Go green with these hemp tampons

The average woman uses 16,800 tampons in her lifetime. We now know that tampons can contain dioxins, synthetic plastic fibers and petrochemical additives. For those who'd like to find a more natural solution, these reusable tampons are made from hemp and cotton.

Problems relating to the safety of feminine care products are rarely discussed, even though they affect half the world's population. Yet conventional tampons can contain chemicals known to disrupt embryonic development and be directly linked to certain heart diseases and other cancers.

Toxins in constant contact with your skin end up in the bloodstream and are distributed throughout the body. The mucous membranes in and around the vagina are particularly susceptible to absorbing them, due to the thinness and fragility of these areas. Visit toxic shock syndrome caused 24-year-old Lauren Wasser to lose her left leg after a bad reaction to her tampon.

Alternatives exist, and these reusable hemp pads is one of them. Hemp offers superior durability due to the strength of these fibers, and cotton better absorption and softness. As these pads are made exclusively from hemp and cotton fibers, they contain no chemicals or plastics.

These pads come in a small pouch that can be filled with cotton balls for extra absorbency. They come in a single size and can be used with an applicator.

Toxic shock syndrome is still a possibility with these natural tampons (with any tampon, in fact), but you won't be exposing your body to chemicals. These tampons are available from Etsy.