It’s Time to rē•consider Period Cramps

Humans that suffer from unbearable PMS, periods, and discomfort due to hormonal fluctuations face a world of difficulty on-the-regular. Period-related issues like moodiness, breakouts, sugar cravings, leakage, and painful cramps make life infinitely more difficult, while concerns like vaginal dryness and sensitivity occur later in age. Of course, everyone’s flow is different, but the severity of period pain goes unacknowledged all too often. It’s time to address the lifestyle disruption that stems from PMS and painful periods.

Celebrity hairstylist Sara Seward, who works with our founder, Halle Berry, decided she had had enough. She founded ENUF Period to help period sufferers get through their monthly cycles using cannabidiol (CBD) and plant-based pain relief. “ENUF holds space between the CBD and cannabis industry and the hormonal health industry, two industries incredibly stigmatized,” Tess tells rē•spin. “Hormonal health has been downplayed and understudied for decades [and] we’re on a mission to relieve it. I believe that begins with normalizing bringing them up in conversation.”

Seward founded ENUF out of necessity. “Prior to finding CBD, I was the person taking copious amounts of Advil to get through the day,” Seward explains. “I would call out of work and be in debilitating discomfort from cramps to migraines to back aches.” She turned to many modalities to help with her PMS, including adjusting her diet, workouts, and even taking supplements. But cannabis was the natural solution she could best rely on to remedy her period woes.

“I realized how incredible the plant was for period pain, but couldn’t find a topical CBD product that I could incorporate into my daily life that offered the same results as smoking weed — or even came close,” she continues. That’s when she began a deep dive into the world of CBD, researching small family-run farms and labs that prioritized the plant’s integrity and purity, the industry’s sustainability, and the viability of creating a line for menstrual pain across the life course.

Their first launch was the Cycle Support Balm for topical relief. But, recognizing how saturated the CBD, wellness, and personal care markets are, she wanted any additional launches to work synergistically with the balm. This is where her idea for a CBD suppository was born, which is inserted and ingested internally to get to the matter’s source. “Suppositories are something I’ve used in the past and loved the near-immediate results they could provide.”

The product that resulted is the brand’s Cycle Support CBD Suppositories. “The suppositories are meant to be used for a number of different things, and their versatility is one of my favorite things about them,” Seward says. The limited-ingredient product is created from USDA-certified organic hemp extract and certified organic cocoa butter — and that’s it. “I chose to move forward with cocoa butter as our base [because] it’s naturally antibacterial, naturally healing, does not disrupt the body’s natural pH, and has been used both vaginally and rectally for hundreds of years,” she says.

The formula then delivers hemp extract and soothing CBD for fast-acting relief much more quickly than popping an Aleve will. “Each suppository takes about twenty minutes to kick in, and you will notice the effects lasting for hours to come,” Seward continues, noting that you might do away with your heating pad altogether. These CBD-spiked suppositories are super effective at handling discomforts by addressing the internal inflammation and pain caused by menstrual symptoms.

You will notice that the packs come in daytime and nighttime-specific formulas. “We added cannabigerol (CBG) to our daytime pack. Targeting inflammation was important to me as it is beneficial for both [enhancing] pleasure and [reducing] pain,” she says. “We added cannabinol (CBN) to our nighttime packs to help with hormonal insomnia… Personally, I no longer take anything else to help me sleep, narrowing down my nightly routine.” As for enhancing pleasure, Seward notes that cocoa butter serves as a lubricant, while CBD reduces any soreness or discomfort. “It should be noted that because these products are oil-based, they may weaken the efficacy of latex condoms,” she warns.

At the core of the brand is Seward’s desire to give you back the time of the month you are burdened by hormonally-inflicted pain and discomfort. But ENUF also gives back to communities in need, embracing one of our brand pillars. “I find it important to give back to the two industries that we hold space in: cannabis injustice and period poverty,” Seward says. “We donate 3% of annual sales to The Last Prisoners Project, which does incredible things to help those incarcerated [due to cannabis-related infractions]. We are part of a monthly donation to Period, The Menstrual Movement, to help provide menstrual supplies to those in need.” ENUF is all about rē-thinking how we handle hormonal obstacles, helping us achieve period relief and have better sex, all while aiding the greater community. What’s not to love?