As society becomes more health-conscious, organic food has become incredibly popular, and yet I don’t know many people who use organic tampons. I made the switch to organic tampons over two years ago, and I’m always genuinely excited to pick up more. There’s a lot of conflicting information out there about whether or not organic tampons are better than traditional tampons, but after I think there’s some concrete evidence that the switch will be worth it in the end. If you decide to ditch your standard tampons in the end, I’ve included my favorite tampon brand to make your transition seamless!
What’s the difference?
Organic tampons are 100% cotton — and farmed without pesticides — which gives you peace of mind you’re not inviting trace amounts of unknown chemicals into your body. Traditional tampons are a blend of rayon and cotton. Rayon is a synthetic fiber made of sawdust or wood pulp (gross!). I don’t know about you, but that doesn’t sound like the most appealing ingredient for a very important period tool. Especially because Rayon is known to break off and can get lost in the vaginal canal. If you’re unaware of your trapped foreign invader for too long, you might contract Toxic Shock Syndrome, or TSS, even though you’ve longed to remove your tampon. (I’d like to take this moment to remind readers that TSS is extremely rare but not impossible.) It’s all too absorbent, if you can believe such a thing exists, making it easier for you to forget it’s time to change your tampon. To make matters worse Rayon isn’t naturally white and requires bleaching to match its cotton counterpart. This process creates a byproduct known as Dioxin. Although the FDA claims that Dioxin levels are low and almost untraceable, the EPA has long deemed the chemical a carcinogenic that’s been linked to endometriosis. We’re constantly exposed to Dioxin in our day to day environment, and therefore some people are not concerned about the detection of Dioxin in standard tampons, but if you personally like to minimize where you’re exposed to carcinogens as much as possible, I would take this into consideration!
Even if you hate dealing with Mother Nature, odds are you’re still a fan of the environment!
On top of organic cotton not using pesticides, it also decomposes quicker, making them more eco-friendly than standard tampons. The main issue with standard tampons is that we’re never going to be 100% sure about what they contain. The FDA classifies them as a medical device and therefore companies don’t have to list their ingredients (although some do on their websites) or what they use during their process. This fact is especially frightening when you take into consideration that cotton farmers use extremely hazardous pesticides according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Many standard tampons are also scented (WTF is that about anyway?), and we’re unaware of how they’re creating these perfumes.
However, all of these points aside, my favorite aspect of organic tampons is that the brands make attempts to be ethical by donating feminine products to young girls in need, and some brands are founded and led by all-women teams.
My Recommended Brands
L. Organic Tampons
Have you ever witnessed someone fangirl about tampons? Because I’m about to…
L. feminine products were created by women for women and they’ve been my personal go-to for the last few years. The packaging is so cute — I don’t have to hide them or my period; my palm frond patterned tampons are proudly displayed in my bathroom. Every aspect of the packaging is recyclable — from wrapper (which is made of recycled paper), the containers and even the plastic applicator is BPA-free.
But my favorite part is for every L. box you purchase, they donate a box of pads to women in need. A woman will buy about 11,000 tampons throughout her lifetime, that’s possibly 11,000 period products for girls in 25 countries around the world including the US, India, Kenya and Nepal.
You can buy 30 count L. Tampons for $6.99 at Target.
Cora Tampons
Cora Tampons partners with different foundations to provide reproductive health communication and sanitary pads for girls in different countries like India and Kenya. They also stand for feminine hygiene products being tax-free and covered by food stamps, since 25 million women in the U.S. live below the poverty line.
You can buy 16 count Cora Tampons for $5.99 at Target.
At the end of the day, it’s important to be aware that your vagina is the most sensitive, permeable and irritable part of your body and being as cautious as possible of what you use in or around it is in your best interest. Do your own research, come to your own conclusions, and buy feminine products that are within your budget and make you happy! Happy menstruating friends!