Dr. Mercola – The issue of what kind of feminine hygiene products you use is rarely, if ever, discussed. Yet it’s clearly an important topic for every woman out there. Your skin is the largest organ in your body, and also the thinnest. Less than 1/10 of an inch separate your body from potential toxins. Worse yet, your skin is highly permeable – especially the skin around your vaginal area, not to mention inside the vagina itself.
This is why attention needs to be paid to the ingredients used in tampons and sanitary pads. Most items that come in constant contact with your skin will end up in your bloodstream and distributed throughout your body. This is why Dr. Macola is so fond of saying, “Don’t put anything on your body that you would not eat if you had to.” Putting chemicals on your skin may actually be worse than eating them. When you eat something, the enzymes in your saliva and stomach help to break it up and flush it out of your body. However, when chemicals come in contact with your skin, they are absorbed straight into your bloodstream without filtering of any kind, going directly to your delicate organs. And once these chemicals find their way into your body, they tend to accumulate over time because you typically lack the necessary enzymes to break them down. The realm of feminine hygiene can be likened to a “ticking time bomb.” Because when you consider your exposure over the course of a lifetime, it really adds up. The average American woman uses up to 16,800 tampons in her lifetime, or as many as 24,360 if she’s on estrogen replacement therapy.
And that’s just tampons. Many women use countless sanitary pads in place of, or in addition to tampons. When the same average woman has a baby, she also may use maternity or nursing pads. These pads and tampons contain chemicals like BPA in BPS which are linked to heart disease and cancer. Phthalates, Which gives paper tampon applicators that smooth feel and finish, are known to dysregulate gene expression, and DEHP may lead to multiple organ damage. Besides cruel oil plastics, conventional sanitary pads can also contain a myraid of other potentially hazardous ingredients, such as order neutralizer’s and fragrances. Synthetic plastics also restrict the free flow of air and can trap heat and dampness, potentially promoting the growth of yeast and bacteria in that area.
Furthermore, to give tampons and pads that pristine “clean” white look, the fibers used must be bleached. Chlorine is commonly used for this, which can create toxic dioxin and other disinfection by-products (DBPs) such as trihalomethane. Studies show that dioxin collects in your fatty tissues, and according to a draft report by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), dioxin is serious public health threat has no “safe” level of exposure! Published reports show that even low or trace levels of dioxins may be linked to: abnormal tissue growth in the abdomen and reproductive organs, abnormal cell growth throughout the body, immune system suppression, and hormonal and endocrine system disruption.
Fortunately, there are safer alternatives, and since the FDA regulates tampon absorbency, all tampons on the market must meet the same absorption guidelines. The following brands of tampons and sanitary pads listed are recommended: Natracare, Diva Cup, Seventh Generation Chlorine Free Organic Cotton Tampons, Glad Rags Organic Pads and Organyc 100% Organic Cotton Tampons.