Period leakage is up there on the list of things that can destroy your day as easily as your favorite underwear. So “Will my menstrual cup leak?” is a valid fear for the uninitiated. But when inserted correctly, menstrual cup leaks are not something to worry about. And once you join the cup club, you’ll be in for good. Thankfully there have been some innovations in the period space since we nervously learned how to use tampons in middle school. As with anything new, it can take a few tries to get the hang of it, and a bit of menstrual cup leakage may be part of the learning process. This is wh ..read more

Cramps and cravings may be the more famous PMS symptoms but feeling depressed ahead of your period is also common and can be even more difficult to handle. Many of us have experienced those pre-period days where everything suddenly feels hopeless or overwhelming. This is normal. But that doesn’t mean you have to just deal with PMS depression each month. There’s a biological reason behind these emotions as well as ways to get relief from the sadness and physical symptoms that impact our mood. What causes PMS depression? The key difference between PMS-related depression and other forms of depres ..read more

We all want to reduce the amount of chemicals we put in and on our bodies and that goes for monthly PMS relief as well. There are many natural remedies for PMS that can treat physical and emotional symptoms without popping a pill or using products that contain toxins. Premenstrual syndrome often includes physical woes such as bloating, cramps, breast tenderness and headaches in the week or two before starting your period. Meanwhile hormonal fluctuations can also lead to mood swings, anxiety and trouble sleeping. Natural PMS treatments make a real difference for many menstruators and most are e ..read more

Throughout history, there have been times when sustained and collective hardship were followed by transformation. The original Roaring Twenties, for example, was a stretch of unprecedented prosperity in America that followed a devastating war, pandemic and depression. This summer, as COVID-19 restrictions continue to lift across the country, is shaping up to be one of those moments in the United States.  Call it what you will — the new Summer of Love, the Roaring 2020s, Hot Vax Summer — Americans are physically reconnecting. After over a year of isolation, many people are ready to make th ..read more

We all want to reduce the amount of chemicals we put in and on our bodies and that goes for monthly PMS relief as well. There are many natural remedies for PMS that can treat physical and emotional symptoms without popping a pill or using products that contain toxins. Premenstrual syndrome often includes physical woes such as bloating, cramps, breast tenderness and headaches in the week or two before starting your period. Meanwhile hormonal fluctuations can also lead to mood swings, anxiety and trouble sleeping. Natural PMS treatments make a real difference for many menstruators and most are e ..read more

You may have heard the buzz around human flora in recent years — particularly gut flora, which refers to the trillions of microorganisms that live in the human digestive tract. If this is your first time hearing about gut flora this may be disconcerting news, particularly as we emerge from a year spent bathing in hand sanitizer. But these microorganisms are actually critical to our health,  influencing everything that happens in our bodies. And our digestive tract isn’t the only place playing host to such a nifty little ecosystem. Your body has various flora, including your skin, your mou ..read more

When it comes to vaginal health, there are a lot of questions out there — and a lot of conflicting answers and opinions. Some of the biggest (and most controversial) questions around this topic are around vaginal cleansing. What exactly does it mean to wash your vagina? Is there a right and wrong way to do so? Are you even supposed to wash your vagina in the first place? Are there particular products and ingredients you should use, and avoid? We’ve asked these questions too, and decided it was time to hunt down some answers we could trust. With help from Dr. Navya Mysore, primary care pro ..read more

Period cramps affect nearly 90 percent of menstruators at some point in their lives. They’re generally worse in the five years following one’s first period and are usually much less severe after childbirth. The time in between those two transformational life events? A cramp free-for-all. Here’s what you need to know about menstrual cramps — and how to outsmart them. What causes period cramps? Menstrual cramps — the vague, frustrating, sometimes debilitating condition also known as dysmenorrhea — are caused by a hormone called endometrial prostaglandin. Prostaglandins are a group of hormones th ..read more

For many menstruators, PMS (AKA premenstrual syndrome) is just a reality we’ve simply gotten used to each month. Whether your symptoms are physical, like abdominal cramps, bloating, or painful breasts; emotional, like irritability or sadness; or a combination of both, PMS can sometimes derail your entire day. Thankfully, dealing with PMS is a little less painful (no pun intended) than it was even a few years ago. Today, there are many more options available — both in practice and in product form — to help people soothe PMS symptoms. We hope these tips will help you better manage those rollerco ..read more

Welcome to Period Routines, where we spotlight different members of the LOLA community to learn how they manage their period. We want the ins and outs of their monthly routines — how they feel, how they deal, and what they can’t live without. Want to share your period routine? Leave a comment below. Today, we’re sitting down with Krista Williams and Lindsey Simcik, co-founders and hosts of Almost 30, a top-rated lifestyle podcast, media platform, and community. Krista and Lindsey talk to us about first periods, birth control, and what their podcast has taught them about hormonal health. Occupa ..read more