Do your feminine products contain toxic chemicals that could be harming your health?
Do your feminine products contain toxic chemicals that could be harming your health? Unless you have already made the switch to a reputable organic feminine care company or invested in a 100% medical grade menstrual cup or disc the answer is yes! If you are one of the many women who have made the switch yet your cup or disc is not made from 100% medical grade silicone, this post is also for you! Not only can these products be detrimental to your health they can also hinder your ability to have babies due to the many toxins they contain! Most tampons, pads, feminine wipes, feminine deodorants, feminine washes, and plastic menstrual cups are full of extremely toxic chemicals that can hinder reproductive health. You might ask yourself how in the world did I not know this... you are not alone! Unfortunately these feminine care products are not regulated and the manufacturers are not required to list the ingredients. Exposure to these known toxins can lead to reproductive harm, endocrine disruption, allergic rashes and yes even cancer. What most women do not realize is that exposure to the highly permeable mucus membranes of the vaginal area is absorbed at a much higher rate than ordinary skin tissue. For instance doctors are increasingly administering hormone treatments vaginally because the drug can be transferred directly into the bloodstream without being metabolized the way it would if taken orally. When administered vaginally the levels of the drug in the body can be 10-80 times higher than when administered orally. When you consider that these toxic products are pressed up against or inserted in our very delicate and highly absorbent genitals for days, sometimes weeks on end, month after month year after year the problem becomes more apparent! The primary focus of this post will be the toxicity of tampons and pads as well as alternatives to these much needed products. I will save the other feminine care products mentioned for another post, as it is a lot to cover in one post. I will say with 100% confidence to avoid feminine wipes, feminine deodorants and feminine washes like your reproductive and overall health depend on it, as they are even more toxic then the pads and tampons we will be covering today!!
While most tampons and pads may look like cotton, it turns out that most conventional pads and tampons are not made entirely with cotton. Most are actually made of synthetic materials like rayon. While some pads and tampons are made with cotton most tend to be conventional cotton, which is grown with toxic pesticides such as glyphosate, a known toxin and endocrine disruptor. These materials are often bleached with chlorine to give them that pristine white look. In addition these products are made with a plethora of other known toxins. So let's talk about theses toxins and where you can find them:
Chemicals of concern that commonly show up in pads and tampons:
Dioxins & furans- Are by products of the bleaching process. They are linked to endocrine disruption, reproductive toxicity and cancer.
Pesticide residues- Pesticide residues such as glyphosate have been detected in products made with traditionally grown cotton. Glyphosate is linked to cancer and endocrine disruption.
Xylene- Is a volatile organic compound solvent that is classified as a known human nervous system toxicant.
Plastics & plasticizers - Conventional pads also commonly use SAP's (superabsorbent polymers). Superabsorbent polymers are commonly composed of sodium polyacrylate. SPA's are manufactured from and likely contaminated with acrylic acid. In addition you will find plasticizing chemicals like BPA and/or other bisphenols, these are linked to endocrine disruption and cancer.
Problematic coatings - Some tampons are coated with harmful materials to help with a smoother removal. Some examples of these coatings are: paraffin, polyethylene (plastic), polyethylene glycol and more.
Fragrance ingredients- pads & tampons that come in scented or odor resistant varieties generally contain chemicals linked to cancer and endocrine disruption.
Now when you consider the fact that these toxins are being absorbed directly into your bloodstream, are known endocrine disruptors and cause reproductive issues the question is what is the alternative?!? While many women have already made the switch to menstrual cups or menstrual discs the important thing to consider is unfortunately many of these products are also made with toxins including bisphenol A (BPA) and bisphenol S (BPS) chemical cousins that are commonly found in plastics as well as other harmful toxins. So you're probably wondering how the hell you are supposed to find a menstrual product that isn't going to harm your reproductive health? My advice is to find a menstrual cup or menstrual disc made with 100% pure medical grade silicone. Not only are they not full of toxic chemicals, they are also far more comfortable then their hard plastic competitor due to the malleable composition of medical grade silicone. My personal favorite is @femmycycle, it is honestly one of the best purchases I have ever made! I hope that everyone reading this post will start doing the research to find the best alternative to your toxic feminine care products today. Please do not let the cost deter you. It is a higher purchase price upfront however in the long run will save you an exponential amount of money compared to buying feminine care products each month. In addition the environmental impact of these toxic feminine is horrific! Did you know the average menstruating woman uses approximately11,000 disposable hygiene products, such as tampons or pads, in a lifetime. This contributes to 12 billion pads and 7 million tampons going into the landfills annually!! Not to mention the impact of producing, shipping, and packaging these toxic products. As intimidating as it can feel to try something new and outside of our comfort zone, I highly encourage you to do so for your reproductive and overall health and wellbeing! I too felt extremely intimidated by my menstrual cup at first, however I can say it is the one of the best decisions I have made and I will never look back. If you are just not quite there yet or would like to have an alternative option for on the go or when your flow starts unexpectedly while away from home where your cup/disc resides, please be proactive in making the switch to an reputable organic feminine care product. I am in the process of creating a free download of my favorite alternatives to conventional toxic feminine care products that will include cups, discs, as well as tampons and pads you can trust. If you are interested in this free download, would like to receive my weekly blog post, or would like more information in regards to women's health topics join my mailing list by clicking the learn more link below.
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