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Sometimes going ancient & traditional may be a better choice for self & nature…Make a switch today!
Mensuration, a topic still so conservative yet so important in every woman’s life.
When nature created a woman, it created a monthly resting phase for her – Mensuration! This is a time to connect with oneself, honoring the process by taking best care of oneself & let the moments pass with utmost respect towards our body. Traditionally, the women globally used to honor the process of mensuration by ensuring no alien element enters the body & the process passes in a smooth way with the use of dry, soft cotton-based & chemical free absorbent ingredients. With modernization the convenience of disposable sanitary napkins pitched in & using disposable sanitary napkins became a matter of pride, being portrayed as a step towards women’s liberation and modernity. However, as per the law of nature, the biological balance does get disrupted every time humans tamper with nature & its resources, & disposable sanitary napkins are no different! These disposable menstrual products come with immense health & environmental issues, a concern that the nature is showing in its subtle ways!
Disposable Sanitary Napkins, Skin & Blood – The Connect
Skin is the largest & thinnest body organ with less than 1/10th of an inch separating the blood stream from potential toxins. Skin is semi-permeable (absorbs what it is exposed to), especially the skin in & around the vaginal area. Anything that the skin comes in contact with can easily enter your bloodstream in less than 30 seconds and circulated through the body. On entering the bloodstream, the chemicals get access to the inside organs & other body parts & these chemicals tend to accumulate & cause health issues over time. Ingredients used in tampons & disposable sanitary napkins comprise of chemicals & fragrances that have been associated with hormonal issues, cancer & vaginal rashes. The cotton-like top layer on disposable sanitary napkins is a plastic woven sheet, wings and adhesives and super-absorbent polymer gels that soak up the flow are comprised of plastics, most tampon brands come with plastic applicators and are made of non-organic cotton.
What we do not know about disposable sanitary napkins
- Residual pesticides – Most major brands of tampons and pads contain non-organic cotton or wood pulp grown using agrochemicals and pesticides.
- Synthetic fragrances, chemicals, odor neutralizers and other potentially hazardous ingredients, adhesive chemicals, altogether create disposable convenience!
- Dioxins and plastic chemicals from chlorine bleaching process are hazardous & have been researched for their health concerns. WHO classifies dioxins as a highly toxic environmental pollutant and a health risk. Dioxins are produced in chlorine bleaching processes & have a possible link to cancers, endometriosis, immune system depression and pelvic inflammatory disease. The call for further research to reduce on health risks to women from dioxin and other chemicals has been raised in the US Tampon Safety Act and Robin Danielson Act since 1999. The US Endometriosis Association indicated to use organic cotton sanitary products without plastics until research addresses the risks.
- Bacteria and fungus toxins – Synthetics and plastic restrict the free flow of air, can trap heat and dampness, potentially promoting the growth of yeast and bacteria in your vaginal area, a possible cause for vaginitis.
Environmental Impact of Disposable Sanitary Napkins:
The environmental impact of the menstrual plastic waste is a concern that the world does not seem to be bothered about! Statistics reveal if only a quarter of India’s menstruating adolescent girls alone used disposable pads, 90 million would be disposed or burned every month alone. The non-biodegradable plastics used in disposable sanitary napkins are creating huge waste management challenges around the world. Research has shown that each conventional sanitary pad contains the equivalent of about four plastic bags! A single pad is estimated to take 500-800 years to decompose in landfill. When pads are flushed down the toilet, sanitation workers have to descend into manholes to remove and handle used menstrual products from sewer blockages, public toilets, household trash, or even the roadside. These tasks are often done without protective clothing, gloves or masks. which puts the workers at risk of contracting infections with potentially deadly viruses or diseases. In many parts of the world, disposable menstrual products are burned by individuals or in incinerators along with other waste; this causes dioxins and other chemicals to be released which creates toxic ash and fumes.
Following the traditional cottony legacy of respecting mensuration & nature
Cloth washable pads are traditional, safe, hygienic, health & environmentally friendly alternatives to disposable menstrual products.
EcoFemme cloth pads are made of cotton flannel with a thin layer of leak proofing PUL on the bottom layer to ensure a safe feeling. Cloth pads do not contact the skin with any plastics and therefore eliminate the risk of exposure to its potentially hazardous substances like dioxins, BPA, etc. When cloth pads are washed well, dried in direct sunlight and stored properly, they are perfectly hygienic. Cloth pads are also a great option to reduce the monthly cost a woman spends on menstrual products. EcoFemme pads are washable and reusable for 3+ years. This means, that while a woman will be spending on average 2520 rupees on disposables for this time period, the cost for the cloth pads will come down to 945 rupees, creating a cost-effective, chemical-free & eco-friendly mensuration!