70% of sanitary protection tested by 60 million consumers contains toxic substances

A woman uses an average of 10,000 sanitary products in her lifetime, but today she still struggles to know what they’re really made of. THE: magazine’s 60 million consumers conducted the investigation in its latest October issue, on newsstands from Thursday 28 September. After analyzing 24 sanitary protection products, including 9 towels, 9 tampons with an applicator and 6 panties, the magazine once again noted several compositional flaws that can affect everyday life and the body.

Suspicious fibers and contaminants

Our colleagues immediately point out the certain toxicity of hygienic protective products sold in supermarkets. The magazine targets two brands of tampons, Marque Repère’s Doulys models and Tampax Compak, and questions their fibers, which break down during use. If the manufacturers assure that this phenomenon does not leave any consequences on the body, 60 million consumers laments the lack of scientific studies on the effects of these fibers, noting that their “safety remains dependent on what (they) contain.”

In addition, after the analysis, the remains of unwanted chemicals are still present in tampons, but also in napkins, he emphasizes. 60 million consumers. Overall, 70% of the samples tested contained one or more contaminants that are proven or suspected to be carcinogenic, mutagenic, reprotoxic, or endocrine disruptors. Traces of AOX (absorbable halogenated organic compounds) have been found in Nana, Love&Green and Tampax brand products. Dioxins were also found in Tadam, Carrefour Soft and Saforelle tampons, as well as Joone sanitary pads. Glyphosate or Ampa is found in Tadam, Saforelle, Natracare and Petites Choses tampons. The newspaper also notes that the presence of environmental labels does not prevent the presence of pollutants.

Which ones to choose?

How can these toxins get into the intimate defense? “It could be pesticide residues in used cotton, which raise questions about the raw material, or unwanted substances introduced during production,” explains Sylvie Metzelard, editor-in-chief. 60 million consumers in his editorial. “The levels detected are certainly low and within the regulatory limits, but our current knowledge is still very fragmented about the effects of these types of contaminants on mucous membranes.”

In their conclusions, our partners invite manufacturers to improve their production process and raw material selection, but also to implement better labeling with more information on the ingredients of each hygienic protection. While waiting for these efforts, consumers can, depending on their preferences, turn to U Nature pads or Labell panty liners, which appear on this test bench podium, as they are considered less expensive and “cleaner.”

The levels detected are of course low and regulated, but our current knowledge is still very fragmented about the effects of these types of pollutants on mucous membranes.

Sylvie Metzelard, editor-in-chief of “60 Million Consumers” newspaper, in her editorial.

As for tampons, the choice is more complicated. At the top of the ranking, the reference marketed by Les Petites Choses turns out to be “an effective and labeled product, but expensive and with traces of Ampa”, while that offered by Marque Repère is certainly less expensive, but also “less effective and without : label.