Hi Damp,,The biodegradable issue among other reasons is my concern too.
I have the same feelings you describe at times, do I really need protection? Sooner or later it catches me out though and I usually end up with a skin infection over time if I go a few days trying to wear ordinary underwear because it doesn’t draw away the urine from the skin. In warmer seasons it dries up so it goes mostly unnoticed and therefore hidden which is potentially harmful over time nomatter how often I wash and change clothing. I mentioned in another post that I ended up needing a steroid cream to clear up a rash which wouldn’t heal by itself. I’ve read up on it. Constant moisture can cause fungal and the urine particles are bacterial.
I came to the conclusion over the last 2 years that it’s not worth the risk.
With planning to go away for a whole week I looked into biodegradable and like someone else mentioned here, the Abena company claim to be eco friendly. I’ll assume that there aren’t that many about because they can’t be produced as cheaply so remain in the specialist market. I may be wrong though.
However I’m going to stay with my reusables I am used to and trust them.
Depending how severe your ic is , you could consider pull up terry cotton briefs if your condition is mild like mine. This is what I wear. They aren’t bulky in single thickness and soft and comfortable and pretty absorbent . You will need waterproof pants over them however. There are plenty of other reusable briefs also , some which look and feelmore like ordinary underwear and some with washable pad inserts and some even that you don’t need waterproofs over them. The reason I prefer the cotton towel briefs is because they can go safely in a tumble dryer and when air dried seem to dry more rapidly than the reusable pads which are often made of types of synthetic sponge .
