How to replace disposable sanitary pads

HOW TO REPLACE DISPOSABLE PANTIES

ALTERNATIVES TO DISPOSABLE SANITARY PADS

For women the Menses and losses are a problem not only of hygiene, But also health safetyMany years of a woman's life are spent needing sanitary pads. And unfortunately, doubts about the risks of these products have not yet been dispelled. The latest warning comes from a neutral, top-level authority, the French Agency for Health Safety (ANSES). A true SOS, strangely ignored in Italy, perhaps to avoid disrupting the interests of the large industrial groups that dominate the sector. According to ANSES, sanitary towels they are loaded with toxic substancesFirst of all there are the pesticides such as lindane and quintozene, whose use has been banned in Europe since 2000.

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WHAT DO PADS CONTAIN?

Why then are major sanitary pad brands silently granted a sort of exemption? And why can they use substances banned by the European Union without labeling? Who protects them? Another deadly toxic substance found in industrial sanitary pads is the notorious pesticide glyphosate, produced by Monsanto and at the center of a real tug of war for its definitive elimination. Given that the risk that it could be carcinogenic. Then the Anes found traces of aromatic hydrocarbons, dioxins e furansAll substances with carcinogenic effects, highly toxic and harmful to health. In short, sanitary towels, before being a product for women's intimate hygiene, represent a outbreak of serious dangers to their health.

TOXIC SUBSTANCES IN ABSORBENTS

Where do the toxic substances identified by ANSES come from? Here, the French agency is playing it safe and doesn't indicate certainty, but it does point out two enormous limitations: the documentation provided by the companies that produce the sanitary pads is considered "completely insufficient" precisely in the area of ​​manufacturing materials and their origin. Secondly, controls at the manufacturers have so far been so lacking that it has not been possible to precisely identify the origin of the toxic substances.
Therefore, we proceed with hypotheses to be further investigated with further tests and research. Dioxins and toxic hydrocarbons, the same ones found in car exhaust fumes and cigarette butts, could be due to the high-temperature assembly or packaging techniques of sanitary pads. In general, ANSES experts point the finger at raw material, which are not carefully selected. And often with methods that are useful for marketing purposes but harmful to health: the bleaching of sanitary pads is a chemical process that generates dioxins and furans.

At the end of the study, and after a series of warnings, the French Health Safety Authority, almost as if it did not want to disturb the operator, gets away with a generic appeal to the industrialists in the sector to "eliminate and reduce the presence of these substances as much as possible“Too little, even if it's more than the dead silence prevailing in Italy. And too little even compared to a country that usually sides with producers rather than consumers, the United States, where sanitary pads are classified as medical products and therefore must pass all the tests required for any drug to be put on sale.

TO KNOW MORE: Tampon tax, even in Italy there are those who are eliminating it.

WASHABLE AND NATURAL ABSORBENTS

While waiting for the situation to be resolved in Europe too, and for the data on the damage caused by toxic substances in sanitary towels to become more certain and more substantial with regards to the effects on women's health, we would like to point out the possible solutions. natural alternativesThanks to which the risks are reduced to zero. Not only that, but with these alternatives, you would be doing a great favor to the environment. Unfortunately, women dispose of sanitary pads very poorly: along with tampons, they account for 75 percent of sewer blockages. Not to mention marine pollution, where sanitary pads play a significant, negative role. And now we come to the more practical, economical, and healthy alternatives to products accused of containing toxic substances.

• ORGANIC COTTON

You have to be very careful: there are a number of sanitary pads circulating on the market, and even online, that claim to be organic, but in reality, they aren't. Labeling requirements are lacking, and fraud is very common. However, consumers can easily verify whether the pad is made from truly organic cotton, meaning from a fiber grown without fertilizers or chemical fertilizers. It must be odorless, fragrance-free, contain no cellulose, and must not have been treated with chemical powders.

• MENSTRUAL CUP

La menstrual cup It's a very soft cup that's inserted inside the female body and collects menstrual flow. Since it's made of hypoallergenic silicone, it can be sterilized and reused. It's also suitable for people with allergies to traditional sanitary pads. It lasts about 10 years and costs, on average, 15 euros.

• WASHABLE ABSORBENTS

- washable sanitary napkins They are the same as classic sanitary towels but can be washed and reused. They are produced in hypoallergenic materials So they can also be adapted to the needs of people who cannot tolerate traditional sanitary pads. They are machine washable (without fabric softener, which could compromise their absorbency) and last for years.

• DIY SANITARY PADS

This is the most interesting category of natural alternatives. Just go back in time, actually moving forward in terms of health and sanitary certainties, and from a washable cloth or sponge, like our grandmothers did, you can make homemade sanitary pads. Washable, safe, and a significant savings, considering the high consumption of sanitary pads in general.

HYGIENE AND BODY CARE: HERE ARE THE BEST NATURAL PRODUCTS

• Natural body scrubs
• Treat your nails with olive oil and don't cut them too short. Avoid tight shoes and high heels.
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