Sustainability and Your Body
Hi everyone!
For those of you who have not been following me through my social media (ahem, click here) then this is likely coming out of left field for you. This week, rather than highlight a number of ways that you can be sustainable, I wanted to talk more specifically about one method that is an easy switch and is something that almost everyone can do. Yes, you guessed it, I'm talking about period cups. Before I divulge too much, I wanted to give a special thank you to the company who has been working with me over the past few weeks while I prepare this post: Saalt Co.
Saalt is a company I have been working closely with these last few weeks to bring you this post and I hope that this is a safe enough space for us to talk about them and what they do. All opinions are my own and I was gifted a cup to help aid me in my post. Thank you, Saalt!
I want to start off by telling you guys why I became interested in period cups and why I chose to go with Saalt. For me, in this journey to become more aware of myself and more aware of my impact, I realized there had to be easier alternatives to many of the things I was used to doing. While researching ways to make quick changes, it just so happened that I came across another blogger talking about her work with period cups. This spurred me in the direction to learn more about why cups should be prioritized over other things such as tampons or pads. Now, I won't go into all the crazy reasons on why these things aren't the safest for your body or for the planet, but I will share with you the compelling reasons that made me make the switch immediately.
Reason One: Chemicals
- If you're an avid consumer of all things trendy, then you've likely come across "organic" products now on the shelves for women. When I first saw this I was confused, why would there even be a difference? Isn't it the same product? Naturally, I was wrong. There is a huge difference between regular tampons and regular pads and organic tampons and organic pads. The difference is major, and it all comes down to ingredients (more on that later). With tampons in particular, much of the material used is often farmed using pesticides and other nasty chemicals, like chlorine. Once removed, there is a risk that fibers can be left behind, and that can lead to infections or harmful bacteria growth. (Source: HuffPost "Women Beware: Most Feminine Hygiene Products Contain Toxic Ingredients)
Reason Two: Limited Regulation
- Did you know that pads are considered a "medical device" by the FDA? I was shocked when I found that out, and even more surprised to learn that because they are considered a medical device that companies are not required to list ingredients on the labels or even so much as disclose information to consumers about what is in the product. Thinking back, I can't tell you with certainty what I was consuming, and that's when I realized that if I don't know what I'm using and what ingredients are being used then it's likely not something worth using. (Source: Bustle "Are Tampons Safe? 7 Reasons We Should Be Concerned")
Reason Three: Environmental Footprint
- The average woman uses anywhere from 11,000 to 16,000 tampons in her lifetime. Once used, those tampons have nowhere to go but in landfills, where they sit and take a very long time to biodegrade and break down. Even worse, the plastic in them does not break down. Furthermore, one of the "regular" (ie: not organic) pads contains an equivalent to four plastic bags. (Source: HuffPost "Women Beware: Most Feminine Hygiene Products Contain Toxic Ingredients)
Now that I know all of this, I began to look at my products in a different way. I gathered up all of my products and took a tally of how much I had. Truthfully, I didn't want to use any of them after learning about the risks. With that, my story with Saalt begins. Remember how I said I saw another blogger talk about her work with Saalt? This was my first time hearing about them and, overwhelmed by all of the options out there, I decided to look more into their cups. Sure, I could have started with organic substitutes, but organic doesn't mean environmentally safe. For me to still use those products defeated the whole purpose of being sustainable, in my humble opinion. So I looked into the ingredients of cups, I watched videos on experiences, I learned about the benefits of using cups, and I reached out to Saalt.
Short time later I had received a box from Saalt with information on their brand, statistics about periods around the world, information on how cups can benefit me, and more. I'm not going to lie, I was intimidated. Even after all of my research I was suddenly face-to-face with something that made me nervous all over again. But I thought about the bigger picture, and I knew that the least I could do was try it.
The reason I have stuck with Saalt, rather than bounce from brand to brand, comes down to their customer service. Many women, like myself, are afraid to talk about these things with other people, but why is that? Half of the world goes through this natural cycle, so why am I so afraid to be open about it? This fear made me feel constrained, almost like if I had a problem I couldn't tell anyone about it, much less message them on instagram and vent. It just wouldn't work. But that's where I was wrong, and this is where Saalt did right. Saalt has created a cup group on Facebook for all of its users (or those interested) to congregate and ask questions, seek information, and learn. Having a brand be so in-tune with their audience, reach out to me when I've shared my highs and lows of the cup, has been such a warm experience and is a major part of why I recommend Saalt.
Period care, especially care that is better for the body, is something that needs to be discussed more. I hope to be able to bring this conversation to light and that, by publishing this one post, you have been inspired to reevaluate what is in your cabinet and make the sustainable switch.
If you are interested in learning more about Saalt, click HERE to be directed to their website.
If you want to learn more about period cups, and find which one is fit for you, click HERE to take a survey on PutACupInIt.com.
If you're still a little intimidated and unsure if you are ready to make the switch, don't feel bad! Here are three brands that make natural products you can use in the meantime and not feel as guilty about using. I recommend Cora, but there is also L. Organic, and Rael.
Lastly, if you are curious to learn more and hear about my experience I encourage you to reach out in the comment section below. We're all here to support one another, so even a simple word of encouragement is helpful.
If you want to learn more about period cups, and find which one is fit for you, click HERE to take a survey on PutACupInIt.com.
If you're still a little intimidated and unsure if you are ready to make the switch, don't feel bad! Here are three brands that make natural products you can use in the meantime and not feel as guilty about using. I recommend Cora, but there is also L. Organic, and Rael.
Lastly, if you are curious to learn more and hear about my experience I encourage you to reach out in the comment section below. We're all here to support one another, so even a simple word of encouragement is helpful.
I hope you're all enjoying this series; happy Friday!
2 comments
I've heard great things about period cups!! Need to try. Save the environment yasss queen.
ReplyDelete-Maggie ohmaggiemay.com
I just sat in on a sustainability panel at sxsw and there were similar points brought up!
ReplyDeleteBriana
https://beyoutifulbrunette.com/