Have you seen organic tampons on store shelves or TikTok videos and wondered whether or not they are better for your health than regular ones?
Non-organic tampons made with chlorine bleach are bleached with dioxin, a carcinogen and potential hormone disruptor, while their plastic applicators contain phthalates – another potential hormone disruptor.
Organic Cotton
Organic cotton is produced from seeds grown without using synthetic fertilizers or pesticides, making it an increasingly popular choice due to its many health and environmental advantages. Furthermore, this cotton provides clothing and home textile options suitable for daily wear.
There are many different varieties of organic cotton grown worldwide, but most varieties can be found in China, India, Turkey and the US. Some products have even earned certification by the Global Organic Textile Standard, meaning that their processing adhered to stringent standards that prohibit toxic inputs and provide strong labor provisions.
CalIDA uses PIMA and SUPIMA cotton from the United States, featuring extra-long staple fibers with soft handles that is certified GOTS and Oeko-Tex for your safety. They feature long-term dual layer leak protection without rayon or deodorants – not to mention no fragrances and scents that could potentially irritate sensitive skin! These thin yet absorbent tampons feature long-term leak protection that’s light on skin while being very thin yet absorbent and thin with no rayon or deodorants added – while being free of fragrances means they won’t irritate sensitive skin either!
Eco-friendly
Many women find organic tampons more comfortable. They are less likely to experience itching or cramps, and may even have lighter flows due to being free from harmful chemicals which cause toxic shock syndrome (TSS).
Eco-friendly period products can help safeguard our planet. Traditional tampons are composed of materials that require hundreds of years to break down and can pollute waterways and oceans; organic ones use less resources and biodegrade more rapidly.
When looking for organic tampons, make sure they have been certified organic by the Global Organic Textile Standard or are GOTS-certified. GOTS certification ensures that they were produced without synthetic pesticides, herbicides and fungicides; plus rayon and chlorine bleach-free production processes. Other sustainable menstrual hygiene solutions such as reusable menstrual cups certified as organic are also viable solutions; BanaPads is another company using banana fibers to make absorbent feminine hygiene products while giving Ugandan women an additional source of secondary income!
Comfortable
Organic cotton menstrual products offer an alternative to synthetic fabric-and-chlorine bleach sterilisation pads: hypoallergenic products made using natural processes which are less damaging to vaginal skin, more comfortable, breathable, absorbent pads with soft fibers such as organic cotton that provide greater comfort than synthetic pads, according to Gynaecologist Anne Henderson. Their natural softness also makes these more comfortable than synthetic pads for users’ delicate vaginal tissue.
Women who switch to organic menstrual pads generally report reduced cramps and uneasiness; however, switching does not eliminate the risk of TSS (toxic shock syndrome), an uncommon yet serious complication associated with overgrowth of bacteria on tampons and pads. To mitigate TSS risk effectively, women should follow NHS’s basic tenets of tampon safety – such as wearing them no more than eight hours, selecting appropriate absorbency levels based on flow rate, selecting products certified as meeting high environmental and social responsibility standards.
Affordable
Organic tampons and pads may be more eco-friendly than their conventional counterparts, yet can still be expensive. Many companies are working to make them more accessible by offering subscription services allowing women to purchase packs of organic tampons, menstrual cups or panties monthly and save money over time.
People often worry about certain ingredients found in conventional tampons, including bleach, rayon and dioxins. However, most modern tampons do not contain chlorine bleach or dioxins and Women’s Voices for the Earth conducted a test that demonstrated all-cotton tampons did not emit high levels of carbon disulfide emissions.
Development of inexpensive and environmentally friendly menstrual products is a vital element of sustainability movements. Eco-friendly, biodegradable tampons made with locally available materials like banana stem fibers, cotton, papyrus or water hyacinth help reduce waste caused by improper MHM practices and plastic-based tampons that take decades to biodegrade in landfills. Companies such as BanaPads in Uganda utilize such materials to produce an affordable menstrual product while simultaneously helping educate people on healthy MHM practices while creating income opportunities in rural communities.
