Organic pads in Canada: a practical guide to period care

Period care is personal and practical: the pad that suits a busy Tuesday may not be the one you want overnight, and plenty of people mix disposables, cloth pads and a cup across the same cycle. Here's how the organic pads, reusable pads, cups and discs on our shelves compare, so you can choose what fits your body, your flow and your routine.

Organic pads in Canada: what "organic" covers

Organic pads swap the usual plastic top layers and fragrances for plant materials. The two brands we carry take slightly different routes. Natracare pads have a certified organic cotton cover over a natural absorbent core, and they're totally chlorine free, with no plastics, perfumes or dyes. Joni pads use a top sheet of certified organic bamboo with cornstarch fibres, and they're made without chlorine bleaching, dyes, fragrance or latex.

Both brands wrap each pad individually in paper or a compostable wrapper, and both are popular with people who have sensitive skin or simply want fewer synthetic materials against their body. When you compare boxes, look at three things: what touches your skin (the top sheet or cover), what does the absorbing (the core), and what the wrapper and box are made of.

Pads, reusable pads, cups or discs?

There's no single best choice. Many people use disposable pads on the go, a cup at home and a cloth pad overnight. Here's how the main options compare.

Natracare organic cotton pads

Natracare was the world's first brand of organic and natural period products, launched by its founder, Susie, in 1989. The pads have a certified organic cotton cover and are totally chlorine free, with no plastics, perfumes or dyes, and used pads are biodegradable and compostable. The range runs from slim panty liners to Ultra pads with wings and the classic Maxi pads, including a long, thick Night Time maxi without wings.

Joni bamboo pads, made by a Canadian company

Joni is a Canadian period care company based on southern Vancouver Island and a certified B Corp. Its pads are ultra thin and flexible, with a soft organic bamboo top sheet made with sensitive skin in mind, and about 92% of the pad breaks down under standard composting conditions. Every pad comes in a compostable wrapper inside a recyclable box. If you're shopping for organic pads, Canada's own Joni is a lovely place to start. Joni also puts a share of its revenue toward menstrual equity and nonprofit partners, and has donated more than a million period products.

Choosing a pad: absorbency, length and wings

Absorbency is only part of the story. Length and a wider back give coverage in different places, wings fold around your underwear to keep the pad in place, and thickness changes how it feels. A liner is made for light days and spotting, and keeps you feeling fresh, but it isn't made for a heavy-flow day. If you're wearing pads in hot weather, a thin, breathable pad is often more comfortable.

The two overnight pads we carry show how different "overnight" can be:

Reusable cloth pads: Hannahpad

Cloth pads are one of the simplest reusable period products. Hannahpad started in Korea in 2005 as a one-person project with a few fabrics and a sewing machine, and its pads are made from certified organic cotton that's unbleached and undyed. Inside, five absorbent layers sit over a breathable, water-resistant TPU backing, and snaps hold the wings around your underwear.

The Ultra Overnight is 36 cm long with a broad back, made for heavy nights and restless sleepers. If you're new to cloth, starting with one overnight pad alongside your usual disposables is an easy way to try it.

HannahpadReusable Cloth Pad, Ultra OvernightCertified organic cotton, unbleached and undyed, with a leak-resistant backing and snap wings.Shop →

How to wash a cloth pad

1. Rinse in cold water. Rinse the pad in cold water as soon as you can. Hot water sets stains.
2. Treat and soak. Rub a little detergent into the stain, then soak the pad in cold water. Change the water if you're soaking it for a long time.
3. Wash. Hand wash, or machine wash with your regular laundry. Skip fabric softener, which can make cotton less absorbent.
4. Hang to dry. Air dry fully before storing. Keep a few pads so one can dry while you wear another.

For the laundry itself, a gentle, fragrance-free detergent works well. Our eco-friendly cleaning products guide covers laundry refills and plastic-free options.

Menstrual cups and discs

A reusable menstrual cup collects flow instead of absorbing it, so it's a popular tampon alternative. The DivaCup is the well known menstrual cup from Kitchener, Ontario, where Carinne Chambers-Saini and her mom, Francine Chambers, started their women-founded company in the basement of their home. The cups are still made in Canada. The cup is soft silicone with no dyes or additives and comes in three models:

A menstrual disc is wider and shallower and sits higher, so it feels different from a cup. The Diva Disc is one size, made of medical-grade silicone with Diva's Leakproof Shield, and Nixit is a one-size, suction-free disc-style cup in ultra-soft medical-grade silicone. Both the DivaCup and the Diva Disc are designed for up to 12 hours of continuous protection.

Diva's daily vulva care

Diva also makes a small line of daily vulva skincare for the outside of the body, made with 100% naturally derived ingredients. The Cleanser is a fragrance-free, moisture-rich wash for the vulva and bikini area, where regular body wash can feel too harsh. The Moisturizer is a light lotion with ceramide NP, cranberry seed oil and aloe that helps skin hold its moisture, and The Refresher is a mist for a quick, no-rinse clean when you can't get to a shower. Cramp Care Cream is a cooling, then warming, botanical cream with arnica and menthol to rub into a sore lower belly or back.

Organic cotton tampons

If tampons are part of your routine, both brands make them in organic cotton. Joni's applicator-free tampons are 100% certified organic cotton, string included, with a curved tip and a compostable wrapper. Natracare tampons are 100% cotton and totally chlorine free. Choose the absorbency that matches your flow and follow the directions in the box.

The best period care is the mix that works for your body, your flow and your week.

Less waste, and where it all goes

Reusable cloth pads and silicone cups cut down on what goes in the garbage each month, and organic disposables cut down on plastic. Natracare pads are plastic-free and compostable, and Joni pads are about 92% biodegradable in compostable wrappers, with recyclable boxes. In HRM, used pads, liners and tampons still go in the garbage, not the green bin, and never down the toilet.

Questions we get a lot

What is the best organic pad in Canada?

It depends on what you like. Natracare is the pick for a certified organic cotton cover and a classic cushioned pad, and Joni is the pick for an ultra-thin, winged bamboo pad from a Canadian company. Many people keep both: thin Joni pads for the day and a Natracare maxi at night.

Are organic pads actually better?

Organic pads are made without plastics, perfumes, dyes or chlorine bleaching, and many people with sensitive skin find them more comfortable. They also leave less plastic behind. Whether they're better for you comes down to how they feel and fit.

Which pads are 100% organic?

Natracare pads have a certified organic cotton cover over a natural, plastic-free core. Joni pads use certified organic bamboo in the top sheet. Hannahpad cloth pads are made from certified organic cotton.

Is Joni a good brand? Are Joni pads made in Canada?

Joni is a Canadian company from southern Vancouver Island and a certified B Corp. Its pads are ultra thin, winged and made with organic bamboo.

Is Natracare a good pad brand?

Natracare has made organic and natural period products since 1989. Its pads have a certified organic cotton cover, and they're totally chlorine free and made without plastics, perfumes or dyes.

What stores sell Natracare pads?

We carry Natracare pads, liners and tampons at both of our stores, in Bedford and Dartmouth, and online.

What does a DivaCup do, and does it work?

A DivaCup is a reusable menstrual cup that collects flow instead of absorbing it. It's reusable, so one cup sees you through cycle after cycle, and it works best in the right size and after a cycle or two of practice.

What are the downsides of a menstrual cup?

There's a learning curve, you need somewhere to empty and rinse it, and the right size matters. Some people keep a pad or liner handy while they get used to it.

Organic pads, liners, tampons, cloth pads, cups and discs are in the personal care aisle at both stores: 486 Starboard Drive in Bedford and 590 Portland Street in Dartmouth, open seven days. If magnesium is part of your routine, our guide to the best form of magnesium compares bisglycinate, citrate and creams. In HRM, order by 11 am with Luminate Express for same-day delivery, or choose pickup. Anywhere else in Canada, orders over $80 ship free.

Sources: Natracare, Our Story; Joni, About Us; Hannahpad, About Us; Diva, Why Diva; DivaCup sizing; Halifax Water, Don't Dump It; product labels.