Friends Fiona Parfrey, Áine Kilkenny and Lauren Duggan launched the period product subscription service Riley last year.
The trio originally coined the idea after falling into a Google black hole; in which they found out that mainstream sanitary products typically contain toxins and hormone-disrupting chemicals.
Riley’s mission is to deliver not only cleaner period products to its customers, but more eco-friendly options.
While catering their products to an Irish market and beyond, Riley also carry out excellent charity work Development Pamoja and Positive Period Ireland.
The Riley range, which currently comprises of pads and tampons, is set to expand in the near future.
Goss.ie caught up with Riley co-founder Fiona; find out more about the period product subscription service below:
Q. What inspired you to start Riley?
Naturally it came about as myself and two friends, Lauren and Áine (now my co-founders) were catching up over a glass of wine; don’t all good things happen over wine? Áine got her period and literally scoured the entire house; every bag, every bathroom, every pocket and there wasn’t a pad or tampon to be found. Of course we were first annoyed that this disrupted our evening because we had to head to the shop for period supplies. We know our periods are coming every month but yet we still always manage to run out so surely there was a better way? With some tipsy googling, it led us down a shocking discovery path; that many mainstream period products are full of toxins and can contain up to 24 hormone disrupting chemicals. This is something we’re putting in, or near our body every single month and we had no idea what was in them. When we discovered this, we felt really compelled to do something about it – and that’s how Riley was born.
Q. Why should people choose Riley above mainstream sanitary brands?
The quality of our products are one reason to choose Riley; we use only 100% certified organic cotton in our tampons and pads, and nothing else, so they are better for our bodies and better for our planet. We deliver to your door so you’re never caught off guard, which happens to 95% of people.
But not only that; everything we do, we do it with our community in mind. We want to break down the stigma surrounding female health in general and create a safe space where women can share and learn. There’s no doubt that we don’t know enough about our bodies, through no fault of our own, as female health is massively underserved. There’s a 5:1 male to female ratio in drug treatment studies and this needs to change.
Q. You believe your customers ‘deserve to know exactly what [they’re] putting into [their] body every month,’ can you expand on this?
Absolutely! We had no idea what was in the period products we had been using our whole lives, and this made us angry. Part of our values at Riley is complete transparency, that’s why we share exactly how our products are made and which ingredients we use. As a society, we put such a huge weight on what we put into our mouths; so why not look at what we’re putting in or near other body parts?
Q. Sustainability is at the core of Riley – how are your products manufactured in the eco-friendly way?
Our products are made in Europe using 100% certified organic cotton only. We only work with ethical manufacturers that adhere to strict people policies and manufacturing guidelines. We don’t use any bleach, pesticides, perfumes or other unnecessary chemicals when making our products. We don’t even use glue for our tampon strings, instead these are cleverly woven in during manufacturing. Where possible, we ship our products to Ireland via sea which emits far less carbons than air shipping.
Q. Have you introduced other sustainability-focused steps into your daily lives?
Definitely. We believe small, consistent changes to your daily routine can have a huge impact. Things like refillable toiletries, reusable coffee cups, buying second-hand clothes, and cycling or walking instead of driving can help us to live more sustainably day-to-day.
We’re passionate about being in business to do good, and as a business we make a conscious effort to leave as little waste on the planet as possible. That’s why at Riley we not only create more sustainable period alternatives, but we operate digitally where possible and re-use packaging around the office.
Q. The Riley range currently features sanitary pads and tampons – have you any plans to extend the range?
Oh yes, we’ve got BIG plans so watch this space! We’re constantly talking to our community and listening to their feedback. Since we launched last year we’ve already increased our range with more absorbencies and now we’ve got some exciting product launches coming up in the next six months. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter to be the first to find out!
Q. Riley recently won the Best Start-Up Award at the inaugural Goss.ie Women of the Year Awards – what does that mean to you?
We were so delighted to be nominated and we cannot believe that we actually won! It was an honour to be nominated alongside phenomenal brands; and to be recognised as the Best Start-Up means the world to our team. Little did we think that when we launched Riley from a garage in West Cork last year, that less than 18 months later we would be sharing the Goss.ie stage with a whole host of inspiring women.
Q. What is the best advice you can offer someone who is looking to start their own business?
Don’t be afraid to ask for help. If you’re thinking of starting you’re probably brave enough to just go for it, but lean on the amazing Irish startup community along the way as well as your early customers. Irish people are so generous with their time and advice, and our customers have been so great at giving us feedback along the way which has been instrumental in our decision-making.
Q. Riley partners with Development Pamoja, an Irish registered charity in Kenya to provide free sanitary products for young girls. Why is this important to you?
I was lucky enough to volunteer with Development Pamoja in Kenya a couple of years ago and I witnessed first-hand the issues of period poverty here. Unfortunately, up to 65% of young Kenyan girls miss school every month because they don’t have access to sanitary products and, given that menstruation is such a taboo subject there, it’s slow to change. That’s where we come in. We’ve partnered with Development Pamoja to donate free period products to rural schools as well as funding doctor-led school visits to educate both girls and boys about menstruation. We’ve seen such a great response from the programme and have already educated almost 2,000 students in Kenya.
We have also partnered with Positive Period Ireland which is an incredible grassroots initiative. We donate period products to Claire and her team of volunteers who identify areas of the Irish community that need them most, such as homeless shelters and direct provision centres. We believe sanitary products are a basic human right and we’re so proud to do what we can to fight period poverty.
Q. The Irish government recently made contraception free for women aged 17 to 25. What is your opinion on this? Do you think the same initiative should be introduced for sanitary products?
We think this is a fantastic step in the right direction and it’s great to see women’s health moving forward in Ireland. We definitely believe the same initiative should be introduced for sanitary products and that Ireland should follow in the footsteps of Scotland on this. Period products are a fundamental human right and should be treated like toilet paper; readily available whenever people need them in public buildings. We’re delighted that the Free Provision of Period Products Bill 2021 was passed to Committee stage and we hope it progresses further very soon. We are very open to speaking with the government about this and identifying how Riley can help to make this a reality.
Q. What is one piece of advice you would give young women about their period/period products?
Periods are a normal bodily function and there is absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. Your body is doing its job and everyone’s period is so different. Your hormones change throughout the month depending on what stage of the menstrual cycle you’re at, so it’s perfectly normal to feel different at various times throughout your cycle. We have lots of free resources and information on our website, blog and social media so make sure to avail of that and reach out to us if you have any questions – we’re always on hand to help!
