One of the quickest changes you can make to reduce toxins in your life is to swap out your menstrual products. Why? Because many of the mainstream conventional disposable products contain harmful ingredients such as plastics, artificial fragrances, adhesives, and chemical gels. Some of these are inserted directly into your body via your tampon while all of them are cozying up to one of the most sensitive areas on your entire body!
What shocks us most is the miseducation and lack of action taken. Check out what Goop is saying about tampons:
“Generally, tampons are made from cotton and rayon. Tampons are considered a ‘medical device’ by the Food and Drug Administration and manufacturers are not required to issue a full disclosure of what is in their tampons. Tampons may have odor neutralizers, dyes, pesticides, and fragrances. If we are concerned about additives in our foods, we should be equally concerned about inserting them in our tampons—because the vaginal wall is so permeable, this allows toxins and chemicals like pesticides direct access to our bloodstream.”
We also recommend checking out There’s WHAT is my tampon by GladRags.
So what can you do about it? Truthfully, there are two main options:
- Clean, trustworthy disposables
- Reusables
Disposables
Although we know that manufacturers are not required to issue a full disclosure of what is in their tampons, there are some great companies out there working hard to keep harmful ingredients from our bodies. If you choose to go the disposable route, we highly recommend organic, chlorine-free, non-applicator tampons or organic, chlorine free pads. Natracare + Lola are making some products we stand behind.
P.S. Check what else Lola has to offer! 😉 We will just say, they get us!
Reusables
You may be thinking, reusables? Ew! Before you rush away from this blog, humor me for a moment. Are you sick and tired of paying the estimated $18,000 in menstrual products throughout your life or $35 on a menstrual cup?
Not to mention, there are not several more options with reusables, including:
- Pads
- Liners
- Period underwear
- Cups
- Discs
These products are more comfortable, kinder to your wallet, easy to travel with, simple to care for, better for the planet and FREE of toxins! The biggest obstacles we see are:
- Uncomfortable with cleaning them
- Trying the wrong product for their body
Cleaning
Let’s talk about cleaning first. Menstrual blood is water soluble. Your pads + underwear can be washed with your clothes. Seriously! Take a look at how easy it is to clean both reusable pads and period undies! Same is true for menstrual cups + discs. Although we are not tossing them in the washing machine, you can easily wash them with mild soap and water before reinsertion. At the beginning or end of your cycle you may also choose to boil the cup in an open pan for up to 5 minutes. Note that prolonged boiling may damage your cup.Also, some companies even sell a special wash, if you feel called to purchase it.
Pads + Period Undies
GladRags and Aisle (formerly LunaPads) were some of the first products to take us away from toxic disposables while drawing attention to the positive impacts on our wallets, our bodies, and our planet! Whether you are looking for a liner to supplement your transition to a cup or a pad kit to support your full flow, these two brands have you covered!
There are two amazing brands that we support that are making high-tech sustainable underwear that allow you to completely ditch pads and tampons with ZERO LEAKS! Thinx and Modi Bodi are doing amazing things! Heavy cycle, no worries! Both brands have different styles to accommodate all flows. We also love that both incredible menstrual equality missions you will be dramatically moved by! In 2021, Modi Bodi is donating 100,000 pairs of reusable leak-proof underwear to 20,000 people in need and Thinx is advocating for all menstruators to have free access to the products we need to manage basic bodily functions!
Cups + Discs
There are many cups and some discs on the market these days and quite honestly, we could write a book about them. However, Put a Cup In It (PACI) has done extensive research for us and has even created quizzes for you to take to learn which product is best for you, your flow, and your body!
Let’s first start by celebrating that cups hold 4-8x as much as a single tampon. Now, Cups and Discs are different and we will let PACI tell you the difference. However, we want to let you know, if you have tried Soft Cup or Diva Cup and you’ve decided neither are right for you, there are SO MANY OPTIONS that fit and feel vastly different from these two brands. AND, some people exclusively use these brands.
So before totally turning these super cost effective, body supportive menstrual products, check out these comparison charts and quizzes.
Some of the ones we recommend based on reviews or personal experience include XOFlo cup, Diva Cup, Lunette Cup, and the Lumma Disc.
Our biggest piece of advice? Take your health into your own hands by eliminating toxins from your cycle, whatever way that best serves you!
To learn more about how the Fab Fertile Method can help improve your chances of getting pregnant naturally, apply here. We’ll come up with a plan specifically designed for your situation. We specialize in low AMH, high FSH, premature ovarian insufficiency, and diminished ovarian reserve.
