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For many of us, dealing with period cramps is part of our monthly reality, and finding convenient, on-the-go solutions can be challenging. That’s why Nua has developed a range of products designed for quick, effective cramp relief, tailored to meet the needs of women on the move. Leading the lineup is the new Cramp Relief Roll-On, a portable, all-natural remedy that’s easy to carry and even easier to apply wherever you are. Here’s a guide to Nua’s innovative cramp solutions, including the all-new roll-on, to help you stay comfortable during your period.

1. Cramp Relief Roll-On: A Fast, Natural Solution for Cramps

Nua’s Cramp Relief Roll-On is the latest addition to our line of period care products, and it’s specially crafted to provide quick, targeted cramp relief. Formulated with 100% natural ingredients like satva pudina, eucalyptus oil, and laung oil, this roll-on offers a soothing sensation that starts to ease cramps within minutes of application. The natural oils work to relax tense muscles and reduce discomfort, making it a gentle yet effective choice for fast relief.

How It Works: The roll-on’s ingredients penetrate the skin to relieve cramps in the abdomen, back, and legs. Thanks to its stain-free formula, it absorbs quickly without leaving any residue, so it’s perfect to use any time, anywhere.

When to Use: This roll-on is ideal for women who want to keep relief within reach all day. Toss it in your purse, gym bag, or desk drawer and simply apply whenever cramps hit.

Steps for Use:

Start with clean, dry skin.

Apply 4-5 ml of the roll-on over the painful area.

Gently massage into your skin.

Relax and let the soothing relief take over.

The roll-on is a perfect choice for women who need quick, discreet relief. Its compact design and easy application make it a convenient solution that works wherever you go.

2. Heat Patches for Period Pain: Portable Warmth, Lasting Relief

Sometimes, a little warmth is all you need to soothe cramps and muscle tension. Nua’s Cramp Comfort Heat Patches act like a portable heating pad, providing up to 8 hours of sustained warmth to ease your pain. Using air-activated technology, these patches reach an optimal temperature within minutes and offer targeted relief, making them ideal for when you’re on the go or even lounging at home.

How It Works: Each patch is packed with natural ingredients and air-activated technology that kicks in once you open the packet. It’s as simple as placing it on your underwear in the area where you feel cramps, and it provides a comforting warmth that relaxes muscles and enhances blood flow for lasting relief.

When to Use: Perfect for busy workdays, travel, or even a relaxing day at home. These patches are discreet and flexible, allowing you to go about your day without cramp disruptions.

Steps for Use:

Open the patch packet to activate it.

Peel off the adhesive strip and stick it onto your underwear (warm side against your skin).

Relax while the heat soothes away discomfort for up to 8 hours.

enstrual cups come with a whole list of pros— freedom, sustainability and savings (more on that here). But one thing still holds many women back: menstrual cup cleaning. For some, menstrual cup hygiene feels like a tedious, slightly daunting ritual involving boiling pots and hard-to-reach crevices. And that can be enough to hit pause on making the switch. Especially when disposables like pads or tampons don’t need any extra maintenance, just throw them in the trash and you’re done. 

But here’s the truth: keeping your cup clean isn’t nearly as intense as you think. It doesn’t require a chemistry degree or a bathroom overhaul, just a few mindful steps that fit right into your routine.

Let’s get into how to take care of your cup without losing your mind, and how to do it so that your cup can last for years.

How to Clean a Menstrual Cup: Daily and Deep Cleaning

Your vagina deserves better than guesswork, especially when it comes to balancing everyday rinses with deeper cleaning between cycles. So, here’s a step-by-step guide on how to clean a menstrual cup like a pro.

Step 1: Wash your hands.

Always begin with clean hands before inserting or removing your cup. Obvious, yes. But often skipped.

Step 2: Remove and empty the cup.

To remove, pinch the base of the cup gently and wiggle it side to side until it slides out. Hold it upright and dispose of the collected blood into the toilet or sink, whatever feels more convenient and private. 

Step 3: Rinse every time you remove and re-insert.

If you’re mid-period, rinse your cup with cool water every time you remove your it (typically every 8–12 hours) to prevent stains. Follow that with warm water and a mild, oil-free, fragrance-free cleanser. Avoid anything foamy, antibacterial, or perfumed.

Step 4: Reinsert or move to deep clean.

If you’re mid-cycle, this rinse is enough before popping it back in. But if you’re at the end or start of your cycle, it’s time for deep sterilization.

Deep cleaning between cycles

Dealing with your period during school can be challenging, especially when it coincides with physical education (PE) classes or sports activities. For some, symptoms like cramps, fatigue, or just the stress of worrying about leaks might make the idea of exercising seem less than appealing. It’s completely okay to feel this way. Your body needs rest at times, and taking it easy during your period is perfectly valid. At the same time, for those who feel up to it, staying active can actually help relieve some symptoms. The important thing is that you have a choice—and whichever choice you make is the right one for you.

Here, we’ll cover some helpful tips for managing your period during PE classes, whether you decide to participate or prefer to rest.

Why Staying Active Can Help (If You Feel Up for It)

For some people, light physical activity during their period can actually reduce certain symptoms like cramps, mood swings, or fatigue. Exercise releases endorphins, which are your body’s natural painkillers and mood lifters. Gentle activities like walking, swimming, or stretching can promote blood circulation, easing cramping and helping you feel a bit more energized.

But it’s also important to recognize that everyone’s experience with their period is different. Some days, the idea of exercising may seem impossible—and that’s okay too. The key is listening to your body and respecting how you’re feeling each day.

Common Concerns About PE During Your Period

It’s perfectly normal to have concerns about doing PE or sports when you’re on your period. Here are a few common worries and how you can manage them if you choose to stay active:

Leakage: This is one of the biggest worries when it comes to exercising on your period. You can avoid leaks by choosing the right menstrual product for your flow. Products like tampons, menstrual cups, or period-proof underwear offer protection that allows for more freedom of movement. If you prefer pads, go for ones with wings or a high absorbency, especially on heavier days.

Cramps and Discomfort: Period cramps can make physical activity uncomfortable. If you’re feeling up for it, gentle exercise might actually reduce cramps by improving circulation. But if the pain is too much, there’s no harm in sitting out or doing a lighter version of the activity.

Feeling Tired: It’s natural to feel more tired during your period. If you’re feeling drained, consider doing a lighter activity—like walking or gentle stretching—rather than pushing yourself too hard. Rest is important, and it’s perfectly fine to let your body take a break.

While some women might not be comfortable with the idea of period sex, imagining the mess, some don’t mind a little pleasure. However, every woman likes to take the edge off once in a while.  Having intercourse while menstruating has its own benefits. Irrespective of having a good time, one should not risk safety and take all necessary precautions. One of which is hygiene. 

Let’s get InSync with 5 ways to maintain hygiene during period sex: 

1. Keep your towels & tissues handy

Period sex can get messy and we all like to keep our sheets stain-free. The solution is simple – keep towels by the bed. Use a dark-coloured towel and lay it on the bed before you get started. Once done, put it in the wash. On the other hand, tissues or handkerchiefs can also help make the process cleaner. Sex already involves secretion of many fluids and tissues or handkerchief can be useful to manage the mess easily. 

2. Practice safe sex

While menstruating, the chances of contracting sexually transmitted diseases are high. Safe sex is important for you and your partner’s health. Using condoms would keep you from having an unwanted pregnancy.

Note: It is always a good idea to consult a medical professional on how to practice safe sex, irrespective of periods. 

3. Do it during lighter flow

Having sex when your flow is lighter would limit the mess without you having to compromise. This is the best time to do it if you are not comfortable with the idea of period sex but would still like to give it a try. Usually, the flow is less on the third and fourth day or it may differ as per your menstrual cycle – you know the best. 

4. Use blankets to block out the odour

We understand that period odour can make you conscious and worried in front of your partner. Blankets come to the rescue. Lay some blankets on your body keeping the lower portion open. Using them can help to block the odour and not hinder you while you have a good time. 

5. Shower to seal the deal

From trying to avoid visible panty lines through clothing or avoiding the tightness of elastic bands, there are many reasons why women choose to ditch their undergarments and decide to go commando, and feel more comfortable with (and only) their own skin down there. 

The term ‘going commando’ originated when soldiers in the Vietnam War would spend days on a battlefield with limited access to a shower and a very humid climate that led to excessive sweating. In order to avoid any possible infections or unavailability to maintain a shower routine, they would get rid of their preferred undergarment and make do with just their uniforms. 

However, things may not always go smoothly when you take the decision to ditch your undies if and when the mood strikes.

Here are 5 things you should take note of if you want to go commando and maintain hygiene down there: 

1. You could get experience skin irritation

With the additional layer of protection between your body and your clothing, you are likely to experience some chaffing caused due to your skin rubbing against your clothes that could lead to discomfort, rashes and even inflamed skin.

Nua Tip: Avoiding wearing pants and tight clothing. Instead choose to wear loose fitting skirts or dresses that limit friction against your skin down there. 

2. Your clothing will get stained

Feeling breezy down there will also have you with stained clothing due to vaginal discharge. Though it’s a normal body function, the lack of material between your vulva and your underwear will leave your clothes stained, especially if your wardrobe consists of light-coloured clothes.

Nua Tip: Unfortunately, there’s no quick fix for stains but try not to sit for long periods of time when you’re underwear-less to avoid discharge buildup.

3. Lack of protection during your periods

When Madam Flow arrives, it’s usually our panties that announce her arrival but with them being gone, your clothing will yet again take a hit. No matter how well you track your cycle or use sanitary pads, tampons and cups, staining your clothes is inevitable and it’s more important to ensure that your menstrual hygiene is maintained.

s children, we are often taught that some things no matter how normal or natural, should not be spoken about. Especially when it comes to periods. Some of us grow up in families where no matter how close we are to our fathers or brothers, the topic of periods is always ignored. As a teenager, I often had to rely on my friends to buy me pads since due to my irregular periods, I didn’t always have them in stock.

I don’t entirely blame anyone for it. The truth is, like my father and my brother, probably many men were never made part of the whole period conversation. They were always kept in either utter darkness or were left to figure things out for themselves, especially at a time when they were trying to discover their own body’s process. That can be a lot to take in. Due to this when the boys grow up to be men, they shy away from conversations without realising that they can play a vivid role in those phases of a woman’s life.

When we talk about menstrual hygiene, the conversation usually covers pads, tampons, cups, or period underwear. But there’s one step in the ritual that often gets overlooked — handwashing and menstrual hygiene. And honestly? That’s wild. Because hands are the first thing that touch our bodies, our pads, our cups, basically everything. 

So today, on Global Handwashing Day, let’s take this moment to look at something that shapes every period experience but rarely gets airtime, and that is the role of clean hands in keeping us safe, comfortable, and infection-free.

Why Our Hands Matter More Than We Think

Think about how many things your hands touch in a single day. Door handles, your phone screen, money, the inside of your tote bag—you get the picture. All of those are playgrounds for bacteria and viruses. And god forbid you use the toilet and forget to wash your hands. According to research, hands can host anywhere from millions to billions of germs at any given time, including over 150 different species of bacteria. So when we handle pads or insert a tampon without washing our hands, we’re basically giving those germs a free ticket into one of the most sensitive parts of our body. And unlike the skin on our arms or legs, vaginal tissue is way more absorbent and delicate. That’s why hand hygiene for women isn’t just a “nice to have”, it’s essential. According to the CDC, handwashing can reduce diarrheal illnesses by 23%–40% and respiratory illnesses like colds by 16%–21%. It can also reduce the risk of bacterial vaginosis, UTIs, and even some sexually transmitted infections. 

Why Wash Hands Before Changing Pad?

Here’s the science-y part. When you touch a pad, tampon, or menstrual cup with unwashed hands, you transfer germs directly onto a product that stays in contact with your body for 6–8 hours. With tampons and cups, those germs go directly inside your body, which means they could be introduced straight into the vaginal canal. With pads, they sit against your vulva, urethra, and anus — three possible entry points for bacteria. 

Winter does something to you. Not just your mood, not just your energy but also your hormones, your cravings, your motivation and your period. Everything shifts a little. And if you’ve ever felt like winter drags your body into a different version of itself, you’re not imagining it. Menstrual cycle changes in winter are real, and they come from a handful of very specific, science-backed reasons.

Shorter Days Change Your Brain Chemistry

Shorter days don’t just make the world feel dimmer, they dim your internal world, too. When the sun disappears earlier, your brain immediately adjusts its chemistry, almost like it’s switching into energy-saving mode without your permission. Melatonin, the hormone that tells your body it’s nighttime, starts rising earlier in the day. Suddenly 4 p.m. feels like midnight, you’re yawning in meetings, and your motivation quietly packs its bags.

But the bigger issue is serotonin, according to research. Sunlight helps you produce it, and in winter, production slows. That melatonin-serotonin winter mood imbalance is the hormonal version of walking around in heavy boots. You can move, but everything takes more effort. This shift is exactly why seasonal affective disorder hits harder during the darker months. Even without a formal diagnosis, the moodiness, carb cravings, lowered stress tolerance, and sluggishness are all rooted in this same chemistry shift.

And because serotonin and melatonin both influence the hypothalamus (the part of your brain that regulates ovulation) your reproductive hormones wobble, too. That’s why shorter daylight menstrual irregularities are so common. Your brain is literally getting less data to work with, and your cycle feels the algorithm glitch.

Reduced Sunlight Disrupts Your Hormones

Winter doesn’t just take away warmth, it takes away the exact thing your hormonal system depends on to organize itself. The hypothalamus uses light exposure as a daily cue to regulate your entire hormonal rhythm, it’s how your body tells time. Less sunlight means fewer cues, and fewer cues mean more hormonal miscommunications.

This is why menstrual cycle changes in winter feel so chaotic. One study in 2011 found that periods can be longer in winter months because of decreased hormone secretion, which results in delayed ovulation. Ovulation might be delayed by a few days or by two weeks. So, your luteal phase (the PMS zone) might feel longer. Your body might also release hormones in slightly irregular patterns, which makes your moods feel unpredictable in ways you can’t trace back to one cause.

We grow up hearing a lot about how our bodies should be. How they should look, smell, behave, and be managed. And when it comes to the vagina, the messaging is even louder, even more confusing, and honestly… a little exhausting.

We’re told to keep it “fresh.” To wash it, hide any smell, pretend discharge doesn’t exist. To be clean, but not too clean. To be natural, but also somehow fragranced like a cupcake.

But here’s the part we don’t hear enough: the vagina is one of the most intelligent, self-regulating organs in the body. It has its own ecosystem, its own chemical balance, and its own way of protecting itself. In most cases, it’s already doing the work we think we need to “help” it with. Understanding how this works isn’t just about biology, it’s about letting go of shame and learning to trust your body.

Let’s break this down in a way that feels clear, real, and grounded in everyday life.

Why Is the Vagina Called Self-Cleaning?

The vagina is called self-cleaning because it maintains its own pH level (more of that here), produces natural lubrication, and uses healthy bacteria to protect itself from infections, without needing internal washing or scrubbing.

asting during menstruation isn’t one-size-fits-all. Whether you fast for spiritual reasons, as part of your wellness routine, or during cultural events like Navratri or Ramadan (although in many cultures, women don’t fast if they are on their period), it’s totally valid to wonder how that fits with your cycle.

Because here’s the truth, our bodies go through a lot during our periods. And adding fasting into the mix can sometimes feel empowering… or honestly, just exhausting. So if you’ve ever felt conflicted, guilty, or just confused about whether you “should” fast while on your period, this one’s for you.

Let’s unpack the science, the cultural norms, and most importantly, what feels right for your body.

Can you fast during your period?

Yes, you can fast during your period, but it’s important to consider your body’s needs while menstruation.

During your period, your body is already using up a lot of energy. You’re literally shedding the lining of your uterus while navigating hormone chaos. Fasting can add extra stress, especially if it means you’re not eating enough or staying hydrated enough.

That doesn’t mean fasting during menstruation is harmful. It just means it’s a time to be more mindful and gentle. Listen in, not just check boxes.

Could fasting during menstruation be bad for your health?

Maybe, depending on how your body handles it. Research shows that fasting could cause menstrual abnormalities. Let’s break how and why:

Nutritional Needs: During menstruation, women may experience increased nutritional requirements, particularly for iron and other essential nutrients lost through menstrual bleeding. Fasting may exacerbate these deficiencies, potentially leading to fatigue, weakness, and other health issues. Read More.