Menstral Care

Okay ladies lets talk tampons.

There are lots of previous studies that show that tampons contain chemicals such as “perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS; plasticizers, also known as phthalates; and volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, emitted as gas or fragrances from many consumer products.” These chemicals have very detrimental effects on our overall health, these chemicals have been “shown to disrupt the body’s endocrine system, which regulates sexual development, metabolism, blood sugar, mood, sleep and more.”

More recent studies have shown, “a small pilot study found arsenic and lead in organic and nonorganic tampons — and while the levels were small, there is no safe level of exposure to lead, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency.” If you‘re thinking that’s okay, this doesn't effect me I buy organic tampon brands, think again because, these studies were done on both organic and non organic brands. Although organic brands most likely have less of the fragrances and other chemicals, they’re still known to contain heavy metals.

So what is the solution?

Menstral Cups!

I know what you might be thinking, YUCK.

I thought they were weird at first but its been 7 or 8 years since I switched and I never plan on going back. Not only do I experience way less cramps than I did with tampons, I also feel like they require a lot less attention throughout the day. I have extremely heavy periods so with tampons I was having to change them ever few hours, however, with a cup, I can usually go the full 8 hours without emptying.

Plus, the cups save you tons of money because instead of buying a few boxes of tampons every month, you can use the same cup up to a year. That being said it is important to properly clean and store your cup. I boil mine for 10 minutes at the end of my period, store it and then boil it again to sanitize it before each period. There are many menstrual cups on the market and I have to say I like most of them but I listed the pixie cup because of their variety in sizing!