Fluid Lock. According to obstetrician-gynecologist Jen Gunter, these are unsafe. Many of the organic tampons we tested, and their applicators, seemed to be almost identical. Its core is made of certified organic cotton, though the packaging and applicator may be no different from those of the Pearl tampon. Since the early 1980s, the FDA has required tampon manufacturers to put warnings about TSS on their boxes, reminding people not to leave tampons in for an extended period of time (eight hours tends to be the maximum). If your period is accompanied by strong, unpleasant odors, consult a doctor to make sure nothing else is going on. Tampax Pocket Pearl, Tampax Radiant, Tampax Pocket Radiant, and Tampax Active Pearl all seemed to contain the same tampon as Tampax Pearl, the brands mainstay option, within a slightly different applicator, so we chose not to include them in our panel test. The Fitness applicator is compact, and the Sleek applicator is full-size, but both cost an average of over 30 per tampon, making them much more expensive than the conventional competition. Tampon ingredients that tend to give people pause include rayon and dioxins. Organic tampons are not necessarily processed any differently than tampons made from synthetic materials, and they are not any safer from a personal health perspective. Thinx now sells a $370 period sex blanket. Organizations that back holistic and natural products, such as the nonprofit Womens Voices for the Earth, tend to talk about conventional tampons as if they were poison capsules, while researchers at tampon-manufacturing companies maintain that their products are perfectly safe. Read our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions. Take Laura Strausford, an attorney and the co-founder of Period Equity, a law and policy institute dedicated to advancing menstrual access, equity and safety in the U.S. She is passionate about getting tampons the attention they deserve from researchers, policymakers and women alike. Pro Comforts tampons, but they cost substantially more. (The only things that should go down a toilet, they say, are the three Ps: pee, poop, and toilet paper.) That said, we have recommendations for organic tampons if thats your preference. Although we recognize that some people who prefer not to (or are unable to) insert digital tampons without an applicator may find these waste-reducing options useful, we found them clumsy to use overall. We asked Tampax for an ingredients list for Pure tampons and received the same response that we got for Pearl (check Smart Label). The Beach Is My Happy Placeand Here Are 3 Science-Backed Reasons It Should Be Yours, Too. Researchers who looked at the rate of TSS between 2000 and 2006 reported in 2011 that the rate of TSS remained low and relatively stable. Whether the tampon concern is overblown or not, such disclosures might change our behavior. We trawled message boards, watched video reviews of tampons on YouTube, read Amazon customer reviews, and asked our friends and colleagues what their favorites were. But these ingredients lists arent exhaustive, and they dont detail how much of any material a tampon is made of (nor whether a tampon might contain any trace elements as a result of manufacturing processes). Its not a significant health concern, but we looked for the least-sheddy models. Although Tampax claims that its cardboard applicators are biodegradable and flushable, many plumbers disagree. Overall, the evidence to support organic over non-organic tampons isnt conclusive. Those are the five big hitters when it comes to preventing cancer and most other chronic diseases which cause death and ill health.. A handful of bills have also proposed that the US Congress require tampon manufacturers to disclose the chemicals and processes they use in manufacturing sanitary products. Its hard to find anybody who works on tampons or tampon-related research who isnt firmly in one of two very opposite camps. We arent sure of everything thats in most tampons, including some that we recommend. We found O.B. Some manufacturers advertise a sport, also known as active or fitness, version of their tampons. Lines within brands often include the same tampon in slightly different applicators. In one paper that examined the level of dioxins in both tampons and diapers, the authors conclude that exposures to dioxins from tampons are approximately 13,000240,000 times less than dietary exposures. In other words, dont worry about it. We had some of the testers who tried digital tampons test reusable tampon applicators from Dame (25, or about $32) and Thinx ($60). These tampons typically cost about twice as much as the conventional version. Some of the tampons in our test group bear a chlorine-free label, which means that the manufacturer doesnt use chlorine to bleach those tampons (some companies use peroxide instead). Learn more. The Tampax Pearl ingredient list says that Pearl tampons may include rayon, while Tampax Pure and both of our O.B. But for those who grab whatever tampon's available (often of the Tampax and Kotex sort prevalent in drug stores and your local bodega or grocery store), you're most likely putting some pretty toxic ingredients in an area of your body that'sincredibly absorbent. Our research and testing didnt reveal any notable differences in tampon safety and efficacy (except in the case of sea sponges, which we highly advise you avoid putting inside your vagina). A note of disclosure: The author of this guide has a past professional relationship with a tampon company. And nothing we read raised health concerns about the materials in the applicators. Earlier this month, reports the Times, Representative Grace Meng, Democrat of New York, introduced a bill called the Menstrual Products Right to Know Act, which would require menstrual hygiene products including tampons, pads, and menstrual cups to list their ingredients on the package. If passed, it could mean tampon companies have to own up to any potentially harmful ingredients used. Synthetic additives make tampons more absorbent.". After trying 33 menstrual cups, weve found that the Cora is the best choice for most first-timers. The main diseases people are associating with tampons are cancer and endometriosisPesticides and dioxin seem to be the two major compounds of concern, she says. For tampons, its particularly pointed: What theyre made of, how theyre taxed, where they go after disposal and why that matters. Second, we asked testers to evaluate comfort during wear. As such, we chose to test both organic and non-organic tampons. Like O.B. Cora, an organic brand, is the only company that sells non-applicator light tampons, but it wasnt a standout in any other way. Look for BPA-free applicators when shopping for tampons, says Frenkel. O.B. The O.B. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Organic tampons to be the least sheddy among organic digital competitors (they tied with tampons from Rael for this distinction). "At theend of the day, it's caused by toxins produced by bacteriaand studies have concluded that using high-absorbency tampons increase the risk of TSS. All of this is to say: There are plenty of reasons to choose and engage with feminine care products thoughtfully. Pro Comforts version, the O.B. Other companies chose not to respond at all. Who can we trust? At left: Tampax Pearl (top) and Tampax Pure (bottom). Organic version is less expensive than most of its organic applicator-free competitors. The vagina is full of bacteria. Nope. In a recent interview with The New York Times, she referred to this secrecy as the other tampon tax. As in: in addition to the fact that tampons are often taxed as luxury items, the industrys lack of transparency is a tax on womens safety. Save your moneybuy the regular version. (Theres even some evidence suggesting the opposite.) They emphasize health, safety and goodwill. Tampons are a Class II medical device subject to Food and Drug Administration regulations, particularly regarding how much blood they should be able to absorb according to their size. Note that when we refer to a brand as not being a standout, it doesnt mean that those tampons performed poorly; rather, they just did their job. Of course, many people use tampons along with menstrual pads, which have long been overall the more popular choice. After ripping apart, as well as menstruating on, hundreds of tampons, we can tell you, first, that many of these cotton wads are identical or nearly so, and second, that small detailssuch as the shape of an applicator or the composition of the wrappermake some tampons much more pleasant to use than others. And since Rely was one of a handful of super-absorbent tampons, designed to be left in for longer than your average tampon, it gave the bacteria plenty of time to multiply. "While the other three synthetic ingredients (polyester, carboxymethylcellulose, and polyacrylate rayon) have been taken off the market, rayon still exists in many tampons today.". At the time of publication, all but our recommended applicator-free tampon, O.B. tampons are mostly organic). "Chlorine is used in the bleaching processes and does produce trace amounts of dioxins in the process," notes Frenkel. A New York law mandating all ingredients be listed on menstrual product packaging is slated to take effect in 2020. Many have charitable business models: Cora donates a sustainable sanitary product to a woman in need for every tampon it sells; Sustain donates 10% of its pre-tax profits to womens healthcare organizations. Although chlorine dioxide is toxic in large doses, its safe for bleaching things like tampons and flour, and for disinfecting municipal drinking water. To reduce risk, avoid leaving a tampon in for longer than eight hours. The key difference is that theyre made entirely of organic materials (while the conventional O.B. *At the time of publishing, the price was $5. My answer was no, and for a long time, I didnt want to know. When we asked the companies that made the tampons we tested to provide complete lists of what went into their products, many reiterated whats stated on their tampons boxes. During our research, we read a lot of papers on the risk of toxic shock syndrome, as well as on the various materials found in tampons. In the meantime, forward-thinking companies like Lola, Cora and Sustain are offering consumers ease of mind and are forcing big-box brands to be more transparent and ethically minded. I would say its a low priority compared to things like having a healthy diet, exercising regularly, not smoking or drinking too much alcohol and keeping stress levels low. There are plenty of people who think we do. In The Daily Beasts Keli Goffs reported piece on tampons, the first three cited sources regarding the dangers of tampons are founders of feminine-care disruptors who stand to benefit from such findings (Jade and Pearl, Cloth Pad Shop, The Period Store). Compared with other organic digital tampons we considered, the O.B. At right: O.B. TSS can result from things other than tampons, including menstrual cups. We independently review everything we recommend. (The ingredients listed there are the same as those noted on Tampax boxes.) This tampon is more expensive than some conventional applicator options, but we found its superior applicator and wrapper worth investing a few cents more in. She says while some small studies have linked dioxin with cancer or endometriosis, they are performed in vitro (i.e. That means that the process uses no elemental chlorine gas but might include chlorine dioxide. Pro Comfort tampons cost a bit more than the next-closest conventional competition (O.B. They praised the standard-size applicators, the relatively long and thick braided strings, and the uniquely sturdy, easy-to-open wrappers that made disposal of used tampons a breeze. I reached out to Dr. Anita Mitra. If youre interested in tampon alternatives, we also have guides to menstrual cups and period underwear. Haley Nahman is the Features Director at Man Repeller. Plus, dioxins are all around in low levels: Meat, dairy, fish, and shellfish all contain dioxins. One of the main problems is the funding of such research. Like the O.B. Most of the time, the bacteria live peacefully and dont cause problems. U by Kotex Fitness and U by Kotex Sleek seemed to be the same tampon as U by Kotex Click. Applicators generally are listed as being made of a plant-based plastic, plastic, or cardboard, with any dyes listed as pigments of undisclosed sources. Would you put rayon in your mouth, Laura asks me, made from chemically-treated wood pulp, and conventionally-grown cotton doused in pesticides?. We sent each tester three samples of each tampon of the type they usually used, between 45 and 66 in all per tester. Traces of dioxin still remain, however, but range from undetectable 0.1 to 1 parts per trillion., Is a lot? We also read a lot of documents from environmental groupsand threw most of them out because they lacked scientific merit. Upon even deeper investigation, the CDC found that people who used a tampon were far more likely to come down with TSS than people who didnt. Some people worry that synthetic fibers increase the risk of toxic shock syndrome because they were implicated in the TSS boom in the late 1970s, but tampon makers no longer use those particular fibers. Anne Hochwalt, researcher at Procter & Gamble, interview, Philip M. Tierno Jr., professor and researcher at the NYU School of Medicine, interview, Terry Balluck, spokesperson for Kimberly-Clark, interview, Deborah Kotz, spokesperson for FDA Media Relations, interview, Sharra Vostral, author of Under Wraps: A History of Menstrual Hygiene Technology, interview, Menstrual Tampons and Pads: Information for Premarket Notification Submissions - Guidance for Industry and FDA Staff, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Michael J. DeVito and Arnold Schecter, Exposure assessment to dioxins from the use of tampons and diapers, Environmental Health Perspectives, January 1, 2002, Dioxins and their effects on human health, World Health Organization, October 4, 2016, Rana A. Hajjeh, Arthur L. Reingold, Alexis Weil, Kathleen Shutt, Anne Schuchat, and Bradley A. Perkins, Toxic Shock Syndrome in the United States: Surveillance Update, 19791996, Emerging Infectious Diseases, December 11, 1999, Aaron S. DeVries, Lindsey Lesher, Patrick M. Schlievert, Tyson Rogers, Lourdes G. Villaume, Richard Danila, and Ruth Lynfield, Staphylococcal Toxic Shock Syndrome 20002006: Epidemiology, Clinical Features, and Molecular Characteristics, PLoS ONE, August 10, 2011, Philip M. Tierno Jr. and Bruce A. Hanna, Propensity of Tampons and Barrier Contraceptives to Amplify Staphylococcus aureus Toxic Shock Syndrome Toxin-I, Infectious Diseases in Obstetrics and Gynecology, July 21, 1994. O.B. Still, theres no significant evidence to suggest that tampons you can buy in the US contain anything harmful (except in rare cases of allergies) or that organic tampons, which are made with organic rather than conventional cotton, are better for your health. In that role, Nancy wrote educational materials, attended events, and made media appearances on behalf of the company. Between 1980 and 1983, the Center for Disease Control (as it was called at the time) recorded more than 2,200 cases of TSS, with over 100 resulting deaths and many other people experiencing serious complications. Organics tampons performed well on our fiber-shedding test. Although O.B. Originals), which shed more and our testers liked much less but are just as widely available. It's important to know what's inside the products you're putting on (and in) your body. Over time, people who do have whats called a toxigenic strain of staph or strep will develop antibodies to protect themselves from unchecked infections. in the lab in a petri dish) or in animals, so we dont really know if this translates to humans. Quite simply, there is a lack of data. Solimo, an Amazon brand, forwarded us a screenshot of the side of its tampon box. Organic tampons come in only regular and super absorbencies. And if you're worried about stains, you have other options. All rights reserved. Pro Comfort, were available for nationwide shipping. Because every vagina, and every menstrual flow, is different, some people might find that certain tampon designs are more comfortable than others. On rare occasions, people with vaginas have a natural population of a bacteria strain that results in toxic shock syndrome (TSS) when it grows unchecked: either Staphylococcus aureus (known colloquially as staph), or even more rarely, Streptococcus pyogenes (colloquially known as strep). But you dont need to buy anything to have period sex. His approach, which assumes the FDAs findings arent the whole story, is mirrored in other doctor testimonies. "Fragrance is essentially chemical soup," says Frenkel. With the internet flooded by websites and blogs full of poor quality, confusing informationthere is a need for reliable, evidence-based information about womens health, her site reads. Cost per tampon (regular absorbency)1Tampax Pearl: 19, pack of 50Tampax Pure: 38, pack of 16. However, in our tests its uniquely tiny light digital version was beloved by people who had this level of flow. Organic tampons are made with organic cotton and often use cardboard applicators rather than plastic. One study we found says that organic-cotton tampons decrease the risk of TSS dramatically, but another study found the opposite to be true. However, even organic cotton can be pretty harsh on the environment, and it still requires (organic) pesticides to grow. If your current tampon style is comfortable to wear and doesnt leak, theres no reason not to keep using it. Organic tampons have exploded in popularity over the past few years, however, with dozens of independent startups and many of the top names in conventional tampons launching their own organic lines, too. Our journalists combine independent research with (occasionally) over-the-top testing to save people time, energy and money when making buying decisions. You can find Pearl tampons in almost every store that sells tampons. Organic (bottom). 2022 Wirecutter, Inc., A New York Times Company. It follows that they are also easier to store, take up less room in a pocket or bag, and produce less waste. Manufacturers use rayona material formed from wood pulp in a chemical processbecause its more absorbent than cotton and is not a crop, which means that the companies arent totally reliant on a plant that might have a bad year and suddenly become more expensive. O.B. In every test we conducted, sport tampons were the same as their non-sport counterparts, with a slightly different applicator. So if youre overwhelmed by the tampon selection at the store, keep in mind that any of these should be fine for you as long as you dont push your luck in how much you expect them to absorb. A tampon should be two things: comfortable and functional. Digital or applicator-free tampons are designed to be inserted with your fingers. She has a lot of thoughts on tampons. 4 Mistakes That Are Causing You to Waste Money on Skin-Care Serums, According to an Esthetician, These Are the Best Anti-Chafing Denim ShortsAccording to Some Very Happy Reviewers. All tampon materials and finished products are assessed for safety using the broadly recognized risk-assessment principles established by the US National Academy of Sciences and World Health Organization, Anne Hochwalt, a researcher at Procter & Gamble, told us in an interview. Lots of people are talking about the accumulation of these products over a menstrual lifetime, but there is absolutely NO evidence to suggest they accumulate, says Dr. Mitra. These kinds of industry disruptors are helmed largely by young, activist-minded women seeking to educate consumers and, I presume, take business away from big players like Tampax and Kotex. If you prefer an organic applicator tampon, try Tampax Pearls fraternal twin, Tampax Pure. Tampons come in lots of shapes (bell-shaped, winged, tube-shaped), which dont substantially affect how quickly they absorb liquid or how well they hold it. Mercola is not an MD but rather an osteopathic physician, whos been written up more than once by Quackwatch for unsubstantiated claims and has been warned by the FDA and FTC several times for making false medical claims. Hence why she stresses the importance of using organic cotton, since non-organic cotton tampons are likely to be genetically modified. In a non-scientific test, we also examined fiber shedding by unwrapping a sample of each tampon type and wiping it on a black cloth, eliminating any contenders that exhibited excessive shedding after repeated trials. I see a trend towards this phenomenon with a healthy lifestyle in general., Aside from cautioning her own patients against fragranced feminine care products which can kill the healthy bacteria and cause bacterial vaginosis she says there is no right or wrong answers, and that its up to personal preference. First, testers noted whether each tampon was easy to unwrap and comfortable to insert. One tampon in particular, Rely, was strongly linked to many TSS cases. (In 2010, O.B. And there are no long-term studies done on the impact these ingredients have on women's bodies. The contenders, wrapped and unwrapped, in super absorbency, from left to right: Seventh Generation, Organyc, O.B. The Pure version also performed well on our fiber-shedding test. Pro Comfort tampons come in only regular and super absorbencies. Philip Tierno, a professor of microbiology and pathology at the NYU School of Medicine and one of the experts on TSS, told us in an interview that at the age of 15, a person who menstruates has about a 60 percent chance of having natural antibodies to protect them. The Pearl tampons foolproof, non-compact plastic applicator, long braided string, and sturdy, reusable wrapper pleased our testers. Do you know whats in your tampons? it asked. Several testers also reported a fear of labia snagging and other discomfort with cardboard applicators.
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