Aunt Flo. Shark Week. Crimson Tide.
From adolescence to adulthood, these nicknames have all signified one thing—your period. While getting your period can definitely suck (raise your hand if you’ve been personally victimized by cramps, bloating, and irritability), it’s an essential part of life.
A woman will use an average of 11,000 tampons and feminine hygiene products in her lifetime, so it’s incredibly important to use ones that are free of bleach, pesticides, fragrances, and chemical additives.
Gynecologist Dr. Melissa Goist reminded us the vagina is a mucus membrane, so the lining absorbs what you put into your body and passes it directly into the bloodstream. If there are contaminants or hazardous chemicals in feminine hygiene products, they can be absorbed by the body.
Non-organic tampons are made of regular cotton (typically grown with pesticides) and a synthetic rayon mix that is bleached and whitened with chlorine or hydrogen peroxide. These products may also include fragrances or dyes. Not to mention the plastic applicators that get thrown away rather than recycled.
We recommend using organic menstrual products, which are made with organic cotton, grown without pesticides or insecticides, and are free of any chemical dyes or fragrances. You can purchase applicator-free tampons, but if there is an applicator, it should be made with biodegradable material like cardboard.
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