Our Pearl is our most precious precious. Don't poison it.
When chemicals come in contact with your skin they go directly into your bloodstream without filtering of any kind. Manufacturers of tampons and sanitary pads are not required to disclose all the ingredients used in their products.
Feminine Hygiene is highly sensitive and important to overall health and happiness. Many commercial feminine hygiene products contain synthetic materials and chlorine, both of which can be extremely disruptive and harmful to health.
The highly absorbent synthetic materials in tampon products can lead to TSS
(Toxic Shock Syndrome) More on Toxic Shock Syndrome
Your skin is the largest organ in your body, and also the thinnest. Less than 1/10th of an inch separates your body from potential toxins. Worse yet, your skin is highly permeable — especially the skin around your vaginal area, not to mention inside the vagina itself.
This is why attention needs to be paid to the ingredients used in tampons and sanitary pads.
Most items that come in constant contact with your skin will end up in your bloodstream and distributed throughout your body. This is why I'm so fond of saying "don't put anything on your body that you wouldn't eat if you had to."
Putting chemicals on your skin may actually be worse than eating them. When you eat something, the enzymes in your saliva and stomach help to break it down and flush it out of your body.
However, when chemicals come in contact with your skin, they are absorbed straight into your bloodstream without filtering of any kind, going directly to your delicate organs. And once these chemicals find their way into your body, they tend to accumulate over time because you typically lack the necessary enzymes to break them down.
This is why attention needs to be paid to the ingredients used in tampons and sanitary pads.
The issue of what kind of feminine hygiene products you use is rarely if ever discussed. Yet it's clearly an important topic for every woman out there.
In my opinion, the realm of feminine hygiene can be likened to a "ticking time bomb." Because when you consider your exposure over the course of a lifetime, it really adds up; the average American woman uses up to 16,800 tampons in her lifetime — or as many as 24,360 if she's on estrogen replacement therapy.
It's a risk few people talk about. Those soft, cotton-like necessities look so innocent, yet it’s what you can’t see that can make them so potentially hazardous. You have a choice – you don’t need to expose yourself to unnecessary risks.
Many women use countless panty liners or sanitary pads in place of, or in addition to tampons.
For something you wear so intimately and regularly, wouldn't you want to know for sure that it’s not working against your health and well-being?
You may be thinking, how could feminine hygiene products possibly be putting your health at risk? After all, they're snowy white, pure and clean, right?
And for you men out there, don't go away just yet.
The women in your life – your partner, sister, mother, daughter – they all need this information. It may be up to you to inform them about these everyday conveniences that so many take for granted.
No doubt when you use them, you receive absorbency protection. In fact, that's something the FDA ensures.
However, in the process of "protecting" you from leaks, your feminine hygiene products may potentially be subjecting you to unexpected, hidden risks.
Risks that you never bargained for – or haven't been warned about.
The chlorine used in the bleaching process can release dioxin, a known carcinogen. Besides the health angle, they are wasteful, costly in the long run, uncomfortable and unnatural. So it only makes sense to choose more natural health products to support your monthly cycles. Ever wonder what your ancestors may have used?
Well here are some more natural options: there are Cups, sponges and all natural cotton pads.
Natural Sponges (Tampon Options)
Cloth Pads (how to make cloth pads)
Your vaginal tissue is exceptionally absorbent. Because of its ability to absorb substances, healthy or otherwise, it’s only prudent to give it the same thoughtful care you give your internal organs. After all, you wouldn't deliberately eat toxins that might harm you.
The feminine hygiene industry uses words like "cotton-soft" and "cottony feel" when describing their products, but the truth be told, they’re usually not made of cotton at all.
Today's feminine hygiene products are made mostly from rayon, viscose, and cellulose wood fluff pulp:
- Rayon is made from cellulose fibers derived from bleached wood pulp.
- Viscose is a form of wood cellulose acetate that's fabricated to have a pleasing cotton-like touch.
- Fluff pulp is manufactured from tree wood and is the major filler used in conventional sanitary pads.
Rayon and viscose present a potential danger in part because of their highly absorbent fibers. When used in tampons, these fibers can stick to your vaginal wall, and when you remove the tampon, the loosened fibers stay behind inside your body.
Even if you are using real cotton tampons or pads, if not organic, they’re likely made from genetically engineered cotton that can contain pesticide residues.
Tampons made from rayon are most commonly bleached with chlorine to provide that “pure and clean” white color.
However, when you use chlorine to bleach materials, the possibility of creating potentially hazardous substances such as dioxin and disinfection-by-products (DBPs) such as trihalomethane exists.
Dioxin, in the same family as Agent Orange, is a by-product of pesticide spraying, pollution from incinerators, and the production of paper and rayon products such as coffee filters, toilet paper, disposable diapers, and even possibly feminine hygiene products.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) considers dioxin a serious public health issue. There is no safe level of exposure!
According to studies, dioxin can collect in your fat cells and fatty tissues. Low or trace levels of dioxins may be linked to:
- Abnormal tissue growth in the abdomen and reproductive organs
- Abnormal cell growth throughout the body
- Immune system suppression
- Hormonal and endocrine system disruption
A leading doctor of microbiology and immunology at a major university medical center has stated: "dioxins, though they exist in the environment, have a worse effect when they contact mucous surfaces like the vagina."
Yet the government continues to turn a blind eye to this damaging toxin, concluding there is no health risk expected from dioxins in tampons and pads!
In recent years, manufacturers have been claiming they can bleach materials for their products without chlorine.
Instead, they use an "elemental chlorine-free" bleaching process that uses chlorine dioxide.
Here’s the problem with that claim… Some elemental chlorine-free bleaching processes can generate dioxins at extremely low levels. Dioxins have been detected in trace amounts in mill effluents and pulp!
To allow easy insertion, many tampons come with applicators – plastic or cardboard tubes that allow you to push the tampon into place.
What many women don’t realize is that these seemingly harmless applicators may also be a source of potentially hazardous chemicals, such as phthalates and other harmful plastics.
That nice silky finish on your cardboard application comes from phthalates. Phthalates are chemical plasticizers used in many items, including pills, children's toys, medical devices, and personal care products, such as perfumes, liquid soap, nail polish and hair spray.
Phthalates, along with many plastics, are known "endocrine disruptors" because they interfere with normal endocrine system function.
Research links phthalates to weight gain and blood sugar issues, attention and behavioral problems, low IQ, birth defects, and fertility and reproductive issues.
If you are using plastic applicators and not recycling them, you’re contributing to a serious worldwide problem that extends beyond your personal well-being.
In 2009, The Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup project collected 20,000 tampon applicators out of 4 million total pieces of reclaimed plastic waste (yes, people were actually counting these things).
It can take 25 years for an applicator to break down in the ocean, and tragically, is often mistaken for food by marine life during the process. Please, if you must use them, never flush plastic applicators down your toilet!
As for sanitary pads, today we're seeing a whole new generation of products made from petrochemicals.
Conventional sanitary pads are made from over 90 percent plastic derived from crude oil, including superabsorbent polyacrylates, polypropylene, and polyethylene.
Synthetics and plastic restrict the free flow of air and can trap heat and dampness, potentially promoting the growth of yeast and bacteria in your vaginal area.
Don’t be fooled by words like "non-woven" – they’re just fancy-talk for petrochemicals. These types of pads discourage healthy airflow.
The use of synthetic fibers, plastic-backed panty liners, and contact with toxic chemicals can lead to burning and soreness of delicate tissue in certain individuals.
So if these products have been around for decades, why haven't you heard about these potential dangers before now? There are several reasons:
- Manufacturers aren’t required to disclose all ingredients, including the chemical substances and processes they use
- Manufacturers typically hire their own researchers to conduct research (that’s the research the FDA sees)
- Just like with the drug industry, the feminine hygiene industry can “spin” the results of their research to suit their purposes
The Tampon Safety and Research Act of 1999 called upon the U.S. Congress to require independent testing of feminine hygiene products and disclosure of all ingredients used in the manufacturing process.
To date, no tests have been conducted and there's still no public disclosure of all the ingredients used.
Avoid Toxic Shock Syndrome With These Tampon Safety Guidelines
You must remember that proper hygiene plays an important role in avoiding TSS.
Take notes of these reminders:
- Change tampons every 4 to 6 hours.
- Alternate the use of tampons with sanitary napkins or mini-pads during your period.
- Be careful not to scratch your vaginal lining when inserting a tampon
- If possible, choose the lowest absorbency rate to handle your flow- avoid super-absorbent tampons.
- Never leave a tampon inserted overnight; use overnight sanitary pads instead.
- Do not use a tampon between periods.
- If you're a long-time user of tampons, then you've probably heard of toxic shock syndrome (TSS).This is a rare bacterial infection that's caused by the Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) bacteria. Normally, S. aureus bacteria are harmless and are found on your skin and mucous membranes, such as your vagina. But in certain conditions, they can enter your bloodstream and release toxins that can turn deadly.Toxic shock syndrome can lead to a potentially fatal drop in blood pressure (shock), known as hypotension, as well as organ damage. Other symptoms of TSS can include:
- Sudden high fever
- Vomiting or diarrhea
- Low blood pressure
- Seizures
- Rash on palms or soles
- Muscle aches
- Redness of your eyes, mouth, and throat
If you experience any of these symptoms during your period, I advise you to seek medical help immediately. If not treated right away, toxic shock syndrome can be fatal.TSS has been associated with the use of tampons, particularly super-absorbent types that have been left inside for too long, creating the perfect breeding ground for S. aureus bacteria. What's more, when a tampon is inserted or removed incorrectly, it can scratch your vaginal wall, producing micro tears where bacteria can enter and accumulate.
Emerging research suggests that the tampon’s material may significantly affect your chances of developing this very serious infection.
Because tampons made with materials like rayon, viscose, and fluff pulp can leave behind fibers, they can create a favorable environment for bacteria growth. The outgassing of carbon dioxide and oxygen from these synthetic materials provide a food source for S. aureus bacteria.
This is just one more urgent reason to make the switch to organic cotton.
Organic Tampons
Why Organic Cotton?
Cotton is the third most heavily insecticide/herbicide treated crop in the U.S., just behind corn and soy. What's more, the EPA classifies nine of the most common pesticides used on cotton as highly toxic, while five are considered probable carcinogens.
What's more, 70% of conventional cotton crops today are genetically engineered.
This means that if you are using cotton tampons that are not 100% certified organic, you may be exposing yourself to potentially dangerous chemicals.
When you buy organic tampons, pads, and liners with organic cotton, it is likely that you are also supporting small independently owned and operated family farms. Organic cotton is not a big business like the mammoth conventional cotton industry.
Organic cotton is not only a healthier choice for you and the environment, but it also feels better against your skin and promotes airflow - two very important criteria for feminine hygiene products!
Naturally, organic cotton costs a little more, but considering that it helps protect your health from potential toxins, the few extra cents will definitely be worth it.
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