Customer Reviews

Organic Essentials Certified Organic Cotton Tampons, Super - 40 ea

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Having researched the issue of possible dioxins in tampons, and knowing the hazards of pesticide exposure over years, I feel a lot better about using the Organic Essentials tampons compared to conventional tampons. Here's why I use them:

* They're non-chlorine bleached. The chlorine bleaching process of cotton and rayon can result of small amounts (generally trace amounts) of dioxin in the product. Dioxin was one of the chemicals in the defoliant Agent Orange which wreaked havoc on people's health in the Vietnam War. Among other things, dioxin suppresses the immune system. The optimal amount of dioxin in one's body is zero. I'd rather not take my chances with the possibility of even trace amounts of dioxin when a good alternative is available.
* They cotton in them is 100% certified organically grown in the U.S.A. Unless a tampon specifically says organically grown, the cotton in them was grown using pesticides. Cotton is a heavily pesticided product. Given the relationship between pesticides and cancers, nervous system disorders, etc., I much prefer a tampon without the possibility of pesticides.
* Rayon-free. Rayon makes tampons more absorbable, which is a mixed blessing. Microbiologist Philip M. Tierno discovered in the early 1980s that highly absorbent tampons are associated with the rare but dangerous and sometimes lethal disease, Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS). TSS syndrome is on the increase, and in a January 2005 Seattle Times article, Dr. Tierno blames this on the re-introduction of more highly absorbable tampons. A couple studies of rayon vs. cotton in petrie dishes find that neither substance is more conducive to growing staph aureus bacteria, but in a woman's body, there are several theories (which I won't discuss here) as to why rayon-containing tampons can increase the chances of TSS. One-hundred percent cotton tampons have not been associated with TSS.

As for the Organic Essentials tampons themselves, they look, feel, and are identically equal to use as the o.b. brand non-applicator tampons of the same absorbency. I've never had any leakage problems using the Organic Essentials. However, I've heard that when saturated, 100% cotton tampons are more likely to leak than tampons containing rayon. So it's important to change these before you absolutely have to.