Let’s Talk About Periods Baby
Let’s talk about periods baby! Let’s talk about you and me! Let’s talk about all the good things and the bad things that may be! Let’s talk about periods! If you are a woman of a certain age, you get your period. It is no mysterious secret! So let’s talk about it. I know you are totally down.
Toxicity Of Traditional Feminine Hygiene Products
So here’s the lowdown on traditional maxi pads: Maxi Pads are typically made up of bleached rayon, cotton and plastics. Additionally, they normally contain really hazardous ingredients including pesticide residues (I’m not all about pesticides up in my vajayjay! Girl, please!), unknown fragrance chemicals, dioxins and furans, and adhesive chemicals such as methyldibromo glutaronitrile. These oh so fun maxi pad ingredients expose you to the chemicals directly related to causing cancer, endocrine disruption and reproductive harm. Not to mention these bad boys end up in a landfill somewhere causing more destruction and harm to our environment.
Tampon lowdown: Tampons are made from the same materials that maxi pads are made from. Let’s look at the biggest component of tampons or maxi pads which is rayon. Rayon chemical procedures are needed that include: carbon disulphide, sulfuric acid, chlorine and caustic soda. Side effects from exposure to too much Rayon can include: nausea, vomiting, chest pain, headaches and many others Do you want to insert that craziness up there? No danke!
Looking For Alternatives
Fortunately, there are alternatives that are non-toxic and that work extremely well. First up let’s take a look at the Lunette Cup and its various counterparts. According to the Lunette website, “The Lunette menstrual cup is the future of feminine protection. It’s your user-friendly, safe, reusable, and eco-logical alternative to pads and tampons. Plus, using Lunette helps you rack up good karma points by protecting the environment and your purse strings offering peace of mind and a stress free cycle.
Photo Credit: Lunette
You’re all set with Lunette: just fold, insert like a tampon, and let it do its thing. Lunette collects fluids rather than absorbing them, keeping your superior interior naturally lubricated and healthy. You empty it rather than change it, wash it, and reuse it. You never ‘run out of Lunette’ (like tampons) because it runs around with you: in a pretty, convenient pouch (in case you’re early) or in you, during your cycle. Relax, with Lunette, you can lose the leaks, and live your life.”
The Lunette Cup is made out of silicone and is non-toxic, hypoallergenic and not harmful to human tissue. You can chuck the bulky pads, which of course eliminates the environmental impact and financial expense. I will say I had a friend recently try the Diva Cup which is similar to the Lunette Cup and while she loved it at first, it ended up being really impractical for her and super inconvenient and it is rather messy. Neither of us sisters have been brave enough to try it…we’re SKERD!
Photo Credit: Natracare
Secondly, there is a company called Natracare that makes non-toxic and organic feminine hygiene products like your standard maxi-pad and tampon. Kara and I actually got to meet the founder at Expo West in March and we had a great, in-depth conversation with her. She just radiates such passion for helping women and the environment. We really loved our time with her and getting the inside scoop and low down. We would really encourage to look at their site with just boat loads of info.
Kara had been using Natracare before we went to the Expo and I have been using them since March. I’ve noticed a MAJOR difference. First of all, my bikini line used to get really irritated with the traditional maxi pads. I always thought that was just from it rubbing against my sensitive skin…WRONG! Since I have made the switch, there has been no rash or irritation whatsoever. Also, you know the dreadful horror that is a used maxi pad smell? I found out that was due to the various chemicals in the pad so with Natracare there is really hardly any smell whatsoever. Massive score!
The tampons work great and I don’t have to be worried about toxic shock syndrome and shoving up gross, toxic stuff up there!
Finding the Right Alternative For You
Both of these alternatives are extremely cost effective on top of non-toxic which is a massive double win because that doesn’t always happen when choosing healthier products. For my sister and I at the present moment in time, we exclusively use Natracare Products. Maybe we will be bold enough (or lose a dare) and try a Lunette Cup? Who knows?
To stay up-to-date on our product reviews and investigations, join our sleuthy community!
Have you given much thought to clearing out the toxins when it comes to your feminine hygiene routine?
(Note: Some links in this post are affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy here.)
