Every month, woman use menstrual products. From pads, to tampons, to pantyliners, we all desperately need these items. They help us move through life as normal – no matter what our menstrual flow is like. But once we’re done with menstrual products, we toss them and never give them a second thought. But we probably should.
Menstrual products are actually toxic items, and what’s worse, they’re designed to last a long time – 500 years to be precise. As you can imagine, the chemicals used to give these single-use products so much longevity are not very good for your health or the environment.
Since menstrual products are considered to be “medical devises”, manufacturers aren’t required to list the ingredients used to make their menstrual products.
Even though there’s very little transparency, we do know that sanitary pads, for example, contain lots of plastic, which in turn is a toxic mix of BPA, BPS, DEHP and phthalates.
Pesticide-treated cotton fills the pad, along with bleach and chlorine to give the cotton a nice, white color.
These toxic chemicals come into contact with your body every single month. The problem is these chemicals are associated with health problems like hormone disruption, infertility, endometriosis, and even cancer.
It’s not difficult to image that once these chemicals infiltrate the environment, they will also poison the dirt and water they come into contact with. And what’s worse, most of these products will not break down, leading to long-lasting environmental impact.
Bearing this in mind, it might be useful to consider organic menstrual products or menstrual cups – both for your health and for the sake of the environment.
