Mother & Daughter

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A Mother (62) And Daughter (39) Discovered Why Pads, Liners And So-Called "Leak-Proof" Knickers Still Leave You Feeling Damp — And Designed A 4-Layer Pair That Actually Keeps You Dry

You've probably seen them popping up everywhere lately: Livia and Julia — mother and daughter.

Despite the 23-year age gap, they ended up with exactly the same problem. Julia after her second baby. Livia during menopause. A few drops when sneezing, laughing, coughing, or lifting — for Julia her toddler, for Livia her shopping bags and, later, her grandson.

Small enough that neither of them talked about it. Not even to each other, at first. Big enough to be on their minds every single day.

They tried everything — pantyliners, incontinence pads, disposable pants, pelvic floor exercises. And yes, the "leak-proof" knickers already on the market. Everything was either thick and awkward, or simply didn't hold.

So they designed a pair themselves — guided by a single question: would you wear these even if they didn't protect you? The answer had to be yes.

Six years on, Livia Flow is the daily choice of over 10,000 women — rated 4.7 out of 5 across 4,000+ verified Trustpilot reviews. Below, Livia (62) explains in her own words why it works when everything else didn't.

Fun Fact: Julia and Livia celebrate their 6th anniversary today!

Livia (62) Co-founder

wearing Livia Flow daily for 6 years

1. That damp, grim feeling turned out not to be normal — it was the product

Sound familiar? A fresh pad in the morning, and within a few hours that cold, damp feeling is back anyway. I sometimes changed three times a day and still felt grim by teatime. For years I honestly thought that was just part of it — something women my age quietly put up with, the way my mother did.

Then I read why. Liners and pads hold moisture on top of a plastic layer — right against your skin. And the "leak-proof" knickers I'd tried before? Same problem, different cause: they're one thick absorbent fabric, so the wet fabric is the fabric touching you. Either way, the moisture stays where you feel it. It was never me. It was how those things are built.

Livia Flow works the other way round: 4 layers, each with one job. The top layer pulls moisture inwards the second it happens, the core locks it away from your skin, and a sealed waterproof membrane underneath makes sure nothing reaches your clothes. I was sceptical — until I felt it. Dry. Even hours later.

Absorbing is not the same as containing. That difference is why these work when everything else didn't.

2. Built for more than "a few drops"

2. Built for more than "a few drops"

I'll be honest about something else: a lot of leak-proof underwear is really made for young women with the odd drop. At my age, some days are heavier than that — and I needed to know it could cope before I'd trust it outside the house.

Each pair holds up to 80ml — that's roughly 3 - 4 disposable pads' worth. Enough for a full day out, a long drive, or a night's sleep without lying awake wondering.

Whether it's a sudden urge, a coughing fit, or simply not making it in time: it catches it, locks it away, and you stay dry. From a few drops to heavier days — one pair, no top-ups, no panic.

3. It instantly felt just like my ordinary knickers

This might sound minor, but for me it made the difference between "wearing protection" and just getting dressed.

Pads and disposable pants gave me that thick, rustling, "everyone can hear it" feeling every time I sat down at church or in a café. The cheap leak-proof pair wasn't much better — plasticky and clammy, more like swimwear than underwear.

Livia's outer layer is mostly soft cotton, and the whole thing is so thin it simply feels like the underwear I've always worn. I put them on in the morning and don't think about them again. Just ordinary knickers — that happen to protect you too.

4. Invisible under everything — even the clothes I'd given up on

I had quietly stopped wearing certain things. Light-coloured trousers. My cream summer dress. Anything fitted. Not because I didn't love them — because I was afraid of outlines, bulk, or worse.

These are so thin there are no lines and no bulk, even under fitted trousers. No one knows. Not my friends, not my daughter until I told her — and I designed the things.

For the first time in years, I don't check the mirror before leaving the house. I just leave.

5. I switched the constant alarm off

It was only after a few months that I realised how much headspace it had been taking up. Laughing with my friends, lifting my grandson, the long walk on Sunday, a coach trip where you can't choose when to stop — I was subconsciously bracing for all of it. Mapping toilets. Sitting near the aisle. Leaving early "to beat the traffic".

With these, that constant alarm in the back of my mind finally went quiet. And getting that back — going where I want, laughing when I want — turned out to be a far bigger change than staying dry.

6. Washing them is easier than you think

6. Washing them is easier than you think

This was my biggest practical worry: how do I wash these with the rest of the laundry? It felt awkward.

It isn't. Rinse briefly under the cold tap if you like, then straight into the machine at 30-40° with your normal wash, and hang to dry — they dry quickly. No special detergent, no hand-washing, no fuss.

Every order includes a discreet mesh washing bag, so they stay separate in the machine and nobody needs to know what's inside. It doubles as a travel pouch for clean and worn pairs in your suitcase.

And they last: mine have been through the wash more times than I can count and still hold like day one. Cheap versions lose their coating in the machine after a few months — I learned that the expensive way. Ours don't, because the waterproof layer is a sealed membrane, not a spray-on coating.

7. I worked out what 15 years of pads had cost me

Out of curiosity, I once did the sums. Roughly £10-15 a month on pads and liners, every month, for about fifteen years. Somewhere between £1,800 and £2,700 — on something that kept me feeling damp.

Livia Flow you buy once. They're washable, they last for years, and most women start with 5 pairs so there's always a clean pair ready. After a few months they've paid for themselves; after that it's simply money that stays in your purse — and about a thousand pads a year that don't go to landfill.

8. And if you don't trust it yet — you don't have to

I was the biggest sceptic of all, so this matters to me personally: you get 90 days to try them. Wear them, wash them, live in them. If they leak, or you simply don't love them, you get every penny back.

And if the size isn't quite right? We'll send you a different size free of charge — no need to return the first pair. Pass it on to a friend or your daughter. One in three women deals with this; chances are, someone close to you does too.

Trying them costs you nothing. Staying with pads costs you every single month. That's the whole decision, really.

⭐ 4.7/5 — from 4,000+ verified Trustpilot reviews

7. It’s not just Meggie — thousands of women are choosing Livia and Julia

Meggie isn't the only one.

Today, over 10,000 women use Livia Flow every single day — from a few minor drops to heavier leaks. This is what they experience after weeks and months of wear.

Celebrating 6 years!

3 + 2 Free At Livia Flow

Celebrating 6 years!

3 + 2 Free At Livia Flow

Rated 4.7/5 by 4.000+ women on Trustpilot ·

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