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The average woman is
likely to use as many as 11,000 tampons in her lifetime, making natural
and chemical-free tampons or pads a priority. Unfortunately, since most
of the feminine hygiene products on the market today are made from a blend
of bleached cotton and synthetic and plastic materials, women are limited
in their choices, even if they are aware that they have one.
Many women are unaware that rayon and rayoncotton blends are widely used in the manufacturing of tampons. Rayon is commonly chlorine bleached. Since dioxin is a by-product of chlorine bleaching, this should be a real concern for women. Dioxins are found throughout the environment in varying levels and they have been found to collect in the fatty tissues of animals, including humans.
Currently, there are no specific EPA or FDA guidelines outlining acceptable exposure levels to dioxin. A large amount of the world’s production of dioxins is created during the manufacturing of paper pulp (a chlorinated product), which is used in the production of tampons and sanitary pads. This is not only harmful to the environment, but may unnecessarily expose women to low levels of dioxins every time they use these products.
Published scientific reports have shown growing evidence that even low levels of dioxins may be linked to cancer, endometriosis, low-sperm counts, and immune system suppression. Considering a woman will use many of these products in her life, she may be subjecting herself to additional dioxin exposure.
In addition, many people are worried about the use of pesticides and genetically modified materials in traditional farming and choose to buy organic whenever possible. Non-organic cotton is sprayed with pesticides that release toxins, including dioxins, into the environment, leaving residuals in the cotton. Organic cotton avoids the practice of spraying crops with these pesticides. Organic farming does not permit the use of genetically modified materials. This helps prevent topsoil erosion, improves soil fertility, protects groundwater, and conserves energy.
Choosing organic and natural feminine hygiene products is the clear solution to these issues. Natracare organic cotton tampons, feminine wipes, and natural sanitary pads provide the perfect feminine hygiene solution for those who are chemically sensitive, as well as for all women who have health and environmental concerns, such as the use of pesticides, toxic dioxin pollution, the impact of genetically modified cotton, the use of parabens and harsh chemicals in feminine wipes, and the growing global problem of sanitary waste disposal.
ABOUT
THE AUTHOR
Susie Hewson founded Natracare in 1989. She has been an environmentalist
for more than 25 years.
