Detoxing Your Periods
Have you ever really thought about what’s in a tampon? Each month, more than 800 million menstruating women around the world are using products inside and next to our bodies that require very little transparency to the ingredients and materials within. This $35 billion (US) industry is starting to be held accountable, but have you personally considered switching a product you’ve probably been using since your teens? What’s worse, we actually absorb chemicals and hormones faster through our vaginal tissue than through ingestion, as reported in this study. It really is worth thinking about what you are putting into your body each month.
Top concerning chemicals and compounds in common pads and tampons:
Dioxins & furans – Byproducts of the bleaching process, linked to cancer, endocrine disruption, and reproductive toxicity.
Pesticide residues – Detected in products made with traditionally grown cotton, linked to cancer and endocrine disruption.
Plastics, plasticizers & coatings – Linked to endocrine disruptions and cancer. This also contributes to plastic pollution due to lack of biodegradability. Some tampons are coated with harmful materials to help with a smoother removal. Examples of these coating substances include: paraffin (not biodegradable), polyethylene (plastic), polyethylene glycol ingredients (contamination concerns), and more.
Fragrances – May contain chemicals linked to cancer, endocrine disruption, and allergies. Many pads, and sometimes tampons, come in scented varieties (many without labeling).
If you are a fan of disposable menstrual products - and let’s face it, sometimes life requires them - make sure you a using a brand that is organic, plastic-free, fragrance-free and free of other chemicals. NatraCare and Lola are pretty popular brands for good reason. It will take a moment to get used to the more natural feeling and capabilities of these products, but you will likely notice a big improvement in how you feel in months, if not right away.
In my teen years, I suffered from pretty severe menstrual cramping (and of course, my doctor put my on the pill, which is a conversation for another moment). At the time, I didn’t even consider the cramps could be linked to the hygiene products I was using, but now I know that it was a big factor, if not the primary driver of my pain. In fact, to this day, if I need to use an actual tampon, even a toxin free tampon, it makes my insides feel pretty terrible. For this reason, and for sustainability, I lean on reusable products. In a pinch, I use SoftCups when I need a disposable option (which are not at all good for the environment, but keep me from getting cramps).
For the past decade I have been experimenting with many of the newer forms of menstrual cups on the market. If you haven’t thought about giving your vag an upgrade, I highly recommend it. There are so many new products that are made with medical grade silicone that are both better for your body and the planet. Many of these cups have a tear-drop shape with some sort of stem at the bottom, but disc or diaphragm-like shapes are also available - and happen to be my personal preference. They all work a lot like tampons in concept, but instead of absorbing, they simply collect the fluid and you empty and rinse them out every 8-12 hours. My latest favorite is the FlexCup Disc which is so soft and reliable, I almost forget I’m on my period. I honestly cannot really even feel it and is so much more comfortable than a tampon or teardrop cup, which really always feel like I have a little something out of place and irritates me all day. There is ZERO odor, taking one more thing off your mind. Best yet, I don’t have any cramps or irritation of my vaginal walls from tampons that stick.
I won’t pretend that switching to a menstrual cup won’t take some getting used to. First, you’ll have to be comfortable with a little messiness. Ladies, why are we letting our culture shame us that we bleed each month? Why do we hide and try to ignore this is happening to our bodies? I personally find a little messiness not a bother at all when I only have to deal with it twice a day, vs. a tampon or pad that I had to deal with every time I used the bathroom. With a well-fitting cup, most women will only need to handle this morning and night, when they are in the comfort of their home. If you are a heavy flow type of lady, you may need to empty it once during the day too - in which case you’ll want to think about finding a restroom where you’ll have easy access to a sink (ideally a private sink, but hey, let’s normalize handling our periods as a community…what the hell.). The average woman uses 20 tampons per period. With a cup, I only really deal with it about 6 times per period. Give yourself a couple of “college tries”- and perhaps a couple of cycles - to get the hang of how to insert it properly (cover that cervix and push the lip of the cup behind the pubic bone), and I swear you’ll love it and never look back. If you are looking for some guidance on finding your perfect fit for a teardrop shape, check out Wirecutter’s review. Most importantly, make sure you are boiling it for 10 mins to sanitize it each month before you start using it. *Note: If you are leaking with a cup, it is either inserted wrong or it’s not the right shape for body. You should be able to find a good seal and move along with any activity you choose, regardless of your anatomy and/or birth history.
Remember, your vagina is a PERFECT detoxing machine all on its own! Let’s help her out by keeping things junk free during our cycles. I’d love to hear about how you are making the switch!
