You probably aren’t discussing your tampon preferences as openly as, say, your favorite clean skincare brand. After all, the question, “Does anyone have a tampon?” is still whispered by most women in mixed company.
But considering tampons literally go inside our bodies every month, it’s about time the conversation around the available tampon options -- and their potential health impact -- gets a little bit louder, don’t you think?
Chances are you have seen a ton of new tampon options on the market. Newer companies offering organic cotton tampons have become enormously popular, due in part to their millennial marketing efforts and convenience factor. Even popular drugstore brands that have been around since the evolution of tampons themselves have hopped on board the organic trend thanks to consumer demand.
In other words, organic cotton tampons are no longer a niche category available only in specialty stores, but a new option that is becoming easily accessible to all women.
Why You Should Make the Switch to Organic Cotton Tampons
Are organic tampons better for your health? Before we dive into all the reasons why you should make the switch, what’s the difference between regular tampons and organic tampons, anyway? Does it matter if tampons are made of organic cotton?
Well, for starters, traditional non-organic tampons -- the ones that you’re used to seeing at your local drugstore -- contain regular cotton (as in, more often than not, grown with pesticides) as well as a synthetic rayon blend that’s typically bleached and whitened with chlorine and, in many cases, contains dyes and even fragrances. Rayon helps with the absorbency while the fragrance helps to mask Mother Nature’s visit.
On the other hand, organic tampons are made with 100% organic cotton cores -- meaning cotton grown without any harsh insecticides or pesticides -- and it’s free of any fragrances, dyes, and harsh chemicals.
They are usually bleached with peroxide, while traditional tampons are bleached to be bright-white with chlorine. And according to experts, when tampons are bleached with chlorine, it creates dioxin as a byproduct. Dioxin is a well-known carcinogen (a substance that is capable of causing cancer) and a possible hormone disruptor -- not exactly something you want for your lady parts.
The Benefits of Using Organic Cotton Tampons
Okay, now for the benefits.
#1 Organic Tampons Are Better for the Environment.
Organic tampons are primarily made with organic cotton! Organic cotton farming works with nature, not against it, as per the four principles of organic agriculture, which are ecology, health, fairness, and care. Nature’s balance is observed and respected. Harmful herbicides and pesticides aren’t used, so dangerous chemicals don’t leach into waterways, and soil life is well-protected. Organic cotton also takes up less energy and water to grow, reducing the resources used to make menstrual products, like tampons. What’s not to like?
#2 Organic Tampons Don’t Contain Endocrine-Disrupting Elements.
Endocrine disruptors (like dioxin) can cause serious problems with hormones, fertility and are even linked to cancer. But with organic cotton tampons, you won’t find dioxin or any of the other harmful endocrine disruptors that you find in conventional cotton - thank goodness!
#3 Organic Tampons Safeguard Our Water(s).
Sadly, more pesticides are used on conventional cotton than any other crop in the world. Organic cotton tampons, however, use only 100% certified organic cotton. The absence of harsh pesticides for the growth of organic cotton helps our water stay safe and clean, and because rainwater is prioritized in the production of organic cotton, Mother Nature’s natural rhythm is respected, meaning less pressure on local water supplies.
#4 Organic Tampons Don’t Contain Any Harsh Chemicals.
Your vagina is perfect, and part of that is its super-absorbent membrane. Given that most tampon users have a tampon inside them for a cumulative 7 to 8 years of their life, harsh chemicals should be totally out of the question.
#5 Organic Tampons May Lower the Risk of TSS.
Organic cotton tampons are free of harsh synthetic materials and potentially-harmful ingredients, so they tend to carry a much lower risk of toxic shock syndrome (TSS). This is because tampons made with organic cotton don’t contain any elements that can possibly increase your risk of bacteria and other infections.
#6 Organic Tampons are Biodegradable.
It’s possible to “go green” even with your tampons and pads! An organic tampon made of 100% cotton can be fully broken down by the environment, reducing waste and strain on our planetary resources.
#7 Organic Tampons are Constructed Better Than Conventional Tampons.
When you’re using a conventional tampon, you are already exposing your most sensitive areas to toxic materials. So when you think about the possibility of some of these toxic elements being left behind even after you remove your tampon, you’re probably right in feeling a little freaked out! Organic cotton tampons are usually constructed with a special weave that reduces this risk, so you can worry less about toxic residues and fibers being left behind.
#8 Organic Tampons Are Transparent About Ingredients.
Did you know tampon brands are under no obligation to disclose a full list of ingredients unlike most other period care products, so many ladies are left in the dark about what they are putting inside their bodies. At least organic cotton tampons are exactly what they say they are: 100% organic cotton. Nothing more, nothing less.
#9 Organic Tampons May Lighten Your Period And Reduce Cramps.
Women all over the world are switching to organic cotton tampons for many reasons, but one reason that actually has experts puzzled is that they may help to lighten your period and reduce cramps. This could be because when you use conventional tampons, your body is absorbing all these harsh foreign chemicals, and it disrupts your delicate reproductive system. When you use organic cotton tampons, no nasty chemicals are being absorbed. If you tend to have heavy bleeding or experience bad cramps during your period, try switching to organic cotton tampons and see how much better you feel!
Organic Tampons Work With Our Bodies, Not Against It.
Did you know that the world is slowly becoming infertile? Now, we’re not saying that women play the sole role in infertility (we don’t!) or that tampons alone are to blame (they’re not). But what we are going to say is that for the most part, we’re evidently all actually going a little infertile -- and experts don’t exactly know why.
The World Health Organization reported that 1 in 6 adults worldwide experience infertility. Now, the truth is that there are so many different factors involved in fertility -- exercise, obesity, diet, electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure, environmental toxins -- tampons are definitely not the sole cause. But that being said, if with all this new info here you suddenly felt that conventional tampons affected your fertility, well, you wouldn’t be the first to have arrived at that thought.
And even better, if you stopped using toxic conventional tampons altogether and were suddenly able to get pregnant, you wouldn’t be the first to do that either. Some experts believe that this happens because tampons absorb fluid -- but not tissue. And every month, your uterus expels a surprisingly high amount of tissue.
When you wear a tampon, the uterus gets sort of ‘backed up’ with tissue, and this can cause unhealthy conditions in your uterus, possibly causing infertility. Of course, this is just a theory, and scientists are still investigating, but until they come to a conclusion, stay away from toxic tampons that work against your body and stick with clean, organic cotton tampons, like the ones found at Rael, that work with your body.
A Final Word
So, are there any benefits to using organic cotton tampons?
Yes! As a matter of fact, there are a ton of benefits to switching to organic feminine products.
Conventional tampons are made with extremely harsh chemicals that should honestly be nowhere near our most sensitive body parts -- especially our vaginas.
Why, might you ask? Well, for starters, the vaginal ecosystem is more sensitive and more absorbent than typical skin. This means that any chemicals that are in your conventional tampon will surely get absorbed by your vagina, where it will then enter into your bloodstream -- kind of scary when you really think about it!
Plus, organic cotton tampons are not just better for your body, but they are better for the environment.
The next time your period comes around, think twice about the tampons you use, and give organic cotton tampons a try, like the ones found right here at Rael!
Sources:
https://www.womensvoices.org/about/staff/. Accessed on May 31, 2024.
https://ehjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12940-019-0452-z. Accessed on May 31, 2024.
https://www.rubylove.com/post/how-tampons-can-cause-infertility-problems. Accessed on May 31, 2024.
https://www.who.int/news/item/04-04-2023-1-in-6-people-globally-affected-by-infertility. Accessed on May 31, 2024.