Episode 6 - Period Empowerment - How SAALT Makes This Possible with Taylor Christenson
By Jessica Garrison
Taylor Christenson has been a guest on the podcast previously, but she’s back in season 4 to share exciting information for listeners to learn more about period health and how you could possibly save some money on period hygiene products. I want to be clear that even though period products are well known as feminine hygiene products, we recognize that not everyone who has their period identifies as a woman or as feminine. The F.E.E.L Podcast is a safe space for everyone to share their thoughts, feelings, struggles, and victories.
SAALT creates “clean, high-performance products that are healthy for you and the planet.” The CEO and cofounder featured on their website is Cherie, whose Venezuelan aunt told her that period products haven’t been available in stores for years; Cherie couldn’t imagine what she would do if she had to live her life without access to period products or if one of her five daughters had to live that way. She worked up a way to be able to create and send sustainable period products overseas for those who aren’t as privileged as we are to have period products available in stores. Period products are still pretty expensive in the United States, but it’s a step above some other countries that don’t have the same access.
While Taylor was a guest during this episode, she spoke about SAALT during the talking points and how her work mirrors the ideals of the F.E.E.L Podcast. When speaking about self care and taking care of yourself while on your period, Taylor shares the statistic that 1 in 5 people with a period in the U.S. are unable to afford period care products every month. One of SAALT’s biggest products is the menstrual cup. You don’t have to buy one every month like a box of tampons or pads; it’s reusable since all you have to do is clean it out when it gets full, rather than throwing it away every time. There’s so much that goes into the process of getting the products to where they need to be, making sure that the company distributing them is reputable and is working towards the same goals as them. Taylor shares that SAALT partners with HER International because they understood “it’s more than just donating products.” A lot more work goes into it; these are people’s lives that are affected by the work they do. This affects people’s mental health, their ability to get an education, and their physical health/hygiene.
Taylor says that “periods are really layered” and that’s why it’s such a good fit to be able to feature her work this week. Periods are fluid and can change—they can change your hormones, how your body feels, how you feel mentally, and it’s not always the same reactions every month. Factoring in people who have children or are going through serious changes in life, the way you deal with your period can affect every other aspect of your life, which is difficult for people who don’t have periods to understand. It’s hard enough dealing with all of this, let alone if you don’t have a way to properly deal with it, such as medication if necessary or the proper hygienic products to help you take care of yourself.
Taylor says, “I associate my period with empowerment,” which I absolutely love. I realize as I get older, I can relate to her sentiment. Growing up (and I know it wasn’t just me), it was so embarrassing to have your period. I’d try to be secretive, taking my pad or tampon out of my bag and hurrying to the bathroom praying that no one else would be in there to hear the crinkle of the wrapper. I don’t know why I cared so much considering it’s normal and healthy to have a regular period. I want us to get rid of the stigma that having your period makes you gross or dirty because it’s one of the most natural things that we go through in life. The work that Taylor and SAALT do is helping to erase those negative connotations that people have when it comes to periods and the more work we can do, the better off the world will be.
Honestly, I have not even scratched the surface on this episode. I have two pages of notes and I think I only covered about half of them, so I highly recommend listening to the full episode to hear Taylor speak about this herself and sharing all of the knowledge she has. Please feel free to explore the resources page for this episode to find out more information about Taylor, SAALT, and where you can learn more and even get a discount code for the SAALT website!
Disclaimer: This episode is for educational purposes only, and we know and respect that each woman needs to handle their period care in a way that feels most healthy for them.