Sanitary pads are not naturally pure white. The fibres in pads are chlorine bleached to give them their clean and sterile appearance.
In a series of lab analyses commissioned between 2020 and 2022 by the consumer watchdog site Mamavation and Environmental Health News, 48% of sanitary pads, incontinence pads, and panty liners tested were found to contain PFAS, as were 22% of tampons and 65% of period underwear.
The Always menstrual pads were found to contain several chemicals of concern, including the following: Styrene: carcinogen. Chloromethane: reproductive toxicant. Chloroethane: carcinogen.
Our pads are free of fragrances, hypoallergenic, and the absorbent material in our pads are processed chlorine free.
The highest concentrations of m-xylene (0.192 ppb) and p-xylene (0.278 ppb) were found in Brand-2. Brand-2 (0.263 ppb), Brand-3 (0.276 ppb), and Brand-4 (0.287 ppb) contained the highest concentration of o-xylene among the sanitary pad packages.
“When your menstrual blood mixes with chemical perfumes on sanitary pads, it can lead to foul smell. So, instead of masking the odour, it can worsen it,” points out Dr Gandhali Deorukhkar Pillai, obstetrician and gynaecologist, Wockhardt Hospital, Mumbai.
1) Organic tampons and natural pads are better for your body
Typical pads and tampons contain nasty toxins such as dioxins, which are by-products of the chlorine bleaching process used to make cotton and wood pulp look clean.
Organic pads are better than regular pads.
They're extremely comfortable and better for your health and the environment. Organic pads are entirely biodegradable and contain no chemicals like dioxins, which are a byproduct of bleaching.
They're hypoallergenic and dermatologist-tested to be gentle on skin. U by Kotex Clean & Secure menstrual pads also are made without fragrances, lotions, elemental chlorine, pesticides and natural rubber latex.
Pads are easier and safer to use as compared to tampons. Pad can be a really good choice particularly if you're the kind of person who forgets a tampon is inside you only to find the bacteria which is growing inside is having a vampire party in your pants.
Skin can react to the materials in the pad, resulting in pad rash. Friction, excessive moisture, or not changing the pad frequently enough can also cause vulva irritation. In some cases, a person may develop or already have an underlying infection that causes a rash to appear on the skin.
The average sanitary napkin comprises 48% fluff pulp, 36% PE, PP and PET, 7% adhesives, 6% superabsorbent and 3% release paper.
These pads are made with all natural cotton fibers and all natural organic materials These pads are great at soaking up menses blood. No harsh chemicals or materials.
Knix period-proof swimwear is made to hold menstrual fluid and prevent leaks in the water. You can depend on it to hold 3 teaspoons (or 2 tampons' worth) of menstrual blood. Or just wear it as a backup alongside a tampon or menstrual cup while at the beach or by the pool.
Ruby Love is the only period-approved swimwear for period swimming made for use with pads. There's nothing that can happen to your body when you swim on your period that can't happen when you swim at any other time.
Swimming on your period with a pad is not advised. Pads are made out of absorbent material that soaks up liquids within seconds. Submerged in water like a pool, a pad will completely fill with water, leaving no room for it to absorb your menstrual fluid. Plus, it may swell up into a big soppy mess.
Tampons are specifically designed to absorb period flow before it can leave your body which makes them one of the best products to use for swimming on your period and you won't have to worry about signs of your period showing in the water.
Statistically, a pool without chlorine is more likely to make you sick because of the possibility of being exposed to the things not contained or killed by chlorine. Remember, your skin is porous, so microscopic impurities can pass through. A pool sans chlorine is akin to a big puddle of murky water.
At one time, chlorine gas was used to purify the wood pulp which is used to make rayon. Tampons are made of rayon, in addition to cotton. This process did contribute to dioxins in tampons. Now wood pulp is purified using an elemental chlorine-free bleaching process that uses chlorine dioxide as the bleaching agent.
If it is strong enough to be noticed through your pants, for example, it's more likely that you have sprung a leak than anyone can smell anything through your menstrual care device. If you don't have a leak and a smell is still noticeable, you may have another infection and should go see your doctor about the issue.
Disrupting a natural process. It's a delicate environment down there and using scented feminine products can upset the balance of power between good and bad bacteria. The chemicals in these products can also throw your pH balance out of whack, says Leslie.