Summer guide for menstruating women: Beach, festivals and cycle
Summer is coming – and for many of us, that means vacation, warmth, spontaneous plans, and odd rhythms. We love it.
But for menstruating bodies, summer can also be a little cocktail of challenges.
Travel days, the heat, changed routines, more socializing, alcohol and perhaps less access to good toilet facilities can affect both your cycle, your energy and your need for breaks.
That's why we've created a summer guide for those of you who want to take good care of your cycle – even when you're sunbathing on the beach, dancing at a festival, or sitting at a family dinner in a summer house without a bathroom door (geez).
Plan – but expect the unpredictable
The summer heat, travel days and holiday stress can affect your cycle. Your period may come earlier, later – or with more intensity than you are used to. That's why it's a good idea to track your cycle extra closely and pack wisely.
Pack a “just-in-case kit” in your beach bag or rolling suitcase: a pair of panty liners (or our low-absorbency thong ), a menstrual cup, sanitary napkins, a wet bag for used products, hand sanitizer, iron supplements if you’re bleeding a lot, a pair of Flow panties, and maybe some travel-sized Bloody Clean so you can wash panties on the go.
It saves the day if the bleeding comes as a surprise or the toilet is not an option .
Menstruation in heat: Remember fluids and minerals
It's not just sweat and Aperol that you might be balancing in the summer heat. Menstruation and heat are both draining – especially when combined. You lose fluids, but also electrolytes like magnesium, sodium and potassium, which play a role in everything from mood to cramps.
Tip: Drink plenty of water and consider taking electrolytes, especially if you are bleeding a lot. Magnesium in particular has a calming effect - try our Calming Cream after a day of high heat, sweating or exercise. It can make a noticeable difference to your energy, mood and pain.
Festival toilets and travel days: Remember a menstrual kit
Festival? Hiking? Road trip? Summer vacation often means you don't have access to your usual, clean bathroom. So think ahead – especially if you're bleeding heavily or in the luteal phase, where you might be extra sensitive to chaos and a little more "disgusting" surroundings (we're, we think, simple, millennial girls who want a clean board and a bin for used products).
Make a mini period kit-to-go and keep it in your bag. We suggest a wet bag with two pairs of period panties ( these are great for a long day of travel). Your Flows can be a lifesaver in situations where you can't change a tampon or pad. And wet wipes? Your best friend.
What should you include in a menstrual summer bag?
We've mentioned it a few times, but let's give you the full list of what a good summer package or kit for menstruation might include, for example:
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tampon or menstrual cup
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wet wipes
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hand sanitizer
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wet bag for used products
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electrolytes or iron supplements
- menstrual swimwear - if the opportunity arises
Then you're ready for beach days, festival toilets and long travel days.
Can you bathe when you are menstruating?
“Can you swim when you're on your period?” many people ask. Of course you can - and with sharks and an increased danger if you're on your period - it's not appropriate.
BUT. You don't have to. If you're not in the mood to jump in the pool, don't. Your body may be bloated, feel sore and tired - you don't have to do anything, just what your body wants.
Would you like to take a bath? If you are in your luteal phase or menstruating, cooling down and getting some exercise can also help relieve discomfort. You can use a tampon, menstrual cup, bathe in your quick-drying Period Flow High Rise that can handle light-moderate bleeding or how about trying menstrual swimwear?
👉 Here you can find our guide to the best menstrual products if you want to bathe.
When social plans hit the luteal phase
Maybe you're at a summer house with your family, maybe on holiday with friends – and maybe your body is in the luteal phase and is crying out for peace. When we're bleeding or approaching menstruation, many of us have less energy for socializing and more need for space. Even if we're on holiday and "NOW we're going to have fun". The body has a pretty big job right up until menstruation and during the bleeding, and that can require peace from us regardless of whether you're in Blokhus or Biarritz.
Give yourself permission to say no, thank you. You can stay home from the walk or say “I’ll just take an hour alone.” The cycle doesn’t take a vacation – and neither do you need to from your needs.
👉 Read more about PMS and understand your body better here.
Eat what your body needs
The holidays often offer sweets, alcohol and fluctuating meal times. This is completely normal, and there should be room for enjoyment. But if you feel cravings or feel exhausted, it may be your body asking for extra support. If you are craving a lot of salt - chips, French fries, etc., then it may be your body calling for a little extra to balance the salt in the heat.
Especially during and leading up to menstruation, you need magnesium, iron and B vitamins. If you can, think: dark chocolate, green vegetables, eggs, whole grains and perhaps a supplement if you are bleeding a lot.
Movement during menstruation: less can also be enough
Many people experience a dip in energy during the luteal phase and during menstruation – and summer can exacerbate this because we sleep worse, are more active and have less structure.
Move on your own terms. Go for a walk, do gentle yoga, stretch – or lie still with your legs up a wall.
Rest is not laziness. It's cycle care (that's our new mantra).
👉 Here you will find our guide to exercise throughout your cycle.
Hormonal fluctuations + summer heat
It's not just you who feels completely off one day in the middle of the holidays. Estrogen, progesterone and heat waves can make us more sensitive, hungry, sad, tired – and frustrated that no clothes feel good.
You can say it out loud. We can put our needs into words, and if we don't know them completely, we can just say: I'm a little flat for the next few days. We all know that the follicular phase is just around the corner (and in that case: Remember condoms for the holiday too).
Give space to your emotions. And remember: Your mood doesn't reflect that you're not enjoying your vacation. But your body is clearly telling you its needs, and we're just trying to listen, right?
Vacation on your own terms
You don't owe anyone a perfect holiday mood. You're allowed to have your period, be tired, need some peace and quiet, change your panties in the middle of a car ride, or ask for some alone time.
It could also be that you're just overexerting yourself and overusing your energy to enjoy that one week in Rhodes with your girlfriends - if you come home and are completely exhausted, know that you've had fun, felt life, overused your battery a bit, but that you'll of course be yourself again once you've rested.
Your body is at work for you, every single day. It's pretty amazing, and in reality, most people's mood on vacation would probably be significantly higher if everyone lived a little more cyclically. With a little more balance between yin and yang. A little more breaks, a little more peace, a little more downtime and a little closer to ourselves.
Summer doesn't have to be harder just because you're on your period. With a little planning and respect for your cycle, you can still enjoy beach days, festivals and vacations – without compromising your body.
We wish you the most wonderful holiday, wherever it takes you. Take good care of yourself, we hope that peace will come sooner or later 🧉 Love from us
