Should You Consider Organic Feminine Hygiene Products? The Truth Behind Your Favorite Branded Tampons and Pads

For women, when it comes to our health we not only have to think about our mental state, the food that we eat, safe sex, physical well-being, and fitness, but we also have to think about preventive care for our reproductive systems. In this day and age, commercial items of the necessary things we need like tampons and pads are in high demand because of its necessity, price point, availability, and convenience. But what if you knew that it all comes with a bigger price in the end? 

Want to learn more about what you use once a month during your menstrual cycle? Take a look at the truth behind some of your top sanitary products. 

They’re highly processed. 

Most brands of tampons are made from a mix of rayon, non-organic cotton, and are commonly chlorine-bleached. Some tampons are even wrapped in a plastic outer or dyed a different color. Rayon? Yes, this highly absorbent fiber is commonly used as it rapidly absorbs menstrual blood but at the same time can also dry out the natural protective mucous lining of the vagina. 

They expose you to unnecessary chemicals. 

People, and especially women, should never be exposed to harmful chemicals when it comes to something they need to use every single month. But the unfortunate truth is pesticide residues, phthalates, azo-dyes and dioxins are drenched in many non-organic sanitary products. Just think, for such a sensitive and absorptive part of the body, why wouldn’t you want to know exactly what you are putting into your body? Going organic with 100% cotton sanitary pads and tampons will certainly eliminate the unknown. 

They can produce bacteria that leads to Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS). 

Now, although TSS is definitely a result of one keeping their tampon in for far too long, the combination of the chemicals and time left in can’t be healthy either way. According to independent research conducted at New York University Medical School, it suggested that the use of 100% cotton tampons may reduce the risk of Toxic Shock Syndrome compared with tampons that contain rayon. The study showed that 100% organic cotton tampons were included in the research, and in the tests they did not produce the bacteria which leads to Toxic Shock Syndrome. However, all brands containing rayon did produce the bacteria. 

They take much longer to biodegrade. 

Did you know? Sanitary products made from plastics can take up to 500 years to decompose. Furthermore, when plastic goods aren’t disposed of properly, they then release toxic chemicals into the air and environment, ultimately threatening the ecosystem. Just to activate the biodegrading stage, the processing takes up extra energy just as the farming of cotton requires large amounts of water, pesticides and fertilizer. And while tampons don’t last indefinitely, like the plastic liners used in pads, tampons can still take about 6 months to biodegrade. 

However, all goods made from certified organic cotton take only 5 years to decompose as they are made from natural materials, so they quickly become a part of nature again.