The Knicker That Changed How I Think About My Period

17. Juni 2026

NIXI Body The Carla Cream Leakproof Knicker in light absorbency — VPL-free high leg design with seamless waistband, holds up to 2 tampons worth, created in collaboration with The Endometriosis Foundation

I want to write this review honestly, which means I'm going to talk about periods directly. If that's not for you, that's fine — but if you've been curious about period underwear and haven't quite made the switch, I hope this is useful. The NIXI Body Carla Cream Leakproof Knicker in Light absorbency is the product that finally made me understand what period underwear is actually for, and it's changed my approach to the first and last days of my period in a way I didn't expect.

The Problem With the Start and End of a Period

The middle days of a period are manageable. You know what you're dealing with, you use the appropriate protection, and you get on with it. The first and last days are different. The first day you're not sure when it's going to start, so you're either wearing protection unnecessarily or you're caught out. The last day you're not sure when it's going to end, so you're either wearing protection for longer than you need to or you're caught out again. These are the days that period underwear is designed for, and it took me longer than it should have to understand that.

I'd been using disposable panty liners for the first and last days for years. They work, but they're uncomfortable, they're wasteful, and they're an ongoing cost. I started looking for an alternative.

NIXI Body Carla Cream Leakproof Knicker — showing the VPL-free high leg design and the flattering silhouette of the seamless waistband construction in cream — The VPL-free high leg design and seamless waistband — the construction that makes these comfortable enough to forget you're wearing them, even on difficult days.

Finding the Carla

I found the NIXI Body Carla Cream Leakproof Knicker in Light in the Women's Underpants collection on ALTOE. The NIXI Body brand was one I'd seen recommended in conversations about period underwear, and the Carla specifically was recommended for light days — exactly the use case I was looking for. The collaboration with The Endometriosis Foundation was the detail that told me this was a brand that takes women's health seriously rather than just marketing to it. The fact that £1 from every pair goes to the Foundation is a concrete commitment, not a vague gesture.

The absorbency specification was clear and honest: holds up to 10ml, equivalent to 2 tampons. That's the light absorbency that's right for the first and last days of a period, or for bladder leaks, discharge, or sweat during exercise. The four layers of discreet absorbent gusset provide the protection without bulk. The VPL-free high leg design and seamless waistband are the comfort details that make these wearable all day without thinking about them.

NIXI Body Carla Cream Leakproof Knicker — close-up showing the seamless waistband construction and the comfortable fit that makes these suitable for wearing with scars or stomas — The seamless waistband — designed for ultimate comfort, including for those living with scars or stomas, which speaks to the thoughtfulness of the design.

The First Time I Wore Them

I wore them for the first time on the last day of my period — the day when I'm never quite sure whether I need protection or not. I wore them alone, without any additional protection, which felt like a leap of faith. I went to work, had a full day, came home. No leaks. No anxiety about leaks. No awareness of wearing anything different from a normal pair of knickers.

That last point is the one that surprised me most. I'd expected period underwear to feel different — bulkier, more noticeable, more like wearing protection. The Carla doesn't feel like that. The four layers of gusset are discreet enough that the knicker feels like a normal pair of underwear. The seamless waistband means there's no digging or discomfort. I forgot I was wearing them, which is the correct outcome for underwear.

The Endometriosis Connection

I want to mention this specifically because I think it matters. The Carla was created in collaboration with The Endometriosis Foundation, and the seamless waistband is specifically designed to be comfortable for people living with scars or stomas — a detail that reflects genuine engagement with the health conditions that affect the people who need this product most. Endometriosis affects roughly one in ten women and is chronically underdiagnosed. A brand that takes it seriously enough to collaborate with the Foundation and design specifically for the comfort of people living with it is a brand worth supporting.

NIXI Body Carla Cream Leakproof Knicker — product detail showing the four layers of absorbent gusset construction that holds up to 10ml and provides leakproof protection for light periods and bladder leaks — The four-layer absorbent gusset — holds up to 10ml, discreet enough to feel like normal underwear, and the construction that makes these genuinely leakproof rather than just resistant.

Six Months of Use

I now own four pairs of the Carla in light absorbency. I use them for the first and last days of my period, for exercise, and on days when I want the reassurance of protection without the discomfort of a liner. I wash them at 30 degrees, air dry, and they've maintained their absorbency and their shape through six months of regular washing. The cream colour has not yellowed. The seamless waistband has not stretched. The gusset layers are performing exactly as they did on day one.

The cost per wear calculation is straightforwardly in their favour compared to disposable liners. The environmental calculation is even more clearly in their favour. And the comfort calculation — the difference between wearing a disposable liner and wearing a pair of knickers that happen to be leakproof — is the one that made me wish I'd switched years earlier.

NIXI Body Carla Cream Leakproof Knicker — lifestyle image showing the knicker as part of an everyday underwear wardrobe, demonstrating the flattering design and the cream colourway — As part of an everyday underwear wardrobe — the cream colourway and flattering design that makes these feel like a choice rather than a compromise.

My Recommendation

If you've been curious about period underwear but haven't made the switch, start with the light absorbency for the first and last days of your period. The NIXI Body Carla Cream Leakproof Knicker in Light is the right place to start — the absorbency is appropriate for light days, the design is comfortable enough to forget you're wearing it, and the quality is good enough to last. Size down as recommended for the best fit.

You'll find it in the Women's Underpants and Lingerie collections, the Clothing range, and the broader Apparel & Accessories collection on ALTOE. Buy four pairs. Wash and rotate. Stop buying disposable liners.

— Emma Whitmore, GP, six-month period underwear convert, and person who wishes she'd made the switch years earlier, Bristol