Are Your Tampons Hurting You? Why You Should Go Organic

When you think of the word “organic”,  food, makeup, beauty products, and household cleaners typically come to mind – not tampons. I had no idea organic tampons even existed until a few months ago after watching a video about how many gross things can be found in regular tampons – things that the FDA doesn’t require companies to disclose. Time for a truth bomb…here’s a list of some things found in tampons:

• Synthetic fibers
• Chlorine
• Dioxins
• Fragrance (okay, so we knew that, but it’s not good for you)
• Pesticides (ever think about what is sprayed on all that cotton?!)
• Adhesives
• Artificial color

Feeling grossed out yet? All of that stuff is immediately absorbed into your bloodstream – leading to years and years of exposure to harmful ingredients for as long as you have a period. And pads aren’t a safe alternative either since they’re also chemically treated. Exposure can potentially cause cancer, reproductive issues, allergic reactions, hormone disruptions, and of course Toxic Shock Syndrome.

Luckily, there are safe alternatives out there.

A few months ago I had a revelation: I didn’t get super sick during my periods until I started using tampons in high school. And I mean, I got sick – back “labor” pains, nausea, cramps – you name it. It got better while I was on Yaz for a brief time in college, but that screwed with my sight and I kind of need my eyeballs. Obviously I got off of it and haven’t been on birth control since due to my gyno’s concern over it potentially causing heart problems. My illness came back a year later, just not quite as vengeful as it was in high school.

Anyway, this is all to say that I think my main-stream tampons are what caused it all along. So disgusting. I did some research and came across Lola tampons. They deliver custom boxes of 100 percent organic tampons to you, so naturally I signed up for a subscription! They aren’t any more expensive than regular tampons ($9/box) and they feel like magical clouds. It could just be all in my brain since I know I’m not saturating my bloodstream with pesticides, but they really do feel way more comfortable. Added bonus: they’re biodegradable so you’re also helping the environment. There are quite a few reliable organic tampon brands out there too, like Honest and Natracare, but I love the simple packaging on these. They don’t scream I’M A TAMPON BOX! The boxes are actually quite small and cute enough to sit out on a bathroom counter if you want. The only thing I wish was that they had a larger variety of products. If you need liners, pads, or super plus tampons, Honest has you covered though.

Another alternative that I’ve heard people rave about is the DivaCup. I have yet to try it out just because having a cup up there sounds uncomfortable (though everyone swears it’s not). I’ll probably give it a shot eventually since it definitely would save money, but for now I’m happy with my organic tampons!

While I didn’t notice an improvement in pain this month, (I’m sure it’ll take a while to undo the damage of a decade of regular tampon use), it’s comforting to know I’m at least not adding to the problem.

For $5 off Lola tampons, use the code KGWARTNEY1

Have you made the switch?