Stick a Plug in It!: Organic Tampons are the New Black

The symptoms begin subtly. First, you snap. The salad you ordered came pre-dressed when you clearly asked for dressing on the side. You suddenly have the itch to pull every strand of blonde hair out of your waitress' pretty little head. Then comes the groan. The groan of your belly saying, Man, is it that time of the month again already?

Nobody likes a visit from Auntie Flow. All you can think about is popping some Midol, throwing on your 'painting' sweatpants and concentrating on getting through your week without slapping your boyfriend for saying your best friend has beautiful eyes.

But before you jam just any applicator up your va-jay-jay, consider this:

What's In Your Tampons? To our utter dismay, there are no federal regulations concerning listing ingredients in tampons. So, for those approximately 11,000 tampons you'll use in your lifetime, you are actually slipping chlorine-bleached rayon or rayon-cotton blends into your body. And rayon, sweetheart, produces dioxins. Yep, that stuff is a toxic carcinogen. Not too pretty when you consider the vaginal area is one of the most absorptive parts of a woman's body.

In fact, the USDA reports that US cotton farmers dump approximately 55 million pounds of pesticides into the cotton fields. Insert cancer, endometriosis, nerve system damage and immune system suppression here. This doesn't mean you have to revert to cloth diapers, honey. But you should be careful next time you go to snag the first box of tampons at the grocery store.

Tampons That Are Kind To Your Body. Go for organic cotton tampons instead. Rayon-free tampons reduce the risk of Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS), and the organic versions will decrease the risk of direct exposure from chemical pesticides and fertilizers used on traditional cotton.

HBD Recommendations

Seventh Generation Chlorine-Free Organic Tampons. Offering the same support, protection and comfort of traditional tampons, the leader in healthy home and lifestyle has earned their tampons the certified-organic stamp by Quality Assurance International (QAI). They are whitened without chemicals, contain no rayon, and easily fit into your purse unnoticed. 20 tampons, $5.99-$6.99.www.seventhgeneration.com

Natracare Certified Organic All-Cotton Tampons. Natracare covers the gamut with chemical, dioxin, and additive-free products for women and new mothers. Their organic and all-natural line of tampons are biodegradable, and come in an applicator or non-applicator option.20 tampons, $3.99-$7.49. www.natracare.com

Organic Essentials Organic 100-Percent Cotton Tampons. Yes, you can even support the local organic farmers when you're surfing the crimson tide. Made from cotton grown on a small farm in the high plains of Texas, Organic Essentials' tampons are 100-percent organic, non-GMO, with no synthetic chemicals, perfumes, pesticides, fungicides, herbicides or harmful bleaches. The box may look a bit outdated (think 70s hippie) but the goods inside are as new millennium as you can get. 16 tampons, $7.50.www.dwellsmart.com

You will have to trek to a nearby specialty drugstore, natural food store or upscale supermarket, but your special flower will thank you later.

For more tips like these visit www.healthybitchdaily.com