In 2020, Val Emanuel went looking for an explanation for years of irregular, painful periods and migraines — and found one in her own bloodwork: hormone imbalances and elevated levels of heavy metals. She stripped her routine down to organic personal care products and, as someone who already liked working with hemp, went looking for a hemp-fiber period pad to add to it. There wasn’t one. So she decided to build it herself, even after factory after factory told her it couldn’t be done.
It took about a year to get a crowdfunding campaign live. That’s when her childhood best friend, Rebecca Caputo — a biology graduate then working in a cancer diagnostics lab, who had dealt with her own hormone imbalance and infertility — saw the Kickstarter video on a lunch break and signed on. Caputo joined as co-founder and COO in 2022, and the two launched Rif Care, among the first hemp-fiber menstrual pads to reach the market.
The product is specific about what it leaves out. Rif Care’s pads blend hemp fiber with certified organic cotton for the topsheet, use a chlorine-free core with no super-absorbent polymers, and finish with a biodegradable, sugar-based backsheet — no PFAS, no added fragrance. The line has since grown to include period underwear and 100% organic cotton tampons, all built around the same premise: period care shouldn’t require a chemistry lesson to feel safe.
That premise landed at a useful moment. A 2024 study in Environmental International tested tampons across two dozen brands and found measurable levels of toxic metals, including lead and arsenic, which fed a wave of coverage on chemical exposure in menstrual products and a run of new state laws — California has banned PFAS from menstrual products outright, and New York’s ban takes effect in mid-2026. Rif Care’s traction tracks that shift: its first investor was a C-suite executive at BlackRock, and in 2025 it added Monday Swimwear founders Natasha Oakley and Devin Brugman to its cap table. By Forbes’ reporting, the company was on pace for more than $1 million in sales in 2025 and had its pads on shelves in over 200 retail stores.
Emanuel’s path to Rif Care started with a diagnosis nobody asked for and a product nobody would build. Two years and one very persistent childhood friendship later, it’s on store shelves instead of a rejection pile.
Frequently asked questions
What is Rif Care?
Rif Care is a period-care brand founded by Val Emanuel that makes pads from a blend of hemp fiber and certified organic cotton, with a chlorine-free core, no super-absorbent polymers or PFAS, and a biodegradable, sugar-based backsheet. It has since expanded into period underwear and organic cotton tampons.
How did Val Emanuel come up with the idea for Rif Care?
In 2020, Val Emanuel discovered hormone imbalances and elevated heavy-metal levels in her own body after years of irregular, painful periods and migraines. She switched to organic personal care products and, unable to find a hemp-based disposable pad on the market, decided to build one herself — even after factories told her repeatedly it couldn't be done.
Who invests in Rif Care, and how is the business doing?
Rif Care's first investor was a C-suite executive at BlackRock, and in 2025 Monday Swimwear founders Natasha Oakley and Devin Brugman joined the cap table. Per Forbes, the company was on track for more than $1 million in sales in 2025 and had placed its products in over 200 retail stores.