I swear my iPhone listens to my conversations.  I popped to Wholefoods recently to stock up on some natural toiletries and makeup.  It was my time of the month so I thought I’d grab some tampons and pads from there too.  Of course, with it being Wholefoods, the pads and tampons they sell are made from natural materials and organic cotton.  This got me thinking.  I only use natural skincare, so why wasn’t I already using natural feminine care?  It didn’t make any sense.  I guess I’d never questioned the materials and ingredients used in lady care products.  I mean, why would we?  I’d automatically assume huge companies like Tampax would only use the best and safest ingredients.

I was sad to learn this isn’t necessarily the case.

The brand I purchased is Natracare.  They use soft organic cotton which is chlorine and plastic free.  They use only biodegradable and recyclable materials.  Many other companies use chlorine to bleach their tampons and sanitary pads.  Why is this bad?  Here’s what Natracare say on their website:

‘What’s bad about Chlorine bleaching?

Chlorine bleaching creates a by-product called dioxin which poses serious problems for the environment and has been linked to ill-health. Dioxin is a known carcinogen and will leave detectable residuals in any product that has been bleached with any type of chlorine bleach. In sanitary products, this type of bleaching unnecessarily exposes women to low levels of dioxins every time they use these products. Furthermore, it settles in the fat cells of humans and wildlife, and will stay there for the rest of our lives, building up cumulatively over time from birth, so increased exposure means increased risk.’

Not good!

I can’t believe I’ve cared so much about what is in my skincare products, but totally missed what could be in my feminine products. I’m sure I’m not the only one.

The reason I think my iPhone is listening to me is because as soon as I said to Ben I’m going to only use natural femcare from now on and I’m going to blog about it, this article popped up on my phone’s newsfeed.  It couldn’t have been more perfectly timed. The article explains how the fatal toxic shock syndrome is on the rise and how synthetic sanitary wear and a lack of awareness could be to blame.  I’ve seen a few articles recently of young women suffering from TSS and it’s a scary thought.  Though a very rare syndrome, it’s scary to think it’s on the rise.

If changing my tampons to natural products for a few extra pence could potentially save my life, then I’m on board.

Nature knows best.

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