Applicators generally are listed as being made of a plant-based plastic, plastic, or cardboard, with any dyes listed as “pigments” of undisclosed sources. But these ingredients lists aren’t exhaustive, and they don’t detail how much of any material a tampon is made of (nor whether a tampon might contain any trace elements as a result of manufacturing processes).
Still, there’s no significant evidence to suggest that tampons you can buy in the US contain anything harmful (except in rare cases of allergies) or that organic tampons, which are made with organic rather than conventional cotton, are better for your health.Ī note of disclosure: One of the authors of this guide has a past professional relationship with a tampon company.Įvery tampon we tested came with a list of materials noting what the absorbent core was made of (usually rayon or cotton) and what the string consisted of (generally polyester, polypropylene, cotton, or a combination of these materials), as well as, if applicable, the materials in any “fabric overlay”-or “veil”-around the absorbent core, which is meant to prevent fiber shedding (this veil is usually made of polyethylene, polypropylene, or a combination of the two). That’s because tampon makers aren’t required to disclose this information. We aren’t sure of everything that’s in most tampons, including some that we recommend. Organic tampons are our favorite applicator-free options. Among applicator tampons, we like Tampax Pearl and Tampax Pure (an organic choice) best.
After ripping apart, as well as menstruating on, hundreds of tampons, we can tell you, first, that many of these cotton wads are identical or nearly so, and second, that small details-such as the shape of an applicator or the composition of the wrapper-make some tampons much more pleasant to use than others.