US Expat left ‘super confused’ over $4 Aussie item

At first she thought it was “broken” — before realising the stark difference between the US and Aussie versions of this common supermarket item.

If you’ve ever travelled overseas, chances are you’ve experienced the culture shock of a very familiar thing functioning very differently.

Take paid public toilets in many European countries, or Americans tipping after every restaurant meal.

So spare a thought for this US woman who recently moved to Australia and discovered a major difference in tampons here.

“Why has nobody mentioned this?” @gabrielleuhrig asked in a TikTok that has since been viewed more than three million times.

Gabrielle recently moved to Australia from the US. Picture: TikTok/@gabrielleuhrig

She was stunned to discover most of our tampons didn’t come with applicators. Picture: TikTok/@gabrielleuhrig

“So I got get tampons, right? And I’m in Australia … I go buy tampons right, this is what I get,” she adds, holding up a box of $4.25 U by Kotex mini tampons.

Gabrielle opens up one of the tampons, admitting she struggled with the wrapper the first time, saying: “This isn’t even as big as my pinky, it’s tiny which is fine, but like – how do you... where’s the plastic insertion piece?”

Gabrielle said that she had warned that Australia had a much smaller range of period products compared to the US.

But she joked that it was "not what I was expecting when they were saying little”.

Her video prompted Aussies to say they hadn’t realised non-applicator tampons weren’t the norm in the US. Picture: TikTok/@gabrielleuhrig

Gabrielle admitted she had first thought the tampons were “broken”. Picture: TikTok/@gabrielleuhrig

Her video attracted thousands of comments from Aussies confused by the idea that tampons overseas had applicators, as well as viewers from the US shocked to find out they weren’t the norm here.

“I always though applicator tampons were for learning how to use tampons,” one Aussie wrote.

“Girl we just use your finger,” another commented.

“I’m the opposite lol, I’ve never used an applicator and think it’s way more complicated than the one you have there,” one woman also wrote.

“I could never, making a mental note to bring tampons from home from now on whenever I travel,” one US commenter said.

Gabrielle later shared a follow-up video explaining to confused Aussies how US applicator tampons worked. Picture: TikTok/@gabrielleuhrig

The curious reaction from Aussies prompted Gabrielle to make a follow-up video explaining how applicator tampons looked and worked, complete with a diagram.

“You can only imagine when I open something up that has no plastic (applicator) piece over it, I was super confused to the point that I opened up several more to make sure that I was just tripping or that it wasn’t just broken or missing a piece,” she said in the clip.

“I truly had no idea that there was tampons without applicators … it’s just crazy how different the world is.”

While applicator tampons are sold in Australia they are far less commonly used compared to non-applicator tampons.

While non-applicator tampons are arguably more environmentally friendly, there’s no real benefits between applicator versus non-applicator use and women should use whatever they are most comfortable with when menstruating.