It’s teeming with exciting new products out there. But for which ones is it really worth knocking coal on the head? Every month our editorial team puts five products through their paces and checks them for fun. In November we tested hot socks for warm feet, a tea against migraines, a cycle tracker, a dietary supplement and a period panty. Here are our results.
Menstruate and drink tea Editor Mareike fights her period-related migraines with tea. © Olenaduygu / Shutterstock
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)
Product: Old Frisian tea house: women’s tea for migraines (lady’s mantle, St. John’s wort, lemon balm, hops)
price: 4.20 euros / 100g
Use: Pour 1-2 teaspoons of boiling water over it, let it steep for 5-10 minutes. The tea house recommends a 4 week cure in which you drink the mixture twice a day.
Result: My family regularly brings me the tea from my Föhr vacation, so I’m all the more pleased that you can now order the tea mixes from “Altes Frisian Tea House” online. There are different types of women’s tea that are specifically designed to help against migraines. Unfortunately, I am one of those people who suffer from migraines on their cycle and I try everything that could help. Tada – the tea helps. Whenever I find myself feeling stressed, restless, or about to menstruate, I brew the tea and it actually brings me down. I don’t want to miss it anymore.
Hello cycle According to editor Julia, tracking the cycle has never been so easy. © PR
⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)
Product: OvulaRing
price: € 40 per month
Use: OvulaRing is a new, patented method of tracking the cycle – developed by gynecologists and clinically tested several times. The ring consists of a ring made of medical grade silicone and a biosensor that is inserted into the vagina. There OvulaRing automatically measures the core body temperature around the clock. OvulaRing collects 288 data points per day and can thus track what is happening in the cycle much more precisely, regardless of the length of the cycle and external influences such as stress, sleep, exercise or diet. Medical algorithms evaluate the data and recognize individual cycle and fertility patterns. With OvulaRing you can find out whether you are ovulating or whether there are signs of a hormonal cycle disorder. In addition, you can display your current probability of conception in real time and a prognosis for ovulation in the subsequent cycle.
Result: I have been tracking my cycle with NFP for a long time and I am really enthusiastic about OvulaRing, especially because it eliminates the daily temperature measurement in the morning for me. I no longer have to worry about having the thermometer to hand at the same time every morning, the ring does that for me. If necessary, I then read it out using the app and check my values. Further data on cervical mucus, health, sex, diseases and other symptoms can also be recorded in the associated app. It is therefore not only suitable for cycle tracking, but especially when you want to have children. Since OvulaRing is still quite new on the market, it is unfortunately still very expensive. At the same time, the app is not yet running completely smoothly, and it sometimes takes several attempts to read out the ring or enter the symptoms. All in all, I would recommend the ring to any woman. I can no longer imagine my life without him.
Balance hormones Hormones under control: Volunteer Melli swears by evening primrose oil. © PR
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)
Product: Biogena Evening Primrose Oil 500
price: 20 euros for 60 capsules
Use: Take two capsules a day with water.
Result: After I stopped taking my pill, my skin escalated completely. I didn’t have any large pimples, but a lot of small deposits on my chin and forehead. For over a year I tried everything in facial care, but in the end it was the hormones that caused this mess on my face. Evening primrose oil supports the hormonal balance and I have been taking it every day for about two months. It contains gamma-linoleic acid from omega-6 fatty acids, which is important for metabolism and the health of skin and hair. It’s now been over a year and a half since I stopped taking the pill and my skin is better than ever. This is of course not only due to the evening primrose oil, but also to facial care, nutrition and also because my hormones have slowly leveled off again. Nevertheless, I do not notice any major effects of hormonal fluctuations on my skin during my menstruation. And I firmly believe that it is also because of this dietary supplement because it always keeps my hormones in balance. It works for me and I don’t want to do without it anymore.
Warm feet ahoy! No more cold feet: Editor Sina now has a secret weapon. © Screenshot Amazon / Hot Sox
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)
Product: Hot sox
price: from 19 euros
Use: You can imagine the slippers like warmth or cherry stone pillows – only that they have the shape of slippers. The fleece-like fabric is very soft and cozy on the outside and inside. The slippers are filled with flaxseed. To keep your feet warm, put the slippers in the microwave for about two minutes on a medium setting – if you like it warmer, you can add a few more minutes. But be careful: too hot can cause burns to your feet. As soon as the slippers have the right warmth, just snuggle up on the couch and put your cold feet in the wonderfully warm Sox.
Result: I have had these socks myself for a number of years and have to thank my mother for discovering them at some point. I travel a lot in the horse stable and after that I basically had blocks of ice at the end of my legs. In the cold season, my Sox are usually ready in the hallway so that I can warm them up immediately. You have to experiment a little at the beginning, which temperature is comfortable for you, and it can’t be too hot. Should that ever happen, the best thing to do is not to slip your socks on, but to put them on your feet – that already warms you, but you don’t burn your feet. The important thing is: these are not slippers that you walk around the apartment in all day. Since the flax seeds are under and on the foot, you walk on it like with heavy, sand-filled socks. The best thing about the Sox is that they not only help with generally cold feet, but also warm you completely from the bottom up – almost an effect similar to that after a hot bath.
Bye-bye period waste Less rubbish and still safe: Editor Eva has switched to period panties. © PR
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)
Product: Period panty from The Female Company
price: 39.90 euros
Use: The organic cotton briefs from The Female Company are as absorbent as three normal tampons and more comfortable than my cosiest panties. They are available in two different colors – gray and black – and in a size range from 32 to 56. Simply use like normal panties – wash them out cold in the evening and then put them in the washing machine at 40 degrees. Complete!
Result: At first I was really skeptical about the topic of period underwear. Somehow felt like a step backwards to me. Sure, less rubbish is good, but I still didn’t want to bleed into my underpants. I now have around seven period panties and I am absolutely thrilled. Although I have a heavy menstrual period, in most cases one slip per day is enough and I also feel safe at night. So far, nothing has really gone wrong. Period panties are not really cheap, but if you consider that they can be worn for years, this is put into perspective again. I’m a big fan and have already said goodbye to tampons and co.