Many feminine hygiene products are toxic. To be convinced watch the video below.
A quote from Babybloodheart: A representative from Tampax gave us our ‘girl talk’ in school so we got samples of Tampax and Always – I remember ‘experiments’ I did with Always samples before I reached menarche, I was very concerned about the layers of plastic and what on earth the small clear beads inside the pads actually were. So even as a child these pads concerned me, but I didn’t know of any alternative options like menstrual cups, cloth pads, or organic pads so once menarche came I had no choice but to use Always.
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Dr. Mercola, an osteopathic physician offers an important reason why women should take precaution in selecting the safest feminine hygiene product on the market. He points out that, since human skin is the largest organ in the body as well as the thinnest, it is highly permeable to toxins exposed to the skin. The skin around the vagina area, including the vagina itself, is most permeable. As such, most of the chemicals in most items, when coming in contact with your skin will end up in your bloodstream, thus distributing them throughout the body, especially without any filtering of any kind. He advises: “Do not put anything on your body that you would not eat if you had to. Less than 1/10th of an inch separates your body from potential toxins. ”
Once these chemicals are in the body, they accumulate over time because the necessary enzymes to break them down tend to be lacking. Dr. Mercola adds, ” the realm of feminine hygiene can be likened to a “ticking time bomb.” Did you know that the average American woman uses up to 16,800 tampons in her lifetime or as many as 24,360 if she’s on estrogen replacement therapy? There are other products a woman uses in addition to tampons–sanitary pads, maternity pads, and nursing pads.
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THE PRODUCTS
Manufacturers of tampons and sanitary pads are not required to disclose the ingredients used because feminine hygiene products are considered “medical devices.” If you were to call Procter & Gamble (PG) to find out the ingredients in their “Always Infinity” pads, you would be told foam and a patented ingredient called Infinicel, a highly absorbent material that can hold up to 10 times its weight.
As noted on the video above, the “Always Infinity, with its mostly undisclosed ingredients, create lots of black smoke and thick residue, indicating that the pad may contain dioxins, synthetic fibers and petrochemical additives.
Moreover, one should realize that each conventional sanitary pad contains the equivalent of about four plastic bags! Knowing more about the hazardous nature of plastic chemicals, we should be concerned. As Andrea Donsky, founder of NATURALLY SAVVY, points out, “plasticizing chemicals like BPA and BPS disrupt embryonic development and are linked to heart disease and cancer. Phthalates — which give paper tampon applicators that smooth feel and finish — are known to dysregulate gene expression, and DEHP may lead to multiple organ damage. Besides crude oil plastics, conventional sanitary pads can also contain a myriad of other potentially hazardous ingredients, such as odor neutralizers and fragrances. Synthetics and plastic also restrict the free flow of air and can trap heat and dampness, potentially promoting the growth of yeast and bacteria in your vaginal area.
“To give tampons and pads that pristine, “clean” white look, the fibers used must be bleached. Chlorine is commonly used for this, which can create toxic dioxin and other disinfection-by-products (DBPs) such as trihalomethane. Studies show that dioxin collects in your fatty tissues, and according to a draft report by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), dioxin a serious public health threat that has no “safe” level of exposure! Published reports show that even low or trace levels of dioxins may be linked to:
- Abnormal tissue growth in the abdomen and reproductive organs
- Abnormal cell growth throughout the body
- Immune system suppression
- Hormonal and endocrine system disruption
“Meanwhile, the FDA’s official stance regarding trace amounts of dioxins is that there are no expected health risks associated with trace amounts of dioxins in tampons… Naturally Savvy notes that 10 years ago, House Representative Carolyn Maloney introduced legislation that would have required research into the potential health risks of any ingredient used in feminine hygiene products, including endometriosis, cervical, ovary and breast cancers. Unfortunately, the legislation did not pass, and it does not appear that any such research has been done.”
Donsky’s findings are as follows:
- conventional tampons contain pesticides… Cotton crops make up just 2.4 percent of the world’s land, but each year a whopping $2 billion is spent on pesticides to spray this one crop.
- Tampons and pads with odor neutralizers and other artificial fragrances are nothing short of a chemical soup laced with artificial colors, polyester, adhesives, polyethylene (PET), polypropylene, and propylene glycol (PEG), contaminants linked to hormone disruption, cancer, birth defects, dryness, and infertility.
- Conventional tampons most probably contain genetically modified organisms (GMOs). According the USDA, 94 percent of all the cotton planted in the US is genetically engineered.
If you do not want GMO proteins in your body, you will not want these suspect feminine hygiene products in your body.
TOXIC SHOCK SYNDROME (TSS)
In the 1980’s, toxic shock syndrome became a household term. A highly life-threatening condition caused by toxins produced by certain types of bacteria, it is mostly associated with the use of tampons in menstruating women. The use of one brand of superabsorbent tampons caused an outbreak of toxins produced by the Staphylococcus aureus bacteria. (TSS can also be caused by toxins from the group A Streptococcus bacteria.)
Tampons, especially when left in place for a long period of time, are thought to provide a breeding ground for the bacteria that subsequently release toxins to cause TSS. When not linked to tampon use, TSS can occur as a complication of surgery or skin infections.
Point to make is that tampons can create a favorable environment for bacteria growth. They can also cause micro tears in the vagina wall, allowing such bacteria to enter the bloodstream to do its harm.
Thus, this warning: if you experience any of the symptoms listed below while wearing tampons, seek medical help immediately:
- Low blood pressure
- Sudden high fever
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Rash o palms or soles of feet
- Muscle aches
- Redness in the eyes, mouth, and/or throat
To minimize any risk–
- avoid super absorbent tampons
- never leave a tampon inserted overnight; in lieu, use overnight pads
- be extremely careful when inserting a tampon to avoid scrapping the interior lining
- avoid plastic applicators
- alternate the use of tampons with sanitary napkins or mini-pads during the menstrual cycle
- change tampons at least every four to eight hours
- do not use tampons between menstrual cycles
ALTERNATIVES
Donsky recommends the following organic cotton products:
- Diva Cup
- Glad Rags Organic Pads
- Natacare
- Organyc 100% Organic Cotton Pads
- Seventh Generation Clorine-free Organic Cotton Tampons
Many feminine hygiene products are made from rayon, vicose, and cellulose wood fluff pulp. The first two are highly absorbent and can stick to your vaginal wall and may make you at risk for TSS.
Naturally Savvy has created a petition asking Procter & Gamble to disclose the ingredients in their feminine hygiene products. You can sign their petition here.
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