Is your period cramping your style? Alternatives to traditional menstrual products.
My interest in this topic began when I saw an advertisement on my social media feed for 100% organic cotton tampons with no additives. “That’s what they all are, right?”, I pondered, as I searched through my own bathroom to check a box of tampons. “Rayon and/or cotton blend”, it said. And/or? Shouldn’t the tampon manufacturers know what they’re putting into their own product? I investigated this, it turns out that the FDA has classified tampons as a medical device, saying, “products classified as medical devices need not disclose ingredients on the packaging” (Nicole, 2014). It seems contradictory that it is necessary to name ingredients in foods, ingested by humans, but is not in tampons, also put into the body.
Why does this matter? The vagina is self-cleaning, with a highly water permeable membrane that is capable of absorbing fluids at a higher rate than the skin. This also means it’s a pretty vulnerable area, and we should be cautious about what products we are using each month. From rayon fibers that are bleached to cotton grown with pesticides, dioxins by way of environmental contamination can enter these products. Not to mention environmental effects. The average American woman uses 12,000 tampons in her lifetime (Dudley, et al., 2017). 12,000!
There is a significant difference in the relative decay of different products over time. Data shows that “tampons stand out as being most resistant to decay, in comparison to toilet paper and tissues” (Bridle & Kirkpatrick, 2005). Season and rainfall affect this, of course, as well as burial depth. What does this mean for the earth? This adds up to 250 to 300 pounds of pads, plugs, and applicators to landfills per woman per lifetime. In low-income areas, menstrual pads, tampons, and rags “routinely block pipes and joints, which is costly, takes time to resolve and imposes health hazards” (Beksinska, et al., 2015). Some alternatives are buying pads and liners that aren’t individually wrapped or tampons without the applicators. Organic cotton tampons, too. These kick-out pesticides, keeping you and the world healthier. Further, there are reusable, machine-washable underwear with built-in pads. The option that seems to best benefit the environment, and your pocketbook, is the menstrual cup. (Check out how much you can save here). Turns out I wasn’t the only one who felt this way, some entrepreneurs who felt the same way went a step further and made some awesome alternative products.
LOLA
Made by women, for women. LOLA uses organic cotton without toxins or synthetic fibers in their line of pantyliners, tampons, and pads. (“Shop LOLA,” n.d.).
$10 for 18 Plastic Applicator Tampons $9 for 18 Non-Applicator Tampons
- Natural, organic, biodegradable, and hypoallergenic
- Compact, BPA-free plastic applicators
- Free of synthetic fibers, chemical additives, fragrance, dyes, chlorine bleach
- Superior leak protection
- Available in L, R, S, S+
- Online ordering (convenient) and customizable box each month
- 15% of first subscription order
LOLA was started by two young women, Jordana and Alex, in 2015. Their idea was to create an organic tampon and a brand that was completely transparent with customers about the ingredients in their product.
LOLA gives back. Across the US, millions of women and girls lack access to feminine hygiene products. In NYC, “79% of the city’s public-school students qualify for free or reduced lunch, including an estimated 240,000 low-income female students”, the founders report. Many girls go to the nurse for these products, but with a ratio of one nurse to 6,000 students, many would rather save time and use one pad all day, risking health effects. LOLA partners with Support the Girls, Distributing Dignity, and Simply the Basics and donates menstrual products to local communities for each purchase (Friedman & Jordana, 2016).
Cora
Designed in San-Francisco, CA, material sourced from Istanbul, Turkey, made in Ljubljana, Slovenia and gives pads back to communities in New Delhi, India. (“Shop Cora,” n.d.)
$13 for 18 Plastic Applicator Tampons $9 for 18 Non-Applicator Tampons
- Natural and organic cotton
- Hypoallergenic, biodegradable, compostable, and vegan
- Made without synthetics, chlorine, pesticides, herbicides, chemicals, fragrances, deodorants, child labor or animal cruelty
- Ethically sourced ingredients
- Exceptionally absorbent
- Online ordering and subscriptions
- Available in R, S, S+
- First month free
Cora promises to be relentlessly innovative, radically transparent, profoundly human, and uncommonly generous. Cora is the brain child of Molly and Morgen. Molly developed her passion working in women’s human rights across 13 countries for 10 years. Morgen learned more as his wife explained it to him and knew the product design could be innovated to create a better experience for women. (“Our Story — The Cora Story,” n.d.).
Cora gives back. With every month’s supply purchase, they provide a month’s supply of pads and health education to a girl in need. There is a 90% decrease in dropout rate when girls have access to menstrual products, click here to see other stats. In Kenya, Cora partners with ZanaAftica Foundation. In India, Cora partners with Aakar Innovations who “empowers local female entrepreneurs to set up and run mini-factories that manufacture the pads, providing jobs to women who would otherwise be unemployed or employed in the sex trade”. In the US, Cora partners with non-profits around the country. (Cora, n.d.).
OrganiCup
The award-winning menstrual cup that replaces pads and tampons. Founded in 2012, this Danish company aims to improve menstrual health and protect the planet. (“Shop OrganiCup,” n.d.)
OrganiCup (size A if you haven’t given birth, B if you have or are over 30 years old), $26.00
- Hypoallergenic, chemical-free, vegan, and no animal testing
- Chemical free
- Leak-free
- Lasts 12 hours
- The product lasts years, not hours
- Holds up to 3 tampons worth
- 90-day money-back guarantee
OrganiCup gives back. They have recently decided that their charitable giving is not enough, and they’re partnering with Swedish NGO Wise Economy and their pilot project entitled, “My Period is Awesome”, that addresses the critical sanitary situation in Namibia. To learn more, click here. “For many women and girls in both developing and developed countries menstruation is a life-restricting monthly event that negatively affects daily activities. Performance in school and self-esteem”, their website states. OrganiCup wants to help change this. To see stats about this problem and a list of OrganiCup’s 15 partners and projects working to fix it, including Womena, Freedom4Girls, and Wise Economy, click here.
THINX Underwear
Washable, reusable undies that absorb your period and are a more sustainable solution than single-use disposable products. (“Shop THINX Hiphugger,” n.d.).
Best-selling Hiphugger, $34, which holds up to 2 regular tampons’ worth
- Moisture-wicking cotton
- Odor-trapping lining
- Super-absorbent fabric
- Leak-resistant barrier
- Light, medium, and heavy flows
- 60-day money-back guarantee
“(Three friends) + (some gnarly period accidents) + (100 million girls missing school just b/c of their periods) + (3.5 years of R&D) + (like, 50 badass team members)
= the THINX you know and love and bleed into today.” (THINX, n.d.).
THINX gives back. Their empowerment program “partners with schools, after school programs and nonprofit organizations to discuss identity, human rights, and reproductive health through activity-based curriculum”. Their access program “makes donations of period products to grassroots organizations and provides funding for programs and services that support underserved people with periods, including survivors of domestic violence, refugees, and the homeless” (“Giveback,” n.d.).
Overall, there are some great alternatives to traditional tampons that won’t break the bank. From pesticide-free tampons with the option of less packaging, to the long-lasting menstrual cup, to reusable period underwear — it is hard to go wrong. Of course, there is inherent hesitancy around using tampons without applicators or menstrual cups, we’ll call it the “gross” factor. Take a moment to consider if breaking out of your comfort zone is worth saving $1,000 in your lifetime because the menstrual cup will meet you there. Further, lots of these products are environmentally friendly (yay!) and healthy for you (woo!).
Beksinska, M., Smit, J., Greener, R., Maphumulo, V., & Madube, Z. (2015). Better menstrual management options for adolescents needed in south Africa: what about the menstrual cup? SAJM South African Medical Journal, p331.
Bridle, K. L., & Kirkpatrick, J. B. (2005). An analysis of the breakdown of paper products (toilet paper, tissues and tampons) in natural environments, Tasmania, Australia. Journal of Environmental Management, 74(1), 21–30. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2004.08.004
Cora. (n.d.). Our Cause. Retrieved December 2, 2018, from https://cora.life/pages/our-cause
Dudley, S., Nassar, S., Hartman, E., & Wang, S. (2017, January 24). Tampon Safety. Retrieved November 26, 2018, from http://www.center4research.org/tampon-safety/
Friedman, A., & Jordana, J. K. (2016, October 4). Introducing LOLA gives back: helping homeless women across the US. Retrieved December 2, 2018, from https://blog.mylola.com/introducing-lola-gives-back-helping-homeless-women-across-us/
Giveback. (n.d.). Retrieved December 2, 2018, from https://www.shethinx.com/pages/giveback
Shop LOLA. (n.d.). Retrieved December 2, 2018, from https://www.mylola.com/products/non-applicator-tampons
Nicole, W. (2014). A Question for Women’s Health: Chemicals in Feminine Hygiene Products and Personal Lubricants. Environmental Health Perspectives (Online); Research Triangle Park, 122(3), A70. http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.lib.utexas.edu/10.1289/ehp.122-A70
Our Story — The Cora Story. (n.d.). Retrieved December 2, 2018, from https://cora.life/pages/our-story
Shop Cora. (n.d.). Retrieved December 2, 2018, from https://cora.life/pages/products
Shop OrganiCup. (n.d.). Retrieved December 2, 2018, from https://www.organicup.com/product/organicup/
Shop THINX Hiphugger. (n.d.). Retrieved December 2, 2018, from https://www.shethinx.com/products/hiphugger-panties
Team OrganiCup. (2018a, February 6). Our Work With NGO’s. Retrieved December 2, 2018, from https://www.organicup.com/blog/our-work-with-ngos/
Team OrganiCup. (2018b, May 22). No More Limits: OrganiCup Pilot Project with Wise Economy. Retrieved December 2, 2018, from https://www.organicup.com/blog/organicup-pilot-project-wise-economy/
THINX. (n.d.). About Us | Period Panties. Retrieved December 2, 2018, from https://www.shethinx.com/pages/about-us
