Hands up if you're one of the nine in ten women in the UK who experiences period cramps, or 40 to 50% of women suffering from primary dysmenorrhea, the medical phrase for painful periods?
If that's you - don't worry, you're not alone. You won't always have to rely on the a cocktail of of paracetamol, dairy milk and a hot water bottle to get your through your TOTM.
Luckily for women with painful or heavy periods, CBD tampons are rising in popularity in the UK. How do they work? They allow 'a small percentage of the cannabinoid compound be absorbed through the vaginal mucosa.' Now, while you may have heard about the many CBD benefits and the promise of CBD oil as a natural remedy for pain relief - the alternative remedy has been approved in several countries to treat pain related to multiple sclerosis and arthritis - do you know if it really works in tampon form?
We tested Daye CBD tampons for you to find out. Don't worry if you don't know how to insert a tampon - we've got a complete expert-led guide for that, or, alternatively, you could opt for period pants or period cups instead, which are also great examples of eco period products.
In the meantime - keep reading for your complete guide to CBD tampons.
CBD tampons: your guide
What are CBD tampons?
They're basically your average tampon, but promising to have a cramp-fighting twist, too.
CBD tampons are tampons that have been coated in cannabinoid, and although there are no published research studies on using CBD for period relief at current, the theory remains that when it comes to menstruation, CBD can alleviate the pain created as the uterus contracts to expel its lining.
For those of you wondering what CBD is, CBD stands for cannabidiol, a type of cannabinoid chemical which is found naturally in the cannabis plant. FYI, CBD won't get you high or intoxicate you (another cannabinoid, THC, does that).
Are CBD tampons and CBD infused tampons the same?
Short answer: yes, they're exactly the same thing, just different ways of phrasing it.
Introducing Daye CBD tampons
Daye released the UK’s first clinically validated CBD tampons last year, marking the first foray into consumer products from the brand. After almost three years of research, Daye CBD tampons are available to buy from £7 to £16 for a box (FYI, they’re priced depending on the choice of tampons).
Their products contain a concentrated 30% whole plant hemp extract, plus a naturally occurring 100mg of cannabidiol per tampon. They say that yes, this is enough to offer pain relief, but no, not anything that could to get you high or show up on a drug test.
Fun fact: although Daye's tampons are yet to be tested by outside labs or non-affiliated scientists as far as Marie Claire is aware, their own clinical trials show the products to be as effective as anti-inflammatories.
When asked about the motivation behind creating the company and product, Valentina Milanova, Daye’s founder, said: "The vision is to create a world where every woman with a smartphone can understand, monitor and improve her menstrual, sexual and reproductive health."
"The first gender gap that we want to close is the gender pain-gap. Over-the-counter painkillers have never been tested on the female physiology and carry a plethora of side-effects (like gastrointestinal inflammation), so at Daye we have spent time researching and developing the patented CBD tampon to provide a safe and effective alternative."
According to their website, Daye works closely with doctors and researchers to carry out research, but more information and details on the specifics of this can be found on their website.
If you’re worried about ordering new products in light of the COVID-19 situation, Daye has that covered too – as it recently detailed the lengths it is taking to ensure its tampons are safe from contamination. These include ensuring that production workers wear full-body cleanroom suits and have their temperature taken before the beginning of each shift.
Daye CBD tampon review: 'Game-changingly effective'
So, are they any good? As a Health Editor, I get to try a lot of alternative wellness products - but these are up there, alongside period pants and collagen supplements, with some of my favourite ever.
They're comfortable, easy to insert and super absorbent - think a similar size and absorbency to a standard Tampax tampon - and definitely worked to ease the usual abdominal cramps I get at the beginning of my bleed.
While I'm lucky to be able to say my cramps have never been bad enough to affect my day-to-day, for many women, they do. I can only imagine what a game-changer CBD tampons will be for those women.
Plus, they're organic and sustainably packaged, too. What's not to love?
