What else are you putting on when you wear cotton?

Pesticides, fungicides, silicone waxes, harsh petroleum scours, heavy metals, flame retardants, ammonia, formaldehyde, chlorine.....just a few of the toxic chemicals used to grow and process cotton. And don't think it'll all come out in the wash! Some of the chemicals will end up in our sewerage or septic systems, some will end up on other clothing or linen being washed with your toxic T shirt, some will remain in the fabric to gradually infiltrate your skin and blood stream.

Cotton tampons contain the same harsh chemicals but give the chemicals easier access to the blood stream as well as sensitive reproductive organs. If you're a male reading this and don't see it as your problem, think about your daughters or potential daughters and the health risks they may be taking every month, the effects of which are cumulative.

Organic cotton can be more expensive as well as hard to source but a group of farmers in Victoria are trying to keep prices to a minimum by growing, harvesting, processing and marketing their own organically grown cotton. Organature uses Australian BFA certified organic cotton grown without the use of pesticides, synthetic fertilisers, genetically modified seed or any of the chemicals listed above to produce quality linen, bedding and fabrics for the Australian market. Another benefit of buying organic cotton is durability. Organic fibres are stronger and therefore last longer than conventionally grown cotton fabrics.

Natracare is a UK based company making certified organic, non-chlorine bleached cotton tampons and plastic-free sanitary pads. Most tampons are made from rayon and rayon-cotton blends. Rayon is a highly absorbent fibre, and although it is derived from plant cellulose, it is highly manufactured and usually chlorine-bleached. The production of rayon results in a great deal of environmental pollution. Dioxin is one of the pollutants produced. It is a by-product of chlorine bleaching and pesticide spraying. Dioxins accumulate in our fatty tissues and even low levels of dioxins are linked to cancer, immune suppression, endometriosis and low sperm counts.