Entrepreneurs make big announcement about future of taboo-busting business: 'It's about creating a global movement'

The founders of an award-winning menstrual care company are going international less than two years after launching their Fri Period brand in the United States.

Nina Smith and Amy Donofrio announced in a news release in March that they are selling their period underwear in Australia, meeting "strong market demand" for sustainable menstrual care.

The business partners were motivated to design their period underwear, honored with a bronze award at the Sexual Wellness Awards 2024, because of their desire to make periods "easier, comfier, and more planet-friendly," according to the company website. As moms, they also wanted to give their daughters better options for managing their periods.

According to a study in Cleaner Environmental Systems, the U.S. discards approximately 20 billion single-use period products each year. Switching to reusable period underwear is a way to not only save money in the long run but also to reduce landfill waste, as many single-use products have plastic components that can take 500-800 years to break down.

However, Smith and Donofrio were wary of existing period underwear because of reports of toxic chemicals in some popular brands along with a lack of supply-chain transparency.

To address this, the entrepreneurs launched Fri Period in September 2023 with a "commitment to ethical manufacturing," per the company. Its manufacturing partner holds crucial certifications to ensure safe working conditions and uphold health and safety standards for the final products, including the OEKO-TEX Standard 100 — which tests for 1,000-plus harmful substances.

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The company has also earned praise for its dedication to education and open dialogue as a means of breaking down period stigma — a barrier to learning for many girls worldwide, particularly if they are unable to afford menstrual products.

"Our expansion to Australia represents more than just business growth — it's about creating a global movement towards sustainable period care and breaking down the taboos that still exist around menstruation," Smith said.

"Our recognition at the Sexual Wellness Awards reinforces what we've known all along: that sustainable period care and menstrual wellness education go hand in hand," she added. "As we enter the Australian market, we're excited to continue our mission of making sustainable period care accessible while fostering open conversations about menstruation."

Which eco-friendly initiative would make you most likely to buy products from a clean beauty brand?

Using less plastic packaging 🗑️