A woman uses between 9.000 and 9.400 disposable feminine hygiene products throughout her fertile life. Do you know how many women there are in the world? It is estimated that approximately 3.650 billion.
If you stop to make calculations it is possible that:
- You get scared.
- It is difficult for you to assimilate the huge amount we are talking about.
And it is that the environmental impact of our menstruation is aberrant. But that is not the only problem with the current management of menstruation. The current feminine hygiene products are unsustainable yes, but also unhealthy for your health.
With this article we intend to bring you closer to a more sustainable and ecological menstruation and the reasons why to opt for a more sustainable menstruation management. You will see that it is not only about the environment, but also about your health, the economy, the health of your children ...
But, let us start at the beginning. What do we mean when we talk about sustainable menstruation? Would the menstrual cup be an ecological product?
What is sustainable menstruation?
Sustainable menstruation is a way of living your menstrual cycles in the most positive way possible. This implies using feminine hygiene products that have less impact on the environment and that are 100% safe for your health as a woman, such as cloth pads or free bleeding.
But living your period in a sustainable way also means changing how you feel about the menstrual phase of your cycle. Many women consider the days of menstruation as an ordeal, due to the discomfort or even pain they suffer.
In principle, a healthy woman should not suffer pain during her period, but she may have some discomfort. For this reason, managing menstruation in a sustainable way also means dealing with these sensations in the most natural way possible. A good attitude, change the word pain for discomfort or sensation and use natural remedies as infusions, they can lead us to live these days and our own body in a much more positive way.
4 Reasons to switch to sustainable menstruation
Now that you know what we mean when we talk about sustainable menstruation, we are going to give you some reasons to switch to much more sustainable feminine hygiene products.
To avoid toxins in menstruation products
The single-use ones from large surfaces are not the healthiest option, despite being the most widespread. Most commercial brands do not use cotton, but materials such as rayon, which is obtained from chemical modifications of cellulose and which unfortunately often ends up polluting the seabed.
Also, many of the single-use disposable pads on the market use synthetic superabsorbent polymers (also known as SAP). These polymers are obtained from the polymerization of acrylic acid, obtained through the refining of petroleum.
Can't you imagine putting a petroleum-based product on your most intimate areas? Well that is just what many of the disposable pads contain. In fact, SAPs are banned in buffers because of their toxicity.
Ecological pads and tampons are They are made of 100% organic cotton, and only natural disinfectants are used for their disinfection.
To improve the health of your skin, of your intimate area.
The menstrual cup is indeed a product made with non-organic materials, but its useful life of almost 10 years and its high comfort make it a star product when it comes to sustainable menstruation.
To avoid the presence of endocrine disruptors in your menstruation
Endocrine disruptors are small pollutant molecules, which can be found in the bloodstream.
In fact, many of the plastics used for conventional tampon applicators contain phthalates, a substance known to be a major endocrine disruptor.
Some studies done with Women who suffer from endometriosis have discovered that there are more of these endocrine disruptors in their menstrual blood than in women who do not suffer from this ailment. Without a doubt, in these cases it is ideal to use cloth pads and cotton underwear.
Therefore, although there is no direct evidence that using intimate hygiene with plastics this material migrates, common sense does not say that it is better to opt for organic cotton products, both in the case of compresses and in the case of tampons. And beware, in the case of tampons we always have to remember the risk of toxic shock syndrome.
To better know your cycle
The amount, color and smell of menstrual blood is a great indication of your health as a woman. The advantage that organic cotton pads have over other feminine hygiene products such as menstrual cups, is that they allow you to see the amount of menstrual flow you have in each cycle. In this way, it is easy to detect changes and be in time to diagnose any possible ailment. Traditional compresses use toxic bleaches, in addition to blue or other colored bands that mask the actual color of menstruation.
To take care of the environment
Traditional disposable products have the problem of being made of plastics, with dioxins and bleaches. This elements take thousands of years to decompose, so even if they are not flushed down the toilet (you should never ever flush pads or tampons down the toilet, because they end up in the seas), they do end up in the environment one way or another.
While it is true that organic cotton pads and tampons also generate waste (because they are single-use), their organic materials allow them to be recycled, or some of them even composted. But it must be understood that although its useful life will be finite, it is the best material, sustainable, absorbent and antibacterial by its nature.
Sustainable menstruation, your new goal?
Now that you have seen what sustainable menstruation is, and the reasons for choosing it, its useful life or how comfortable it can be, do you dare to start a transition towards more sustainable pads and tampons that are respectful of your health and with the planet?
If you have any questions, ask us!
Here is a list of examples of sustainable menstruation products so you can start now. 🤗
LINK Stapanda fabric sanitary pads and panty liners
LINK Disposable cotton compress
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