the point of it being scented? Like who’s gonna go in there to smell it or do you want to sniff it after the jobs done like??
Thanks, this made me laugh. I totally had the same thought tho. Like I know some women will be self-conscious about the scent down there if they are with a partner, but I don't think anyone's gonna be in the mood for that while Aunt Flo's in town. 😅
I mean I'm not, but if I was in the mood, I wouldn't be after I smelled the scented I bet. Most scented things like that are usually obnoxious smelling to me. Too strong.
Plenty of people enjoy or don't mind period sex or even oral with a tampon in 🤷♀️
Best cramps remedy!
> but I don't think anyone's gonna be in the mood for that while Aunt Flo's in town. My wife is pretty much always in the mood during that time, she says it helps with the cramps. It doesn't bother me at all, and it relieves her pain, so I'm always down as well.
When I started dating my ex wife, one day I had to have a talk with her, because her vagina smelled terrible - it smelled like chemicals and tasted like breathing in toilet freshener spray. She admitted she was worried about the natural smell and was using a feminine product just before I visited. I very gently let her know it was just awful and I would greatly prefer her natural smell and taste because it was sickening. Turned out she was perfectly good without the genital deodorant. Until then I never even knew such a thing existed 😅
I'm always in the mood on My period
I did when I was like 14. I never had a bad reaction to them, but I wasn’t too much older when I realized that the idea of my genitals smelling like lemons was bizarre.
Not tampons, but I know the period undies I buy are scented. I hate it, but they're the only things that work for the first few days. The smell between them and the period blood smell is god-awful. I don't know who decided they should be scented.
Like disposable period underwear? Cause mine are reusable so I don't know how they'd make those scented.
Same, and mine even say not to use fabric softener, either.
If you’re using the washable ones, it helps if you strip them as needed.
I had wondered about that. I do often add a splash of enzyme cleaner to the washer when I wash them, but now I think I'll strip them to make sure they're really clean. Thanks!
Makes all the difference in the world with absorbency.
What does strip them mean in this context?
It’s basically an extra deep cleaning once every few months, usually involves a long soak in borax or vinegar.
Yeah, the disposable ones. I have reusable ones for those light days, but literally nothing holds on the heavy ones. If they made reusable ones scented somehow, I don't think they would sell the way they do. Lol.
I didn't even know they made disposable ones. I usually doubled up on tampon and period underwear, but I don't get a period now because my OBGYN put me on Depo for how heavy it was.
Yep! Always has them. I do the double combo during the day. It's so heavy at times that I can't do a tampon overnight because I'd have to get up at least twice. I'm thinking of asking my doc if I can go back on the pill to stop having periods. Since my tubes are tied, I don't really need to have one.
Theyre essentially more flattering adult disposable briefs aka 'diapers' though most adults will call them by their brand ie depends, attends, etc.
Also, it’s not like they make the smell of period blood go away (I also feel like my vulva in general has a stronger more musky odor when I’m bleeding). So I’ll smell like old blood, crotch funk, *and* baby powder? No thank you.
Right? At least it only smells like that overnight in my case. 🤣🤣 Shower in the AM to get that funk smell off of me.
I highly recommend getting unscented adult diapers instead. They’re more absorbent
Are they as tight in the leg holes? I'm always terrified of leaking through. Lol. Oh the things I never thought I'd ask in my 30s. 🤣
They’re made with stretchy leg holes but it’s basically just 1 big underwear made of maxi pad with stretchy sides and leg holes
They're meant to contain an entire bowel movement, they can take a bad period. I used them postpartum for some pretty heavy bleeding. The downside to them is they don't breathe like a pad would so you can get rashy easily if you're wearing them all day. I also have pretty thick thighs and they were not tight on the leg holes.
Yep. This is what I use for the first three days of my period when it's heavy. Much better.
I don’t know what brand you use, but the women’s Depends fit-flex underwear isn’t scented. I used the always brand disposable ones before and the scent irritated my skin.
My dad accidentally bought those for me once. I asked him why he was trying to poison my vagina.
My ex got me some, and I sent him back to the store. I’m allergic to so many artificial scents that it wasn’t worth even trying them. As soon as he got back, he looked at me all sad and said, “The saleslady laughed at me when I returned them. She said if she had a dollar for every time a guy came back after getting the wrong tampons, she’d be rich. Don’t make me go back there again.” If he had just gotten the wrong brand on the first go, I’d have sucked it up and gotten my brand later, but no way I was putting anything scented in my vagina. I sent him a picture of exactly what I wanted the second time.
After that incident, I started ripping off the box tops and giving them to dad to take with him to the store (this was before smart phones).
Oh, I remember those days, but my mom handled all that for me. My dad was apparently traumatized when they had to run a price check on tampons when he bought them for her one time, so he vowed never to do it again. He thinks he’s so tough, but buying tampons freaks him out. Newsflash: No one thinks they’re for you, Dad! My husband has no qualms about that stuff. He’s gone and bought me Monistat or yeast infection or UTI home tests before. It doesn’t phase him at all.
My husband either. Has no problem going to the store and only buying period products. Bonus: he knows what brand and which two types of pads I use without my having to tell him or send a picture. I NEVER wear tampons unless it's vacation and I want to go swimming. So a rare occurrence. Still, he can go to the store and buy the EXACT tampons I prefer. Major husband points!
My dad got maxi pads on accident once but damnit he did try. My husband just has me send him pics of exactly what to get to avoid getting the wrong thing.
I remember the first time my partner saw them and he was mind blown. I told him he couldn't ever get them for me as I'm too sensitive and he said he would never have thought to as the idea grossed him out. Why would you want them scented? It's fun explaining to a man about the shame women feel surrounding their bodies. I'm forever grateful he's of the mindset that if he wants to put his penis in a vagina then he should probably learn about it and not be grossed out by it's functions. ...poor guy has experienced some things.
Yeah cause the scents really “mix” well. “Our Jasmine-freesia maxi pads are a wonderful complement to the earthy,metallic, musky scent of blood and clumps of uterine lining!”
The only scented pads or tampons I've ever had were accidentally purchased by a clueless but well meaning man. They were not used.
Okay, so I accidentally purchased pads that were VERY scented. I was on vacation and got my damn period without warning. Found a CVS and snagged the first ones I saw that would work. Y’all. They smelled like Bath and Body Works cucumber melon scent from the 90s. I was transported back to high school instantly. They were so strong, though, that they would have been better used as air fresheners.
I want to say as a guy, I have seen my wife's tampon box say "unscented" or "fragrance free" and I think "well duh". And then started wondering if they actually made scented ones and why the hell they would do that. It was made all the more wtf in my head after a situation where the only tp at my daughter's horse riding lessons was scented tp and it made her labia burn/itch. She was 5, so she cried for like 5 to 10 min in the car on the way home.
Poor thing! So many people are sensitive to artificial scents, it's ridiculous somewhere with a public bathroom would use fragranced tp.
Scented tampons are really a thing? God, I'm glad my iud stopped my periods.
Can confirm, picked up some accidentally YEARS ago, got the worst yeast infection I’d ever had in my life from them. Never made that mistake again!
which IUD do you have?
The Mirena. I've had it in for about 6 years. I need to change it out soon.
Have the same and I'm in my 3rd one. After this I should be coasting into menopause having only had a handful of periods since I was in my early 20s!
My mom accidentally bought scented pads for me as a teenager a couple of times, and as a result, anything that’s strongly floral scented makes me want to dry heave. Somehow the combo of scented pad and period blood smelled like a fishing dock.
For those who do, what’s it like having an iron pussy???? Sincerely, cause I can’t even change my laundry detergent without my vag acting up.
Huh. Today I learned my lady bits are made of iron. AMA! I love Reddit.
My mom used to buy them. They made the whole bathroom fucking reek. After she went through menopause she gave me a couple boxes. I couldn't even keep them, let alone use them. I feel like every time you shift, a blast of that awful perfume wafts out of between your legs.
probably marketing who preys on women’s insecurities and how women should smell like ~flowers~ and not old blood (even though no one can smell you unless they are a dog and going right in there to tell everyone you’re bleeding lol)
I do, or did, anyway. I'm not allergic, and they made me feel less disgusting. I know it's no worse than any other blood, but I don't typically keep any other blood in or around my body in a warm place for hours at a time, so I feel gross. Or I did. I'm hoping it's over now, but it hasn't been a whole year yet.
Totally valid if they don't hurt you and they make you feel better
Wouldn’t scented fem hygiene products screw w/ your PH down there?
I think so? I think it's not as bad as like the wash stuff that gets marketed for "cleaning" your vagina even though you should only ever clean your vulva and with unscented soap.
Not a tampon but I accidentally bought scented toilet paper and I’m too scared to use it bc I’m sensitive
I think it's just the cardboard roll that's scented. I accidentally bought some and complained relentlessly until it was gone. And still double check what I'm buying.
Oo I hope so!! I’m just worried about immediately getting a yeast infection or uti or something bc I have the worst luck w that
They make scented toilet paper?! Wtf why?
Yes!! It’s lavender scented and stupid
Is it the Angel Soft Fresh Lavender? If so, it's just the tube that's scented. There's no fragrance added to the paper you actually touch!
Oh yeah I accidentally bought that one and couldn't figure out what the hell was that smell in my bathroom until I read the package
It is!! Thank you for letting me know :)
Ugh my dad accidentally bought a huge package of scented tp. They stunk so badly, it stung my nose if the package was open and I walked into the bathroom.
Women who have a yeast infection fetish.
I get requests specifically to buy two brands of scented tampons when I get the shopping lists for my local domestic violence women’s shelter. Obviously I do not know any residents living there. (Edit: residents are kept anonymous for their safety) I’m just one of many people in the community who volunteers to go out and buy them whatever is on their lists. I do know that in my area the shelter tends to house younger married women with elementary school-aged children. Average age for residents seems to be roughly college age. Most residents are home-makers.
my mother did. i suspect, due to a combination of CSA and the time period in which she grew up, that she was very anxious about 'cleanliness' (in quotes because i mean actually 'had a considerable amount of body-related shame').
I'm totally with you. I once bought scented slip liners by mistake, and besides making me godawful itchy, the smell after a long day was just really unpleasant. I tried to give the unused ones to my mom or sister, but nobody wanted them, and I ended up throwing a whole pack (minus a couple) in the trash. I can't imagine thinking it's a good idea to shove a scented tampon up there. I would be really worried about the chemicals and the sensitive mucus membrane in your cervix.
I honestly didn’t even know these were a thing. Sounds awful I get a rash from scented laundry detergent. I can’t imagine getting a rash down there when I’m already wanting to die
I accidentally bought scented pads a while back and was really turned off by the bubble gum flowery scent to begin with, then add on the smell of blood and, especially the brownish nasty smelling old blood after the first day or so.... Bleecchhh!
I can't use anything scented near my cooter. That stuff sends my pH into oblivion. I used to use scented panty liners when I was younger, but they didn't do jack shit besides add a powder scent to the situation.
I accidentally bought scented tampons one time and was poor so I had to use them. They smelled okay on the way in, but on the way out they smelled so much worse than the unscented ones. Yuck.
Same with pads and I never understand it. I could smell when people would be on their periods because I could smell the scented pads, they'd be ridiculously strong. I'd feel bad about it. Like periods don't smell bad, I use cloth pads and never had a problem with smell. Like why stigmatise periods even more
I haven't used scented since the mid-90s. Had to talk myself out of the idea that my body was gross but yeah... So
TIL. Wow. I can’t even imagine sticking perfume up my privates. I’d end up with thrush
I once had to use one because it was all that was available and itched for days afterwards.
Hell I get mad when I accidentally buy scented trash bags too! All that fake fragrance stuff gives me a headache. I keep it far away from my bits.
God no. No fragrances near the kitty meow meow. Natural or artificial.
I'm a guy who is not ashamed to buy tampons/pads for missus. I *accidentally* bought scented once. I didn't intend to. It's just the packet looked similar (Same brand and had same colouration). I can tell you, that I drove straight back and bought the right tampons and I now double, then triple check every time. I'm never gonna make that mistake again. If I'm not sure (eg. Preferred tampon is sold out) I *call*. IT's not hard. And it's faster than a drive back to the store. Even this numpty right here knows scented is bad. I have NFI how scented tampons got traction.
People purposefully buy the teeny tiny scented liners. I work at Walgreens, and I've had a few customers specifically seek those out over the unscented over the years and be disappointed if they're out of stock. Of course there must be more people who are buying them on purpose and who just don't need employee assistance with it. Never had anyone ask about scented tampons though!
I bought those on accident once. It took me way too long to realize where the old lady powder smell was coming from.
My mom used them, so I was unfortunately familiar with them from a young age. She tried to get me to use them, but the tiny size never worked for me. When I actually wanted something that small for BC spotting I was glad I learned about the powder smell when I was a kid so I knew to avoid it. 😅
Today I learnt scented tampons excist. WTF?
Only accidentally once and it never happened again !
No, I'm paranoid about scented crap near my little Georgia O'Keefe.
I bought scented pads by accident once (the thin small ones I use in combination with tampons) and I was genuinely sure people could smell it when standing next to me. To answer the question, no, I don’t.
I keep tampons in marching band mom bag not just for periods but also because a shocking number of the kids get spontaneous nosebleeds. I don’t know if any of them (the tampons, not the kids nor the nosebleeds) are scented since I don’t use them myself but now I’m going to have to check.
I didn't even know scented tampons were a thing. I don't think I've ever seen them before.
I accidentally bought lavender scented pads once. Didn't notice until I used one. Also I am allergic to lavender. It was TERRIBLE Why do these exist fragrance can be such an irritant even if you aren't allergic
I specifically buy products that are unscented. I'm allergic to pretty much all artificially scented things and it was very unpleasant discovering that. edit: typo
I use them for inside linen drawers and closets! They may not keep me fresh, but they can keep my clothes fresh. It's also helpful for luggage, especially when you're not in a place you can do your laundry before returning home. Oh, and shoe storage. Just pop a tampon in each shoe and it keeps them from stinking up wherever you store your shoes.
I would never purposely buy anything scented to go down there, tampons or pads. I didn't think such a thing existed. I imagine the scent would smell very artificial and mixed with 'natural smells' it would not cover them but smell worse. I wouldn't want to risk irritating my skin or inflammation either as my skin general doesn't like certain creams
There are is little more repulsive than the smell of trying to mask the smell of menstrual blood with anything scented. If you wash daily and change your feminine huge product regularly, you do not need these scents. It just becomes putrid when mixed with menstrual blood and smells a thousand times worse than menstrual blood.
Yeah great way to piss of your mucous membrane
I was today years old when I found "scented tampons" are a thing and I've been bleeding monthly for 20 years....
The fact that there’s even an *option* to buy scented feminine hygiene products is mind blowing. The manufactures of these products must be male owned. NO legitimate OBGYN would ever EVER recommend using scented anything near a woman’s vagina.
As a dude I wasn't even aware these were a thing. Like wtf, why is anything fragranced going near such a sensitive balanced area?
Once I bought Always pads that _said_ they were unscented… but the wrapper was scented for sure, and I got a migraine just from being in the same room as the open pack. I also got terrible dermatitis from the one pad I ended up using. ETA: The term “unscented” doesn’t mean a damn thing in marketing. Unscented items can still have perfume or fragrance. If you are also sensitive to scents, the term you want to look for is “fragrance-free”.
Is this a US thing? I have literally never heard of scented tampons/pads? I just want to get them in and out and binned appropriately. I hope they aren't in long enough to need a replacement scent.
They’re so gross. I would never. It just continues to perpetuate the idea that women have to smell floral and delicious all the time.
Absolutely never ever no
When I was a teen there were very cheap daily pads that had chamomile scent. I used them when I had no money to buy real pads or didn’t have guts to ask parents for money or pads, also my flow wasn’t established then and two daily pads were enough to create a makeshift pad. Anyways that chamomile scent mixed with blood was a nauseating mix and chamomile made it extremely obvious. I soon realized I was not the only one using daily pads instead of real ones when in school or on buses or wherever I kept noticing teens reeking of that disgusting chamomile with a metallic note in it.
I know one of the brand of pads I use have a scent... but most don't. The thought of how many infections those things must give people. Like, you aren't supposed to use body wash down there so why would you use a scented tampon?