Aunt Flow, the creator of proprietary, free-vend tampon and pad dispensers, is committed to ensuring access to free period products in public spaces like schools, colleges, universities, and businesses. Now, the certified, woman-owned company has announced the launch of its direct-to-consumer period products for sale in the U.S.
Already, over two million students across the country rely on Aunt Flow’s pads and tampons in bathrooms across grade schools and universities, which motivated the brand to develop familiar products for menstruators to use at home. On June 15 the brand is rolling out 36-count boxes of tampons and pads ($15.99) to be sold online at goauntflow.com and on Amazon for menstruators to now stock their homes.
“Menstruators in 750 schools and 150 universities across the U.S. have come to trust Aunt Flow and rely on our period products during their school day,” shares Claire Coder, founder and CEO of Aunt Flow. “After receiving requests from parents that their daughters were curious if these products were available for ‘normal people sales’, we decided to give the girls what they’ve been asking for!”
The consumer launch was piloted on Aunt Flow.com and Amazon during the month of May and generated positive reviews.
The brand, now backed by investors like Sophia Bush and Aly Raisman, was founded by Coder when she was just 18 years old as a reaction to her experience of getting her period unexpectedly in public without the supplies she needed. According to a study by Free the Tampon, 86% of women have experienced starting their periods in public without the supplies they need. It became Coder’s mission to develop a solution to ensure organizations can sustainably provide quality period products, a bathroom essential, for free in public bathrooms—no different than toilet paper or paper towels.
“We know that girls, women, and menstruators have come to count on Aunt Flow—our database of subscribers and the reviews our products are generating support that as fact,” says Sarah Howard, vice president of marketing, Aunt Flow. “And the reviews are bigger than simply comfort and quality. The reviews tell us we are a trusted part of monthly menstruation cycles across the country.”