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I’m not a Dr but after doing some research, I found ways you can suppress your period. One of the reasons many women don’t try period suppression is because they are accustomed to believe that a monthly period is necessary for good health. In the Association of Reproductive Health Professionals survey, 89 percent of women said they worried that there might be long-term health effects, and 66 percent said that period suppression just didn’t feel natural.
Researchers believe fewer periods can help improve quality of life for women especially those in military or athletes.
If you don’t struggle with heavy flows, lucky you. One out of five women suffer from heavy flows, also known as menorrhagia (meh·nr·ei·jee·uh).
The average menstrual cycle is about 28 days, and the actual period part ranges from 2 to 7 days. A period that lasts longer than five to seven days is considered prolonged menstrual bleeding. The total amount of blood lost during one period is usually about 60 milliliters (around 2.7 ounces). On average, a woman can generally lose up to around 16 teaspoons of blood (normally a lot less) during their cycle. It might seem and look like a lot but it’s not.
Shortening your period with natural cruelty-free menstrual products/ methods:
Periods can be a monthly inconvenience and interfere with your daily or future plans. It is believed that natural pads help shorten periods as opposed to commercial brand pads and tampons. There is no evidence that proves this, but some methods can increase the speed at which the menstrual blood leaves the uterus, which may shorten the period.
It’s no secret hormonal birth control such as the pill, implant, progestin shot and IUD is a way to prevent your period flow. Doctors refer to this as “menstrual suppression.” However, certain methods may work for some people.
Birth Control pills allow you to skip your period altogether with continuous cycling (starting a new pack of birth control instead of taking placebo pills in the 4th week). The traditional OCP is taken for 21 days, followed by 7 days of placebo pills. It is important to know that all prescription medications in the United States are tested on animals as required by the Food and Drug Administration. Also know that there is currently no oral contraceptive available that doesn’t contain lactose, the hormones they contain are often from animal products. Many types of hormonal birth control contain estrogen, which is known to increase the risk of developing blood clots. Please consult your doctor before considering this option.
Tampons might be a convenience and help soak up blood but they are not as good as you may think. It can block menstrual flow from the vagina which can make your period last longer. There’s also the risk of getting TSS (Toxic Shock Syndrome). Not only are tampons bad for the environment but believe it or not, they are tested on animals.
Avoid tampons and use menstrual pads instead, not just any pads try using natural chloride free pads.
Organic pads are more breathable due to the absorbent cellulose core and soft organic cotton cover to lock away menstrual fluid, compared to ones made with synthetic fibers that contain plastic content which can cause skin irritation and allergic reactions.
Pads that are made with synthetic fibers contains only a small percentage of cotton, and some of them contain no cotton at all. Pads from common brands use fabrics to imitate the texture of cotton and are often perforated (pierced with holes) to help absorb flow a little faster than organic pads. You can notice the difference in the texture between a common brand pad and an organic cotton pad.
When using commercial or generic brand pads, I feel the need to change them as often as opposed to organic pads. During my last period I tried organic pads* throughout the whole cycle to see if it helps the flow end faster. My cycle didn’t last longer than 5 days.
*I tried CVS brand organic cotton with buy one get one 50% off offer and Organyc using 40% off coupon, that’s about $5 worth of savings.
A good hormone-free alternative is to try to eat a healthy, balanced diet packed with lots of fruits and vegetables.
Exercise helps lighten your menstrual flow, and it’s also useful for reducing water retention, bloating and cramps. The movement of the muscles during exercise may also help more uterine blood exit the body, potentially reducing the duration of a period. It also reduces stress, and even alleviates mood, because of the release of ‘happy hormones’ called endorphins.
Vitamin C may help reduce your progesterone (prow-jeh-str-own) levels which, help break down your uterine lining more quickly – shortening your period. It effectively lowers the heavy bleeding from the uterus during periods. This is caused due to the anti-estrogenic properties in vitamin C.
Raspberry Leaf is said to help ease heavy menstrual bleeding while improving egg quality. It contains something called fragarine, an alkaloid found in raspberries, which is known to help tone and tighten muscles in the pelvic region (helps relieve cramps) preventing hemorrhage due to its high iron content and astringent qualities. The tea is also high in tannins (a naturally occurring chemical found in wine) which is believed to strengthen the uterus and reduce heavy and irregular bleeding during your cycle.
I recommend you try a hot cup of Stash Wild Raspberry Hibiscus Herbal Tea. I drank it on my first day of period and it prevented cramps (this is based on my experience only).
Climaxing is yet another form of a natural pain-reliever and can help keep cramps away.
So, anything that can get the uterus to exit blood faster is probably going to speed the process along. Sex or masturbation that leads to orgasm can stimulate contractions in the uterus, which may result in more menstrual blood leaving the body through the vagina. Having an orgasm releases ‘feel-good’ hormone like oxytocin and dopamine that help ease pain like menstrual cramps.
According to medical doctor, Dee Fenner of Michigan Medicine Von Voigtlander Women’s Clinic at the University of Michigan, having sex on your period can come handy when rushing aunty flow to end by causing contractions in your uterus that occur when you orgasm, which then helps your menstrual flow by squeezing out more blood. “Although no studies have been done on this, it’s likely that menstrual blood in the uterus is squeezed out during orgasm,” says Dr. Fenner. While there is no evidence that proves this a fact, it is worth a try.
Heating pads placed on your stomach help make the blood flow from your body. The faster all of that blood flows, the sooner your period will be over.
Magnesium is believed to help create an incline in estrogen so when you increase your intake, it can make your period end sooner. It can also help reduce the amount of blood you lose during your period. To get more magnesium eat dark chocolate, oats, pumpkin and watermelon.
There you have it, some methods to help shorten your period when aunty flow decides to pay a visit.
February is the month when black history is celebrated. African American hair care products wouldn’t have existed if it wasn’t for the legendary Sarah Breedlove, born in 1867 to parents who had been enslaved. She is better known as Madam CJ Walker. In 1905, Walker released her own specialized products after suffering from scalp alignment that later resulted into hair loss. The company became so successful that it soon made her one of the first American women to become a self made millionaire. She owned and operated her own successful business, the Madam C. J. Walker Manufacturing Company.
Discovery collection kit at QVC Newspaper ad from 1915
Before the Madam CJ Walker Beauty Culture products, there was an original product called Madam Walker’s Wonderful Hair Grower, specifically made to condition and heal scalp issues after she started losing her own hair. Though loss of hair was very common due to infrequent hair washes at the time and not many hair products for black women were available then.
Walker explained how her products came to be: “God answered my prayer, for one night I had a dream, and in that dream a big black man appeared to me and told me what to mix up for my hair. Some of the remedy was grown in Africa, but I sent for it, mixed it, put it on my scalp, and in a few weeks my hair was coming in faster than it had ever fallen out. I tried it on my friends; it helped them. I made up my mind I would begin to sell it.”
In 2016, Sundial Brands launched the hair care line Madam C.J Walker Beauty Culture which is available at Sephora.
To keep her legacy alive, Sundial, (acquitted by Unilever as of Nov 2017) the company that now owns Madam C.J. Walker Beauty Culture products, has taken their part in donating financially to continue the mission to create educational platforms and opportunities for women. Sundial announced a fund of $100 million dedicated to support women of color entrepreneurs.
The Madam C.J. Walker Beauty Culture line
“I want the great masses of my people to take a greater pride in their personal appearance and to give their hair proper attention.” ~Madam CJ Walker
Here are some reasons to choose cruelty-free products (in my opinion):
1. You’ll feel glad you didn’t spend money on a product that caused the life of a living being. 🐁 🐀 🐇🐕🐈 That body, bath or cosmetic product will make you feel guilt free.
2. Affordable, well some not all. Depending on the awesome brand of course. 💲
3. Believe it or not, you saved an animal’s life by choosing compassion over cruelty. 🐁
4. Decreased the sales of companies that continue to test on animals 🚫
5. Better results!
6. Smell. Natural smell ahh 😌
7. If don’t mind spending a few cents more, your body will thank you for the natural ingredients too.
8. Animal testing harms the environment 🌎 yes it’s bad for our planet.
In celebration, here’s a little history on lipstick:
According to the book “Read My Lips: A Cultural History of Lipstick,” Queen Schub-ad of Mesopotamia made a paste from white lead and crushed red rocks to color her lips, from there she created a lipstick. It made its way to the ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans. Somehow it survived through the Middle Ages and Italian Renaissance.
In 1927, French Chemist, Paul Baudercroux invented a formula he called ‘Rouge Baiser’ considered to be the first kiss-proof lipstick. Ironically, Rouge Baiser was long-lasting that it was banned from purchasing after being considered too hard to remove.
In the 1930’s another element of lipstick formulas’ was invented by cosmetic company Max Factor. The lip gloss!
By the 1950s, chemist Helen Bishop invented a new version of long-lasting lipstick called ‘No-Smear Lipstick‘.
In 1973 Bonnie Bell introduced, ‘Lip Smackers’, flavored lipstick. These became an instant hit for the younger consumers.
In modern times, the variety of colors and formulas of lipsticks available are outstanding. According to a survey, on an average, women in U.S. spend more than $3500 dollars on lipstick in their lifetime.
National Lipstick Day is an annual event that falls on July 29th. As of 2016, award-winning beauty blogger, entrepreneur and International Businesswoman, Huda Kattan was named the modern-day founder of National Lipstick Day. Lipstick wearers like to celebrate this day by purchasing a new shade of lipstick or just wear an old favorite.
Certain stores and brands are giving away free lipstick or offering great deals such as Urban Decay, Huda Beauty, Anastasia Beverley Hills, ColourPop, Target and Macy’s.
“If you’re sad, add more lipstick and attack.” -Coco Chanel 💋
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AHAVA is 30 years old! For their anniversary, AHAVA has created a limited edition mineral skin care line using Dead Sea minerals. Artists from around the world were asked to portray their personal notion of beauty for this 30 Year Limited Edition Collection. Save 60% offthe collection with the code 30Year!