In my quest for trying to buy better in different aspects in my life (and I know I'm very lucky for the privilege to be able to pay more for things that I think are better), I decided to try out Lola Tampons and Cora Tampons. Now I feel like a lot of you out there reading this would tell me that a better period product instead of tampons (with plastic applicators), is the menstrual cup. And believe me, I tried. Actually I tried two, one from Luna and one from Diva Cups (both in their smallest sizes). But unfortunately for me I bleed way too heavy and have a narrow canal so not only do I leak with the cups but I can actually feel the cup press on me internally (it doesn't hurt but there's an uncomfortable pressure). Couple that with major cramps, and I can't handle it. And then on top of that every time I took out the cup, I made a mess (though I'm sure I would have gotten better at it with practice). Lol, sorry if this is TMI, but it's just to illustrate why I just can't deal with menstrual cups. I'm all for saving the environment, but sorry I can't give up my tampons. When I'm feeling bad from my period, I just want to be comfortable.
So I've been using Playtex tampons for forever and a day, without ever thinking about the brand or product much. Then the other day I heard about Cora Tampons, which then led me to Lola. I decided to try Lola first since they are a bit cheaper than Cora ones ($0.50 per tampon vs. Cora's $0.67-$0.92 depending on the subscription). But both offer the same thing (organic cotton feminine products) and have a charity arm (Lola donates feminine products to low-income women in the US while Cora donates abroad). So yes even though Lola tampons are more expensive than Playtex ones, I'm happy to pay a bit more for the organic cotton and for the donations Lola gives. But only if they are as comfortable as my Playtex ones. And I'm happy to report, they are!
I personally like plastic applicators, though I think I will make the switch to cardboard (for the environment and all). But I like that Lola allows you to customize each box to tailor it to your specific needs. I'm a heavy bleeder so I don't really need any light tampons (and I usually use my Thinx on the light days). I also don't like their Super+ ones since they're quite large and uncomfortable for me, but I do like them for the heaviest nights (since I don't move around and won't feel them, but during the day and moving around I find them a tad uncomfortable). So I usually have a mix of regular, super, and a couple Super+ thrown in. It's great that you can edit your box and the shipping dates really easily from your account on their website.
The only negative thing I have to say about them is their shipping speed. My order shipped on March 8th and I got it on the 21st (which by then I already had my period so I had to go out and buy another box of Playtex again). So I've learned to have at least an extra months supply on hand when timing the shipping from Lola.
Now I didn't order Cora tampons online (so I can't speak to that experience), but I was able to find some at my local Target. One box of 32 tampons (16 regular and 16 super) was selling for $10, which makes it $0.31 per tampon and cheaper than buying either Lola or Cora online. To be able to compare apples to apples, I purchased the plastic applicator tampons from Cora. And they are the exact same product guys. So it makes me wonder if there's only a handful of places making organic cotton tampons and both Lola and Cora source their products from there. According to Cora's website, these tampons are made in Ljubljana, Slovenia. If Target keeps stocking Cora tampons, I might make the switch since it's more cost-effective.
So I'm not advising everyone to go out and buy Lola or Cora tampons because you really have to do what works for you and your budget. But I just wanted to share my experience with these new brands. As for the feeling of organic cotton vs. processed and bleached cotton tampons, I don't really feel any different (well not yet anyway, but if you think how some drugs can be absorbed through the vaginal membrane, why couldn't chemicals from your tampon be different?). Anyone else try out Lola or Cora and what did you think?