 Organic Feminine HygieneEthica's high-quality range of organic feminine hygiene products from Natracare are good for women's health and the environment. They contain over 74% renewable materials and are over 90% bio-degradable.
All Natracare products are:
* Totally chlorine-free (TCF)
* Free from plastics & other petroleum derivitives
* Contain no polyacrylate superabsorbants
* Contain no synthetic ingredients or perfumes
* Gynecologist-recommended
For more details about the benefits of using Natracare products compared to conventional hygiene products see below. |
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Why Organic and Natural Feminine Hygiene?
Born out of concern about the potential damage to women's health caused by dioxin pollution, as well as the environmental impact caused by production and disposal, Natracare feminine hygiene products have been available since 1989.
All Natracare products are:
Totally Chlorine-free (TCF) Chlorine bleaching creates a bi-roduct called dioxin, a known carcinogen, which has extremely harmful effects on the environment and has been linked to ill-health.
Biodegradable Natracare products are between 95% and 100% biodegradable and compostable under the correct conditions.
Made from natural cellulose. Produced in ecologically-managed forests, the cellulose used by Natracare comes from sustainable sources.
Contain Organic Cotton fully certified organic from the farm to you by IFOAM accredited organic certifiers.
Free from plastics, polyacrylate superabsorbants, petroleum products, synthetic ingredients and perfumes
Not tested on animals
How does the performance of Natracare products compare to synthetic alternatives?
Conventional pads use a substance called Polyacrylate, or more precisely Super Absorbant Polyacrylate (SAP) to achieve extremely high absorbancy levels. This petroleum-based product becomes a gell-like substance and is a known irritant. Despite containing none of these materials Natracare natural pads are highly effective but without any of the potential health and environmental issues which surround SAP.
Why worry about organic cotton?
Believe it or not, conventionally-grown cotton is the most pesticide-intensive crop on the planet! Herbicides and pesticides are classified as persistant organic pollutants (POPS) the by-products of which are dioxins and furans. POPS do not degenerate and will remain in the soil, air and water for very long periods of time and according to the World Health Organisation, the risks of dioxins to health include cancer, diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and liver damage.
How could dioxins affect women's health?
A 2005 study by the FDA office of Women's Health found detectable levels of dioxins present in 7 brands of tampons and exposure to as small a quantity as a few parts per trillion in body fat causes serious health effects which accumulate over time. As tampons come into direct contact with some of the most absorbant tissues in the body the risks are clear and of course tampon use can continue for many years.
Why no plastic?
Each year over 45 billion feminine hygiene products are disposed of. Conventional tampons and pads typically contain about 90% petroleum-derived products and incineration of these items produces toxic residues while in landfill the plastics will not break down for centuries. We have all seen the tragic effect of poorly disposed of plastic products, from supermarket bags littering hedge rows to plastic bottles washed up on beaches. Natrcare products contain absolutely no petroleum-derived plastics and are between 95-100% biodegradable as well as being compostable under correct conditions.
What is fibre loss?
Conventional tampons are typically made from rayon with only a small percentage of non-organic cotton (some are in fact 100% rayon). Because of its construction, rayon fibres easily slide apart from each other and, as they swell with use, break away, leaving a residue in the vagina. Apart from the hygiene issues of fibres remaining in the vagina, there are also implications for bacterial colonisation giving rise to vaginal infections. Manufacturers partially recified this by placing a syntehetic overwrap around the tampons which reduced fibre loss but has not eradicated it. However, the material used for the overwrap is polypropylene which is of course yet another petroleum-based product.
Made from 100% organic cotton, Natracare tampons do not have an issue with fibre loss as cotton has a wavy construction which easily entangles and binds itself together. You can see the effects of this for yourself: take 2 clear glasses of water and place 2 unwarpped tampons, one Natracare, one conventional, in each glass. After the tampon has swollen, agitate it in the water and see what happens. The longer the tampon reamains in the water the greater the fibre loss.
Allergic Femine Irritation
A condition with similar symptoms to thrush, including vaginal itching, soreness and discharge often worse around the monthly cycle and for which doctors advise sufferers to avoid soap and to wear cotton underwear. However, even experienced doctors sometimes overlook the aggrivating effects of non-cotton sanitary protection. Conventional female hygiene products, even those labelled as 'natural' contain many synthetic materials as well as chlorine bleach so it is no wonder that the possiblility of allergic reaction exists. After making the change to Natracare organic cotton tampons many sufferers find find relief from their symptoms. Futher information is available from the Vulval Pain Society at www.vulvalpainsociety.org
Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS)
A rare but fatal disease caused by a particular type of bacteria that produces toxins in the body. The symptoms of TSS are swift-deveoping and often severe and menstual TSS has been linked to the use of super-absorbants and synthetics in tampons (ref The Journal of Infectious Diseases in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 2:140-145, 1994). Research conducted in New York indicates that the bacterium causing TSS did not produce toxins in the presence of 100% cotton tampons.
And Finally!
The present debate about the benefits of organic/non organic farming and processing is welcome but concerns about the widespread indiscriminate use of pesticides is well founded:
* It is estimated 67 million birds are killed by pesticides each year.
* Figure released by the WHO indicate that at least 3 million people are poisoned by pesticides each year, of which between 20,000 and 40,000 cases prove fatal.
Why take risks with your health when a wide range of alternative products are available?
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