When my period hits i reach for the cheapest and most convenient products for my needs, and have done for years. These are normally Tampax Tampons. Not only are these clogging up the landfills, they also contain materials that can be harmful to the body and cause all different types of medical problems and skin conditions!
I have always used Tampax, my mother uses it and I'm pretty sure the majority of females in my family use them too along with friends. After i posted a little rant on instagram i was informed that it is more than one company that use harsh materials in their 'natural' products. So i done some digging on Tampax, to find they use bleach in their raw materials. This information was only available online, it is not on their packaging nor their information leaflets at all. This made me think about all the up roar there is about tampons and Toxic Shock Syndrome, as there is more than enough information on the Tampax leaflets about it.
So i know what you're thinking, how else would you get TSS if there isn't chemicals in your tampon but my question is why are there chemicals in something that goes in my vagina, my birth canal!
What do Tampax say?
Purification of the cellulose fibres used to make rayon and purification of cotton are done to eliminate the impurities which inhibit our ability to make clean absorbent fibres. By cleaning the fibres in this manner, we can make a better performing product with fewer raw materials, which has clear benefits for the environment. Whitening the fibres is a result of this process, but its not the goal.
This really didn't answer any questions for me in fact i had more, so i broke this statement down and did a bit more research. So, Cellulose fibres are of plant origin and can be placed into two categories natural or manufactured. Manufactured cellulose is basically the rayon material that Tampax use to form the tampon, which is made with wood pulp. Wood pulp is chemically made waste paper. Strike one for TSS.
Purification of cotton is done to ensure that foreign matter from the raw plant is dealt with. Additionally cotton has a natural water repellent which obviously means that it is unsuitable for using raw in a tampon as it prevents it from be absorbent, so companies use Sodium Hydroxide, is used to soften the plant matter and remove the natural waxes that are found on raw cotton. Strike two for TSS. The material is then bleached, each company uses a different bleaching method, however the most common is Hydrogen Peroxide although there are chlorine type methods that are used mainly in the UK with strong links to TSS, which whitens the fibres and penetrates the cotton. Three strikes and you're OUT!
How damaging are these chemicals?
Well chlorine breaks down into a chemical called Dioxin which is deadly - although companies say their process removes this toxic chemical - but how can we be sure? We only need a small amount for it to damage the human body. Wood pulp is made using untested, yes untested chemicals, simply because it makes a better product so the damage is unknown to the manufacturers as well as the customers, who need i remind you are young girls between 11-19!
What is worse, when you remove a tampon the chemically processed fibres come off and stay in the vaginal canal, although some are removed by discharge - the natural process most stay in the vagina. The fibres left in the vagina eat away at the walls and may create ulcerations, which make you more prone to catching infection including STD's/STI's by creating portals in the bloodstream. Weakening of the walls can also create more health issues, webbing of the womb, severe period cramps, weak bladder, recurring thrush, inflammation and a bunch of other medical problems.
What are the alternatives?
It took me awhile to find out but i found a UK supplier of organic natural tampons and pads. Natracare. They are chemical free! (more info can be found on their website) I will be trying these products next month - and leaving a review for those who are cautious about the products they are using!
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