Back in November 2013, I let you all know about a report called “Chem Fatale” that shed light on potentially harmful toxins in feminine care products.
That report was created by our friends at Women’s Voices for the Earth. Now, these ladies are taking it up a notch, in the hopes of convincing consumer product giant Proctor & Gamble to remove harmful chemicals from Tampax and Always, and list all ingredients in the products.
What are they doing to get the corporation’s (and your) attention? Spoofing a music video!
Watch Detox the Box!
Remember Justin Timberlake’s Dick in a Box music video from Saturday Night Live? WVE spoofed it. Seriously.
“Detox the Box” is WVE’s latest and greatest spoof video with a hard-hitting message telling Tampax and Always to drop the toxics and list all ingredients.
Toxic chemicals don’t belong in feminine products. Period. They especially don’t belong in the top-selling brands Tampax and Always, where they have the potential to harm the health of the millions of women using those pads and tampons.
Women’s Voices for the Earth (WVE) needed a fun way to get this message across to as many women as possible. After all, our health is at stake.
Pesticides, Dioxins, and More
Take a look at a box of either one of these products. Procter & Gamble doesn’t list any of the ingredients-not on the label, not on the website, not anywhere. That’s because pads and tampons are regulated as “medical devices” and not “personal care products,” which means that companies aren’t required by law to disclose any of the ingredients used in these products.
Here’s why this is a serious problem:
- Test results show dioxins, furans and pesticide residues in tampons, which have been linked to cancer, reproductive harm, and hormone disruption.
- Studies link menstrual pad use to vulvar allergic rash in some women. Both adhesive chemicals like methyldibromo glutaronitrile and fragrances used in pads have been identified as causes of these allergic rashes.
- Fragrance is commonly used in pads and tampons, and all fragrance ingredients are kept secret. We know that Procter & Gamble uses harmful chemicals like styrene, pyridine and methyleugenol (linked cancer) and synthetic musks like galaxolide and tonalide (potential hormone disruptors linked to increased risk of breast cancer) in their fragrances.
The harmful chemicals in these products come into contact with some of the most sensitive skin on our bodies!
Naturally Savvy About Tampons
WVE has partnered with Andrea Donsky of “Naturally Savvy” on this campaign. Andrea is the author of Label Lessons: Your Guide to a Healthy Shopping Cart (with co-author Lisa Tsakos), and it was during her research for the book that she learned how tampons and sanitary pads could actually be exposing us to harmful toxins.
Andrea notes that in 2003, House Representative Carolyn Maloney introduced legislation that would have required research into the health risks posed by additives in feminine care products, but the legislation didn’t pass. Meanwhile these products continue to be made with artificial fragrances, artificial colors, polyethylene (PET), propylene glycol (PEG), and other potentially harmful chemicals.
You can see Andrea’s video here.
Help Us Spread the Word
Won’t you help us spread the word about this serious issue? Watch WVE’s video spoof, and then share it with your friends. We all deserve so much better!
In the meantime, Andrea notes some safer alternatives for you and the other women in your life:
- Try Natracare, a line of feminine hygiene products that are effective, but don’t contain toxic chemicals. The company uses 100 percent organic cotton to create products that are dioxin-free.
- Other safe alternatives include Diva Cup, Lunapads, and Maxim Organic Cotton tampons and pads.
What did you think of Detox the Box? Please share with your friends!
