Mooncup user gemfyre
3:55 pm - 03/29/2012

Tampon differences around the world
The recent hoo-hah over the moldy tampons got me thinking about this.

In the U.S. it would seem that most tampons are sold with applicators and only a few brands (I see OB mentioned a lot) sell non-applicator tampons. Also, many brands have plastic applicators.

In Australia there is only one brand of applicator tampon (Tampax) and they have cardboard applicators. Most brands (among them the most popular/heavily advertised brands - I haven't seen a Tampax ad in years come to think of it, and I only saw their ads in teen magazines) don't have applicators at all. Most of the marketing emphasises the smallness of the packs and cute patterns/colours on little flip-top pouches and things like that.

Does this vary in other parts of the world too? Why do tampon varieties/marketing strategies differ so much?
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0embryo 29th-Mar-2012 09:09 am (UTC)
I'm from the Netherlands, and as far as I know all brands here sell tampons without applicators. I always use the same brand though (OB), so it's not like I've really looked, but the fact that I've never noticed it either is probably telling about how scarce they are.

In fact, I remember that a brand (it may have been OB, but I'm not sure) briefly sold a pack with one plastic applicator (that you re-used, I guess? never bought it) included as a sort of ~bonus~ a few years ago. But that's really where my knowledge of Availability of Tampon Applicators in The Netherlands ends, I'm afraid. They're not widely used around here.
mel_darcy 29th-Mar-2012 10:40 am (UTC)
Living in Australia I had presumed that applicators were an old fashioned thing, like that tampon technology had 'evolved' past that or something, since I've never seen tampons with applicators, and I work at a supermarket.
chasing_breezes 29th-Mar-2012 10:58 am (UTC)
I always thought this as well (also in Oz). Until I found VP and realized they're widely used outside Australia I always associated applicator tampons with the old pads you had to hook onto a belt from the Judy Bloom novels ;)
indis_earfalas 30th-Mar-2012 12:18 am (UTC)
Yup, me too. I'd only heard of them because one of my friends went on student exchange to the US back in the 80's.
lemonsalt 29th-Mar-2012 11:19 am (UTC)
I live in Brazil and most tampons come without the applicator. I know there is one brand that comes with - I bought it the first time I used tampons - but I can't remember which one.
thebunnygeek 29th-Mar-2012 11:46 am (UTC)
Well, in Canada we only have OB brand without the applicator (from what I know). Not a lot of people use tampons without applicators, and they're generally regarded as "unclean" or a "novice" tampon. Like, when my cousin saw that I was using them (she's in her 30s and I'm 21), she looked at me and went, "Aaaawww I remember using those when I was a kid!"
But while they're considered "unclean", I still find rogue plastic (USED) applicators everywhere in public washrooms...!
0embryo 29th-Mar-2012 04:07 pm (UTC)
Funny, as far as I'm aware here in the Netherlands it's applicators that are considered a 'novice' sort of thing, used when first using tampons before you learn how to insert them without applicator. At least, that's what I vaguely remember reading on one of those instruction leaflets that they put in every box of tampons, but I haven't actually paid attention to those in years so I might misremember.
knittinggoddess 29th-Mar-2012 10:13 pm (UTC)
From what I remember in Seventeen and other "teen" magazines (in the 90s), applicators definitely seemed to be marketed as a "novice" thing in the States. But since I've only ever used OBs, I didn't realize that basically everyone else comes with applicators! So maybe the teen magazines were just saying "even you novices can use it too because it's easy!"
la_mia_cara 29th-Mar-2012 11:49 am (UTC)
In Germany tampons are mostly sold without applicator. In South America tampons in general seem to be more expensive (compared to pads) and less widely used than in Europe, and in my (limited) experience they're generally without applicator in Argentina and with applicator in Peru.
luinecu 29th-Mar-2012 12:22 pm (UTC)
Same in the uk, it's rare you get an applicator. The first time I came across one I was a bit freaked out!!

Edited at 2012-03-29 12:23 pm (UTC)
adenar 29th-Mar-2012 01:05 pm (UTC)
I'm in the UK and I don't even know what an applicator /is/. I tried tampons for a while when I first started five years ago but then I switched to pads, which might explain why I never found out. Off to google I go.
gaspardgroupie 29th-Mar-2012 02:31 pm (UTC)
Yeah, I think Tampax ones sometimes have applicators? But I don't think I've seen any other brands.
annabelle64 29th-Mar-2012 06:30 pm (UTC)
i'm in the uk and i've found it easier to find tampons with applicators. i've only ever seen lil-let tampons that are nonapplicator, many moons ago i found moxie applicatorless tampons but i can't find them any more. whereas you can get 3 different types of tampax with applicator, lil-lets have just made a plastic applicator tampon and again many moons ago i found moxie plastic applicator tampons.

and i'm confused moxie tampons website say they are an australian company, so surely an australian company would sell their products in australia. just saying it sounds weird that they don't.
gemfyre 30th-Mar-2012 12:26 am (UTC)
I have never heard of a brand called Moxie.

Here the big brands in Tampons are Libra, Stayfree and U (which I think are "by" Stayfree).
sapphire_kittum 30th-Mar-2012 01:49 am (UTC)
I used to use moxie all the time and I'm in Australia. They come in little round tins that are quite cute.
gemfyre 30th-Mar-2012 04:40 am (UTC)
Are they a relatively new brand? Maybe that's why I've never seen them, I've avoided that aisle in the supermarket since I got my first cup in 2004.
annabelle64 30th-Mar-2012 09:06 pm (UTC)
just peeked on their website because i was curious. the founder started the company in mid 2005 and launched the products in early 2006. so yeah quite new, if you weren't looking in that aisle when you were in the supermarket you'd have missed them.

i just started using a mooncup a couple of days ago and i love it, though i have had a few mishaps. but now i have tons of unused sanitary pads and tampons stashed. i probably need to find homes for those.
annabelle64 30th-Mar-2012 08:54 pm (UTC)
the little tins are the reason i picked them up. they're so cute and i use them to stash buttons in. maybe its a regional thing? like some areas of the country don't have the same supply as other areas.
operatic_diva 30th-Mar-2012 12:36 am (UTC)
Moxie is available in Australia, they have pink or blue striped packs.

When I first switched from pads to tampons I used the Tampax applicator tampons, which had a cardboard applicator. They're still around, but harder to find. Now I use "U" (owned by Kotex), which are the perfect hide in your handbag size."U" are my go-to brand for everything like that.

Other brands we have are Libra, Stayfree, Kotex, Moxie, and some smaller independents and home brands. Huge variety.
annabelle64 30th-Mar-2012 09:22 pm (UTC)
the moxie ones i've got are in pink or peach striped boxes. the tins are so lovely. it's a shame i can't find them anymore.
chamilet 30th-Mar-2012 08:55 pm (UTC)
I'm pretty certain the backwardness of the US when it comes to women/sex is why we still have mostly applicator tampons (OB is the only one I know about that doesn't come with an applicator). Women are icky, their cycles are icky and women should be sequestered away in their homes when they have their bleed.

Oh, and sex is only for procreation, not recreation.

Disclaimer: I have never even considered a tampon without an applicator because I, too, have succumbed to the Icky Period Blood, I'm Not Sticking My Finger In There, No Way indoctrination.
wiirenet 1st-Apr-2012 05:11 am (UTC)
I'm in the US and so confused reading this!

I thought the applicator is to help it get inside, rather than being an "icky" issue.

So you guys are describing just the cotton part of the tampon, that is all you use? I would think 1. dry cotton would hurt rubbing against the opening and 2. cotton is more flimsy and would bend trying to go inside

the tampons I use in the US, i thought the point of the applicator is to have something stiff and smooth to insert. i can't imagine trying to get in just the cotton. unless tampons without applicators are made different? i'm just really curious!
gemfyre 1st-Apr-2012 05:28 am (UTC)
The cotton in tampons is packed pretty tightly, so bending's not an issue. Most these days have a smooth coating over them to to make insertion easier - but they still stick. Which is why I find cups so much more comfortable.

An average index finger is just long enough to act as a guide to how far in you should insert a tampon.

Another thing I find - Tampax applicator tampons here expand lengthways and get very uncomfortable quicky and tend to leak. When I used tampons it took me ages to make the switch to non-applicators, but once I did I found them a lot more comfortable and less leaky because they expand widthways.

http://www.lovelibra.com.au/products/the-libra-collection/libra-tampon-reg-161/

http://www.ubykotex.com.au/tampons/

Just some details on the two brands that seemed to be most heavily advertised here.
wiirenet 1st-Apr-2012 05:32 am (UTC)
Interesting thanks! I've seen Kotex everywhere, didnt realize it was different from what I use. surprised i never actually bought it, I dont really keep to one brand
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