Have you ever wondered what a tampon is made of?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Tampons are typically constructed out of cotton or a cotton blended with rayon or polyester. While tampons are an approved medical device by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the FDA does not require them to label or disclose what other things may actually be in the tampons. Some of these may not be direct ingredients, but bi-products of the harvesting, growing and production process. So the concept of the tampon is approved, the idea of an absorbent material being inserted into the vagina for menses and being removable by a string. However, not necessarily what it’s made of. Make sense? We don’t think so either. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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What chemicals could be in tampons?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Pesticides. On a super basic level, if you don’t reach for an organic tampon option, you could be running the risk of pesticides remaining on the cotton from the growing process. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Fragrances. It’s your period. You typically feel gross and you’re hypersensitive to how you may smell. It’s super tempting to reach for a box of scented tampons! The term ‘fragrance’ is a tricky one here in America. The FDA allows companies to put countless chemicals under the banner of fragrance, unfortunately, without having to specifically name them. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Dioxins + furans. These are part of the bleaching process. Unbleached cotton looks much different than bleached cotton and tampons are not exempt from the bleaching process unless you specifically buy unbleached organic tampons. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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So how do these affect you directly? Your vagina is a muscle structure that’s super sensitive. You’ve probably heard that most anything you put on your skin (lotion, etc) is absorbed and in your bloodstream in less than a minute. The same goes for your vagina. It’s a very complex environment and the probability of toxins, bleaches and pesticides entering your body via your vagina is high. Tampons may change vaginal flora that makes up the delicate ecosystem of your vagina. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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We definitely have a better option.