Deciding upon your feminine hygiene products is clearly a very personal affair where you will want to feel confident while feeling confortable. Hoever, there are also considerations in respect of your health and the environment.
Most tampons and sanitary towels on the market are actually made with a range of man-made materials, from polypropylene, to surfactants, plastics and chlorine-bleached wood-pulp! These ingredients can cause irritation to sensitive skin, lead to serious illness if used incorrectly, and pose a nightmare for sewage industries and our environment.
Nasty ingredients
What we put into and onto our bodies, each day plays an important role in our physical well-being. Over the years, monthly hygiene methods have been developed and modified for the sake of convenience, rather than the best interests of the consumers.
Wood pulp used in sanitary pads is bleached with chlorine, which exposes women and the environment to dioxins. Research suggests that dioxin can disrupt hormones within the body and may even be linked to types of cancer and endometriosis.
Surfactants are used in conventional tampons to increase absorbency but they are also suspected of causing an unnecessary risk to health.
Genetically modified cotton is also a cause of concern as each brand of tampon on the market today contains around 25% cotton fibre and conventional cotton can contain harmful residues of the chemical pesticides.
Health problems
Probably the most publicised health concern associated with feminine care products would be Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS). This is a type of blood poisoning that can make you feel ill very quickly and although it's rare, it can be lethal. TSS is caused by a common bacteria which live harmlessly around the body in a third of people, but in occasional cases, these bacteria produce poisons that cause TSS. Half of all cases are found in menstruating women who use tampons. (TSS is widely detailed in most packs of tampons to ensure women are fully informed about the risks.)
Endometriosis is a condition where the tissue lining the uterus grows in other areas of the body, typically the pelvic region ovaries or intestines. This tissue accumulates and causes heavy cramps and sometimes infertility. The exact cause is unclear; however studies have suggested strong links to the exposure to dioxin - found in some conventional sanitary products.
There are many varied reasons for types of feminine irritation, rashes or pain, but the immediate advice from many doctors would be total avoidance of all conventional high street products in favour of organic cotton or natural, non-chlorine bleached alternatives.
Solutions
Gynecologists and doctors over the world now recognise organic feminine hygiene as the best solution to resolve various types of allergy and irritation and for regular use to avoid health concerns.
Organic cotton sanitary products are widely available from brands such as Natracare and Organyc.
Always bear in mind simple manufacturer instructions for tampons, use clean hands, change regularly, use the lowest absorbency for your flow, avoid tampons at night time and use a pad from time to time.
There are also a variety of washable methods on the market, which offer health, financial and environmental benefits.
It is for women to weigh up the facts and choose the product which offers the most natural and suitable method.
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Spirit of Nature has a wide range of eco products for you, your family and your home. We've been trading since 1998 and we have a comprehensive range of
tampons and other natural feminine hygiene products across four brands. Available at: =>
http://www.spiritofnature.co.uk
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