Waiter, there's glyphosate in my pad!

What are pad and tampon manufacturers silent about?

Products from some brands, in addition to being less efficient or less ecological, may simply contain ingredients that are harmful to our health. It would seem that the category of intimate hygiene products should be under special control and characterized by greater clarity and transparency. In reality, however, it is a bit different.

Why don’t we know what tampons might contain?

We are becoming more and more conscious consumers. We pay attention to the ingredients and origin of the products we choose because we realize that taking care of the planet is not a fad, but a necessity. As a result, the vast majority of us are increasingly turning our eyes away from an attractive label, focusing on the product's ingredients written in small print. The problem is that we will not find detailed ingredients on the packaging of pads and tampons. Why? As in the case of diapers, manufacturers are not obliged to inform the consumer about this. The reason? Trade secret. Before buying and opening the packaging, try to find information about what a given pad is made of. Spoiler alert! You will not succeed.

What do pads and tampons contain?

It would seem that the composition of both pads and tampons should be simple and short. Unfortunately, these products are rarely made only of compressed cotton and cellulose, which are the main ingredients of both pads and tampons. The sad truth is that during the production process, several other, less body-friendly, substances are also created.

Chlorine and dioxins

Usually, white is associated with sterility and cleanliness. Especially when it comes to such an intimate product as a pad or tampon. Therefore, to achieve such a color of the product, manufacturers dye cotton using... chlorine. Bleaching pads with chlorine releases trace amounts of dioxins, which have toxic properties. Do we really need snow-white pads and tampons to feel that we are dealing with a hygienic and aesthetic product?

Smelly plastic

We like it when pads and tampons smell nice because, similarly to white, they seem cleaner to us. How do manufacturers achieve a pleasant smell? We can only guess its chemical origin, because we won't find a word about the composition on the packaging. We also often don't realize how much plastic is involved in using disposable pads and tampons. In addition to the foil and packaging, plastic (polypropylene and polyethylene) is found in the insert, which prevents leaks. Few people know that a single, used, disposable pad can take up to 300 years to decompose. And how many do we use in our entire lives? According to statistics, in the United States alone, 12 billion pads and 7 million tampons are thrown away every year, while in Poland we use an average of 15 million pads per month.

Cotton and glyphosate

The problem of harmfulness even concerns the basic ingredient of a pad or tampon, i.e. cotton. About 94% of cotton crops in the United States are genetically modified cotton. One such modification is the plant's resistance to herbicides used for weed control. A very popular herbicide in the US is Roundup, which was produced by Monsanto until 2016 (in 2016 Monsanto was taken over by the German Bayer). Monsanto became famous a few years ago due to a lost lawsuit. The company had to pay over 250 million dollars in compensation to a man who was diagnosed with cancer as a result of long-term contact with Monsanto's herbicide. A herbicide, one of the main ingredients of which is glyphosate.

The product may contain trace amounts of...

In 2015, a research team from the University of La Plata in Argentina studied commercially available menstrual hygiene products. It turned out that almost 85% of the products tested, such as pads, tampons, cotton pads or gauze, i.e. products made of theoretically safe, because modified cotton, contained... glyphosate. The same glyphosate that was recognized by the World Health Organization in the same year as potentially carcinogenic. Potentially, because only animal studies provided convincing evidence linking cancer to the presence of glyphosate. At the same time, the same studies on humans resulted in a "limited" amount of evidence. Limited, but enough for the WHO to recognize them as a warning, and glyphosate in pads as a potential health hazard.

Tampons and Toxic Shock

By the way, it is worth mentioning Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS). Toxic Shock Syndrome is a rare but serious, life-threatening disease caused by staphylococcus bacteria. One of the factors causing toxic shock may be... a tampon. The British National Health Service informs that using highly absorbent tampons can help such bacteria to enter the body, where they can release their toxins. The NHS recommends that, in addition to changing them frequently, you should not use tampons that are stronger than you really need. Although TSS itself is a rare condition, it should be a warning and a reminder that we must always pay special attention to how we take care of our intimate hygiene and what hygiene products we use.

What alternative do we have?

Most large corporations do not give us a wide choice. Both pads and tampons are manufactured more according to recommendations than requirements, and the detailed composition of the contents does not even have to be disclosed to the consumer. We do not know everything about the production process of pads and tampons, and what we are aware of or guess at is not optimistic. The omnipresent plastic, both in the product and in the packaging, additionally makes taking care of the planet's well-being not only more difficult, but also impossible.

Conscious brands for conscious consumers

Fortunately, in the 21st century, more and more conscious companies are emerging, looking for a way in between. Increasingly, both the customer and the brand are realizing that the biodegradability of the product or its ecological origin are not whimsical additions, but an absolute basis. After all, in the case of menstrual hygiene, it is not only about comfort, but also about health. Therefore, taking care of ourselves and our bodies, we must look for products that are made of organic cotton, are not bleached with chlorine and do not contain any unknown chemicals. Remember that the guarantee of the ecological origin of the material is the GOTS certificate (Global Organic Textile Standard) and it is worth checking. Your KAYA menstrual products have such a certificate . Let's take care of our bodies and their hygiene as we take care of the environment. And vice versa!

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