Every month women have to endure the most unpleasant and painful chore — their period. The week a woman’s period occurs is dreaded. Dealing with symptoms, mood swings, cravings and the whole nine yards, it’s key to finding a product/solution to ease the discomfort.
Today, there are so many different options for how to take care of your periods including period panties, menstrual cups and reusable pads. Not every woman is a menstrual cup kind of person and that’s okay! Tampons and pads are the commonly preferred method as they are both affordable and convenient in comparison to the other menstrual cycle products.
But have you ever stopped to think about what these products are made with and how that might be affecting your lady parts?
Organic Period Products.
Organic feminine hygiene products such as pads, tampons and panty liners are becoming more popular amongst women for a multitude of reasons.
These products differ from conventional brands like Kotex, in that organic products are grown organically and are free of any dyes, fragrances or harmful chemicals.
It’s definitely not something many think about when dealing with periods, but the vagina can absorb the chemicals that are in tampons and pads. It is unclear exactly how many toxins you can absorb from a tampon, but many women would rather not take the risk.
Typically, conventional tampons are made of rayon and non-organic cotton, which is bleached with chlorine to become bright white. Bleaching tampons with chlorine creates a chemical called dioxin, a known carcinogen or a possible cancer-causing substance, but tampon manufacturers are required by the FDA to monitor levels of this chemical, therefore many gynecologists say this isn’t a factor you should be worried about when choosing your period products.
The Switch
Whether or not to make the switch is definitely a heavily debated topic. Making the switch to organic products is up to the choice of the user and isn’t crucial but many do reap the benefits.
Jen Gunter, MD, is a certified ob-gyn who explained in a detailed blog post that the toxin most people are concerned about, glyphosate, only exists in tampons in the smallest amounts. Gunter also stated that many should be more concerned about attaining this in what we eat, rather than in the period products we use.
“The bottom line, though, is that conventional tampons are monitored by the FDA and are, by and large, safe for most women,” said Alyssa Dweck, MD, a certified ob-gyn to Women’s Health Magazine.
Other than organic tampons being free of chlorine, pesticides and fragrances, most organic tampons also offer a BPA-free plastic or biodegradable applicator as well.
Although it is not proven by research, many women report that they have experienced a shorter period cycle, a lessening flow, minimized period symptoms and the irritation they experienced before, disappeared when using organic period products.
Switching to organic products is not only better for you but also better for the environment. Organic cotton is grown without pesticides which are better for the land around it and emit less carbon dioxide. If you’re choosing biodegradable applicators, then the plastic isn’t ending up in the oceans or in landfills.
If you’re looking to switch, VALLEY recommends these organic period products.
Seventh Generation Organic Cotton Tampons
These tampons are free of fragrance, deodorizers and use certified organic cotton. The applicator is also BPA free and created with 95% plant-based materials. These tampons are relatively inexpensive and can be found at most retailers.
Honest Organic Cotton Tampons and Pads
The Honest Company offers organic tampons and pads that you can either buy as a one-time purchase or through a subscription and have it delivered monthly to your door. These products are formulated with 100% certified organic cotton, are hypoallergenic and are created without dyes, fragrances and chlorine bleaching.
Tampax Pure Organic Tampons
Even the commonly used tampon company, Tampax, has organic period product options. These products are made with organic cotton and are free of any bleaching, dyes and fragrances. They also have a 90% plant-based applicator and a 100% recyclable box.
CVS Pure Cotton Tampons
CVS is providing customers with their version of organic tampons. These tampons offer plastic applicators or a rounded cardboard applicator, which is better for the environment. The tampons are made with 100% cotton and free of chlorine, bleach and colorant. There is also a multitude of options from regular to super plus for all your period needs.
