Let’s Talk Menstrual Health: Dermal Absorption & Replacing Chemically Treated Disposable Maxi Pads and Tampons With Reusable Washable Cloth Pads
Watch the video where I talk about this subject below.
I would first like to say that this is a sensitive and embarrassing topic for many women, but it shouldn’t be. This is how YAH made our bodies, and it is absolutely natural and normal to seek information about your menses and improving the health of your cycle to benefit your whole body. I am not embarrassed, and I hope that you are not either. I will use the medical terms off and on in reference to specific body parts. If that makes you uncomfortable, then maybe this video and article are not for you.
It is well known that our skin can absorb things that it comes into contact with; to give some examples, there are nicotine and morphine patches, cortisone creams, pain relief creams, and the list goes on. So, it has been well known in the medical community and in the general public information domain that we can absorb things into our blood stream through what is called dermal absorption. It is not a surprise that we can absorb chemicals through dermal absorption as well. I will link below an article on the CDC’s website about just that (CDC, 2013). What we do not typically think about is the effect of chemicals on our clothes and other items that come into contact with our skin and how they can affect our hormones and physical and mental health. Obviously, we should take care about what we put against our skin, but how much more so the sensitive skin in and around our lady bits? Inside the vagina is more sensitive to dermal absorption than the skin on the outside of our body.
Bleach is one very common chemical that is used but there are many more chemicals used in the production of feminine products that we should be concerned about that are harsher than bleach, not that bleach is benign by any stretch of the imagination. Some of those chemicals include bleach, dioxins and furans, pesticides linked to cancer, fragrances linked to allergies, cancer, and hormone disruption and MANY MANY MORE (Earth, N.D.). In addition to that, they are often made with synthetic materials like rayon and super absorbent polymers. Not surprisingly, there is no ingredient list on the packaging for the products that go in very sensitive places. Women’s Voices for the Earth did test Always brand Pads and I encourage you to access that website to see just what chemicals were found and the harmful effects they can produce in the body. It is not pretty, in fact, it is down right scary. It is something we need to concern ourselves about. What good is it to do everything else to protect your body, to heal your body, to nourish you body and then turn around to use products that are harmful and destructive.
About two years ago Kelsey started getting a really raw rash in the folds of her lady bits every time she had her period, and the only thing that could have caused it was the maxi pads. So, as the diligent and protective Mama that I am, I started doing some research and I was shocked at what I found out. While I hate maxi pads, I do not want to chance putting chemicals in my body that are known to be harmful. There are some “safer” alternatives made with organic cotton, but to be honest, I do not trust that those are entirely safe either. Though I have to admit that I have tried a few of the tampon products, but they still caused massive painful clotting issues.
I went to work to make some pads that were safe for her and myself. I made these for her to begin with, because she wanted the darker color so she wouldn’t see the blood, but the problem was she couldn’t see the blood and would wear them for too long causing overflow issues.
So, I made her these which she loves. These have been used and as you can see there are no stains.
These are pads I made for myself for light days, but for heavy days and nights, I have not tried any that can beat Charlie Banana Super and Super +.
During heavy nights, I have had some overflows, because since Menopause started, my menses is much heavier and longer in duration….unfortunately. To stop the overflows, I have found that the use of inter-labial pads, small petals that sit between the folds of your vagina, will direct the flow of blood and prevent the hated overflow problem. These are the inter-labial petals that I use. Again, notice that there is no stains. These can be purchased from Homestead Emporium on Etsy . This person also makes pads which I haven’t tried, because they are a bit more than I want to spend right now. I can get two Charlie Banana’s for the price of one of theirs, plus I really like the white absorbent layer.
This is a picture of a used one on the right and a new one on the left before the initial pre-wash. The texture of the top layer changes just a little bit after the first wash, but I honestly think the light texture helps with absorption.
The Benefits
There are many benefits to using these versus the disposable, but these are the benefits that we noticed.
Shorter periods – until menopause started
Lighter bleeding
Less blood clotting
Less pain
No odor
No more rashes from chemicals and fragrances
More comfortable than disposable
Reduced waste
Money savings every month after initial purchase
They are pretty
They are cooler
Laundering the Pads
I thought having to wash the pads was gross to the nth degree, until I really thought about it. People have for centuries used cloth pads and diapers and washed them by hand. I, at least, have the benefit of a washing machine so I don’t have to touch the gross parts.
People make the washing of reusable, washable pads sound so much more difficult, time consuming, and annoying than it has to be. During my cycle and Kelsey’s cycle, we have a small basket we keep in our individual rooms to put the used pads in. Once the cycle is over, then they get washed. I put mine in the washing machine by themselves with the labial pads in a lingerie bag, I wash them with the natural liquid soap that I use (the same gentle soap I use for the rest of our clothes) and ½ cup of peroxide. I also use the long wash cycle and lightly warm or cold water. That’s it. I do not pre-soak them. I do not pre-spray them. I do not pre-scrub them. Once they have been washed, I will pull them out and any that may still have a spot, I will spray directly with peroxide and put them back through another cycle. I also do a big “no no” and that is when they are finished washing and there are not stains, I will pop them in the dryer on medium dry. A little tip is to not use fabric softener, because that will reduce absorbency.
The onus is on us to be informed consumers and not take everything at face value. We need to educate ourselves about things that impact our life and our health. We cannot trust the government, companies, organizations, etc to always do things that are in our best interest, because for one thing there is a lot of greed out there and the love of money is the root of all evil. The love of money will corrupt morals and ethics. I only plead with every one of my readers to stay informed and educated and don’t blindly trust that products are beneficial or healthy just because they are convenient. Don’t sell your health for convenience. I hope that this video or article has given you some food for thought and some information that you will find to be helpful and healthful in your menstrual life.
References
CDC. (2013, July 2). The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Retrieved from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/skin/default.html
Earth, W. V. (N.D.). Always Pads Testing Results: Product testing results show that Always pads release chemicals linked to cancer and reproductive and developmental harm. Retrieved from Women’s Voices for the Earth: https://www.womensvoices.org/menstrual-care-products/detox-the-box/always-pads-testing-results/
