Any health-conscious woman can admit to studying the back of a box of granola or frozen meal and carefully read the ingredients before throwing it in the grocery cart. Skip on over to the feminine aisle, and it’s not uncommon to toss a box of tampons in without taking the time to look at the ingredients because it’s assumed to be made of 100 percent cotton — seemingly safe and harmless material.
In reality, this monthly necessity that we as women rely on may contain synthetic fibers like rayon (a cellulose fiber made from wood pulp) and polyester, which is then bleached and sometimes contains a carcinogen known as dioxin. These products are inside our bodies every 28 days, so it’s important to make sure they’re safe for our health and the environment.
Videos by PopCulture.com
Rethinking your monthly go-to tampon brand? Check out these companies created by empowering and entrepreneurial women who are working to change the feminine product industry:
Lola: Founders Jordana Kier and Alexandra Friedman created Lola as a “modern approach to feminine care and a way to change both the product and delivery of tampons.” Yep, you read that right! This company offers recurring delivery that allows you to customize your order, which includes controlling the number of boxes, choosing your ideal assortment of tampon absorbencies, and how often you want it to be delivered to your home. The tampons are made with 100 percent hypoallergenic cotton with BPA-free applicators, and can be found by clicking here!
>> Click here to read about 5 organic beauty products that you need to try.
The Honest Company: As if you couldn’t love her enough, Jessica Alba’s new line of feminine care is simply amazing. In addition to her body, baby, formula, cleaning products and vitamins, The Honest Company includes tampons, pads and pantyliners that are made with 100 percent organic cotton, and are free of any fragrances, dyes or chemical residues. The applicators are phthalate-free plastic made from 90 percent plant-based materials, and the strings attached to the tampon is woven into the material instead of glued. Click here to check it out!
>> Read on: Menstrual cups: Catch The Trend
Cora: Molly Hayward created Cora to empower women and girls who are missing out on educational and economic opportunities because they don’t have access to pads or tampons. Roughly 100 million girls around the world lack access to sanitary products, according to Hayward, and her subscription-based company is aiming to change that. For every monthly order Cora ships, it provides a month’s supply of sustainable sanitary pads to a girl in a developing country so she can stay in school, play with her friends and be her radiant self, every day of the month. Click here to see her website.
Hearing a lot of rumors about tampons being unsafe and unhealthy? Click here to get the inside scoop.
