By: Hillary Straus, MA, LMHC
As the director of a wellness center, much of my life has been focused on trying to find the healthiest products and eliminate as many toxins as possible from me and my family’s life (much to their dismay, I must admit, at times) for the last ten plus years. Yet, despite all this, it was not until very recently that I had a huge awakening after meeting some women at a networking group about a year ago. They were promoting a campaign to educate women about the ingredients contained in sanitary napkins and tampons. I was shocked, first, because of what I learned, but second, because it never ever occurred to me to think about these products?!? It just seemed inevitable that the only options where what was on the shelf at the grocery store or pharmacy. Since I don’t sit back and accept the average readily available commercially processed food or beauty products, why was I accepting the unhealthy options for sanitary products? Now that I have been informed, I can make different choices! Here is a little bit about what we all need to be aware of:
Every month women use commercially produced products during their menstrual cycle. Throughout a woman’s lifetime she will use over 15,000 sanitary napkins for approximately 100,000 hours. Yet, the FDA does not require that ingredients be listed or disclosed. The average person may look at the bright white fabric of a sanitary napkin or tampon and think “these must be made of pure white cotton”. Unfortunately, this is very far from what commercially produced products are made from. Most are made from a combination of genetically modified cotton, plastics and, rayon, which is wood pulp from recycled (yes, that’s right, re-used wood) and then they are bleached to be given a clean white appearance. Because of the genetically modified cotton, there are residual pesticides found in over 85% of the products on the shelf today. After all that, synthetic “fragrances” may be added, which = more chemicals, for which the ingredients do not have to be disclosed.
You might be thinking, well we are exposed to many plastics, what is the big deal? Our skin acts as a barrier and filter for many chemicals, however a woman’s delicate skin and membranes of the vaginal wall are one of the most absorbent areas of the body. Chemicals found in these sanitary products are now being linked with an increase in menstrual cramps, hormonal imbalances, and endometriosis, to name a few. It makes sense, when you realize how many chemicals are lurking in these products. Yikes! Luckily, there are now a number of alternatives. The newest and most forward thinking for health safety and the environment are period underwear, that offer leak proof protection built right into a pair of underwear which can be washed and reused. This saves millions of pounds of plastic waste from landfills. Another option is a reusable menstrual cup. Or there are now many companies that make organic cotton napkins and tampons and they fully disclose what the products are made from. Reputable companies, regardless of what they make, from food to supplements, to feminine hygiene will always be happy to tell you what they put in their products. Stay tuned for next month’s edition of bringing more scrutiny to the common products we consume every day.
Resources:
https://www.naturalnewsblogs.com/women-monthly-cycle-beware/
https://www.womensvoices.org/feminine-care-products/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1240689/pdf/ehp0110-000023.pdf