Why You Should Totally Rethink the Tampons You Use
Do you know what is in the tampons you’re using? (Photo: Lola)
I know I’m not the only one who read the story in Vice last month about Lauren Wasser, a 24-year-old model, who had her leg amputated after getting Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS) related to the use of her drugstore brand of tampons. I remember reading the warnings about TSS when I picked up my first box of tampons (I read everything on the box — like it was my new guide to the universe). TSS is one of those things that was always kind in the back of my mind, although I never really worried about it, assuming that as long as I changed my tampon frequently I was in the safe zone. Apparently that’s not the case at all.
It turns out TSS is a complication of a bacterial infection from Staphylococcus aureus, a bacteria and it’s carried by 20 percent of the population according to the Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine. While tampons alone do not cause TSS, or Toxic Shock Syndrome Toxin-1 (TSST-1), using a tampon with toxic ingredients can bring out the latent infection. “Most major tampon manufacturers make tampons with either mixes of viscose rayon and cotton, or pure viscose rayon,” Dr. Philip M. Teirno, a professor of microbiology and pathology at the NYU School of Medicine told Vice. “In either case those tampons provide optimal physical-chemical conditions necessary to cause the production of the TSST-1 toxin if a toxigenic strain of Staphylococcus aureus is part of the normal vaginal flora in a woman.” Teirno continues in saying, “Toxic shock syndrome may result if a woman has no antibody to the toxin, or low antibody. Therefore, the synthetic ingredients of a tampon are a problem. Whereas 100 percent cotton tampons provide the lowest risk, if any risk at all.”
After reading Wasser’s story and diving deeper into the link between tampons and TSS, I thought to myself, “Holy Crap! I worry about what I’m putting on my hair, my skin. I’m constantly ready ingredient labels on everything from toothpaste to mascara, but what about the things I’m actually leaving inside my body every month?”
Meet Lola, a new 100% cotton tampon brand. (Photo: Lola)
Thankfully, I just discovered Lola, a new 100% hypoallergenic cotton feminine care brand launching July 8 that is free from synthetic materials, chemicals, additives, and dyes. The brand, founded by friends Jordana Kier and Alex Friedman, aims to empower and educate women in this product area by remaining transparent when it comes to ingredients. “Until we started working on this, we had actually never thought about what was in the products we were using in this department,” says Friedman. “We are educated, conscious women. We care about what we are eating, what we are wearing, and what’s in every other aspect of our lives but here is a product that goes inside your body and we never thought about what was in it.”
Lola tampons are 100% biodegradable, made with cotton sourced from Europe and a BPA free compact plastic application, utilized for comfort. “We realized if we want to get into the tampon industry, we’re going to have to brand our own products where we are 100% straightforward with women about what is in it and make it a natural ingredient,” says Friedman.
When it comes to TSS, co-founder Kier reiterates that Toxic Shock can be caused by tampons, but it can be caused by other things too. “I think for us, knowing what’s exactly in the products versus not knowing is a huge game changer,” says Kier. She also points out that there has never been a case of TSS associated with 100% cotton tampons.
Not only is Lola all about knowledge and transparency, but the business model is also focused on convenience and customization. The subscription-based service allows you to customize a box of 18 tampons that will be delivered to your door on your schedule (select one or two boxes to be delivered every 1-2 months). “The vision is to be the new modern feminine care brand where women can get everything they need for their reproductive needs in a customized way,” says Kier.
Need two boxes this month and one the next? Done. Need to pause or change your delivery? Easy. No additional fees. If you’re like me, and you live with your best friend, being able to customize your box down to the tampon so that it can work for the both of you — yes, that means you can order any combination of 18 light, regular and super tampons — is a game changer that will also help free up some valuable space in your bathroom. One box of Lola tampons is $10, including shipping, and you can get two boxes for $18.
The final goal of Lola is to build a brand that women can relate to. I can’t be the only person sick of the floral boxes and the commercials filled with women jumping on trampolines and twirling in white dresses. “No more boxes you want to hide under your sink, no more tampon voice that you can’t relate too,” says Friedman. “We want to resonate with a woman who isn’t embarrassed about having her period, it’s part of her life.”
“This too shall pass.” The Lola tampon box. (Photo: Lola)
The Lola boxes are clean, simple, and cheeky. The blue and white box isn’t something you’ll feel the need to stash away — it doesn’t scream tampons. (Mine has been sitting on my desk for the last week, and I have no plans of moving it.) “We went with clean, simple packaging because as you grow up, you tend to evolve with your product selection,” says Kier. “You can keep it on your shelf in your bathroom and not be embarrassed if someone came over.” Printed on the inside flap of the box is a simple mantra: This too shall pass (and until it does, we’re here for you).
Related:
Surviving and Overcoming Toxic Shock Syndrome
