The Best Organic Tampons (16+ Brands Ranked!)

organic and clean tampons
16 min reading time

Over the past two weeks, we looked into the leading tampon brands, reached out to the brands about the materials used, and rated them based on safety and eco-friendliness.

Want to jump directly to our recommendations? Click here.

First, what does it actually mean for a tampon to be organic? You’re not eating it, right? (or at least we hope not).

The difference is that organic tampons are made with organic cotton. This cotton should be grown without the use of pesticides because it’s better for the environment and better for you.

The big appeal of organic tampons is that they should harbor less toxic chemicals like dioxins—a group of environmental pollutants that are a byproduct of the bleaching process.

(If you’re looking for organic pads, we have a guide for that, too.)

It’s important to note that currently, traditional tampons are considered safe because they’re regulated by the FDA. However, just because common wisdom says something doesn’t mean it’s true. We believe that erring on the side of caution is often a good idea, especially when dealing with a product that’s used internally.

They say that women use, on average, over 10,000 tampons or pads over their lifetimes. That’s a lot of trash that ends up in a landfill and a lot of exposure to mystery chemicals in a very sensitive area.

Quick Facts About Natural Tampons

  • Current medical wisdom says that non-organic tampons are just as safe as organic tampons. However, we believe that because tampons are used internally, opting for organic tampons is the safer choice.
  • Fully organic tampons are often more eco-friendly than non-organic pads but not as eco-friendly as reusable menstrual products.
  • A truly organic tampon is certified by GOTS, meaning the cotton used is grown and manufactured in a specific way that uses no pesticides and is whitened with peroxide, not chlorine.
  • An organic tampon thrown into the trash won’t biodegrade much faster than a tampon that’s not organic. This is because landfills are devoid of oxygen, a crucial ingredient in biodegradation.

The Ingredients of a Tampon

Tampons are simple. There are three parts to a tampon to consider, and they are as follows:

  • Tampon – The tampon itself. Traditional tampons are usually made of cotton, rayon, or a combination of both. When we talk about organic cotton tampons, this is what we’re concerned with.
  • Applicator – Typically made of plastic or cardboard. Some tampons come without an applicator, but many people prefer to avoid these because they’re not as easy or clean to use.
  • Wrapper – The wrapper the single tampon comes in. This is mainly a concern in terms of eco-friendliness since the wrapper is mostly made from non-recyclable materials like polyethylene.

The Benefits of Organic Tampons

There are a few good reasons to make the switch to organic tampons.

Health Benefits of Natural & Organic Tampons

Rayon, Dioxins, non-organic cotton, fragrances, chlorine, aluminum, viscose, glyphosates, BPA’s are found in some older tampons and the bleaching products of tampon leaves dioxins as a byproduct.

Dr Iris Kerin Orbuch, Director of the Advanced Gynecologic Laparoscopy Center in Los Angeles

Currently, there is no research on whether organic tampons are safer than non-organic ones. However, the vagina can absorb toxic chemicals, especially over the thousands of hours you’ll potentially spend using a tampon.

Even though there is no evidence that organic tampons are safer, we believe organic is the safer choice if you’re a tampon user.

Feminine hygiene products have historically been secretive when disclosing the materials and ingredients used in them.

Things are starting to change, however. In late 2019, New York signed into law the Menstrual Products Right To Know Act, which requires manufacturers to put ingredient labels on menstrual products.

Eco-Friendly Benefits of Natural & Organic Tampons

The common figure is that the average woman will use between five to 15 thousand tampons and pads in her lifetime. That equates to billions of them ending up in landfills every year.

Some brands offer fully biodegradable and compostable tampons with recyclable applicators and packaging.

Cotton that’s grown organically is better for the environment, too. Non-organic cotton uses a lot of pesticides that find their way into the water supply, having a great impact on our ecosystem.

While reusable cotton menstrual pads are a better earth-friendly solution, fully compostable tampons are a good alternative.

Always Avoid Fragrance in Tampons

There’s no good reason for tampons to have fragrance in them. At Better Goods, we strongly advocate avoiding fragrance in personal care products, and tampons are at the top of the list.

Read our full story on fragrance to find out why it’s such a dirty word. To summarize, fragrance is a blanket term for any number of chemicals, some of which are potentially toxic.

Since the tampon is used internally, fragrance is a 100% no-go, whether it’s chemical or natural, essential oil-based fragrance.

The Best Organic + Natural Tampons

We’ve taken a look at all of the brands that advertise themselves as being organic and eco-friendly. We contacted each of the brands to find the exact materials used in the tampon, wrapper, and packaging, and determined whether it’s organic and recyclable.

Natracare Tampons

Natracare

TamponCertified organic cotton
ApplicatorBiodegradable cardboard, paper wrapper
Available OptionsRegular, Super, Super+
PackagingRecycled cardboard with vegetable-based ink
ShopBuy on Amazon

Natracare understands the need for superior products when it comes to hygiene.

Unfortunately, most pads and tampons in the market today use plastic which contributes significantly to pollution.

This is why Natracare has made it its mission to take steps in saving our planet while at the same time offering all women good intimate health. On top of that, they also make sure to financially contribute to organizations that share the same vision as they do by giving 1% of their total sales (not just profit) every year.

LOLA Tampons

LOLA

TamponCertified organic cotton
ApplicatorBPA-free plastic applicator; cardboard; applicator-free
Available OptionsLight, Regular, Super, Super+
PackagingRecyclable materials
Shopmylola.com

LOLA is a modern brand that ensures that the materials they use are of the highest quality, not using any harmful toxins or dyes.

The brand also serves as advocates for all women. In 2019, they created a campaign that aimed to end discriminatory tampon tax; and they stand against racial and social injustices that contribute to reproductive inequality.

They’ve also gone out of their way to supply LOLA products to women who cannot afford to get decent intimate care products.

Cora Tampons

Cora

TamponCertified organic cotton
ApplicatorBPA-free plastic, water-resistant wax coating (string); applicator-free
Available OptionsLight, Regular, Super
PackagingWrappers are made of polypropylene and are recyclable
ShopBuy on cora.life

Cora’s mission is to be a voice for women’s health. They create excellent products that are available globally. These are made with sustainable, organic, and environmentally-friendly materials, which contain 85% fewer toxins than the standard products you’re used to.

This helps ensure utmost care for women, while also helping to lessen plastic pollution significantly.

They also allocate a percentage of their profits to send intimate hygiene products to women who are experiencing period poverty in the US, India, and Kenya. They have made a social and environmental impact, and promise to continue doing so by aiming to completely eliminate plastic and synthetic ingredients wherever possible.

Seventh Generation Tampons

Seventh Generation

Tampon100% certified organic cotton
Applicator99% plant-based plastic; applicator-free
Available OptionsLight, Regular, Super
PackagingBox 100% recyclable
ShopBuy on Amazon

Seventh Generation, as reflected in the brand’s name, targets to create products that will transform habits for the next seven generations.

With the future in mind, they aim to create an impact in everything they do, whether it’s in production, use, or disposal. The aim is to lessen their environmental impact while increasing their products’ performance and ensuring their consumers’ safety.

Seventh Generation boasts of doing business differently by taking drastic actions in making zero-waste products. They prioritize using plant-based ingredients, work on eliminating fragrances, dyes, and toxins, and use recycled materials for their packaging.

Organyc Tampons

Organyc

Tampon100% organic cotton
Applicator99% plant-based plastic; 100% recycled cardboard; applicator-free
Available OptionsRegular, Super, Super+
PackagingIndividual paper wrapper
ShopBuy on Amazon

Organyc wants products that are good for you and for the environment. Their organic cotton is grown using practices that lessen their environmental impact, and they do not use additives, artificial products, or genetically modified materials.

They ensure protection for their consumers by never using bleach, dyes, fragrances, or any other toxins usually found in other pads or tampons. They are all about protecting you and Mother Nature.

Honest Company Tampons

Honest Company

Tampon100% certified organic cotton
ApplicatorApplicator-free
Available OptionsRegular, Super, Super+
PackagingWrapper is made of Polyethylene
ShopBuy on honest.com

Hollywood actress Jessica Alba’s brand, The Honest Company, creates commodities that are good for you and work effectively.

The brand was born out of a need for excellent products that are safe to use by everyone daily – this means fewer synthetic materials and simpler solutions.

With the consumer in mind, The Honest Company holds a high standard in everything they make. Health and performance are their top priorities, which is why all their ingredients and materials undergo a thorough material assessment and their finished products must be rigorously tested.

They believe that each individual, even babies, deserves the best possible care. To put this passion into action, they also want to make a social impact by donating diapers, partnering with institutions that help the less fortunate, and giving away other essential items children and families need.

Bon Tampons

Bon

Tampon100% certified organic cotton
ApplicatorNo info available
Available OptionsLight, Regular, Super
PackagingWrappers are biodegradable
ShopBuy on bonlifestyle.com

In French, the word Bon means good – precisely what the brand wants for you.

Bon creates tampons made of organic cotton, which is safe for you and sustainable for the environment. This move to lessen plastic also lessens their environmental footprint.

Aside from their impact on a personal and environmental level, they also make a social difference. For each pack of Bon products bought, they donate one to New Zealand’s Women’s Refuge.

These women have been through abuse and need a chance to rebuild their lives. Bon proudly supports this cause to ensure that all women do not experience period poverty.

L Tampons

L.

TamponOrganic cotton
ApplicatorCompact BPA-free plastic
Available OptionsRegular, Super
PackagingEnvironmentally-friendly plastic (PET) that is recyclable
ShopBuy on Amazon

L. has award-winning products that have no chlorine, dyes, or fragrances. Four pillars are considered in everything they do – health, shamelessness, accessibility, and thoughtfulness.

L. ensures that their tampons are only made with the highest quality cotton to ensure that their consumers’ health is never compromised. They also create opportunities to continually educate women about their intimate health, and to remove the shame and stigma surrounding periods.

They keep their products accessible by offering them at affordable prices and giving free items to those who cannot afford them. For one pack purchased, another pack is given away for free. Lastly, L. puts a lot of thought into the creation, production, and distribution of their tampons and pads. They also understand their impact personally, environmentally, and socially, and they take this responsibility seriously.

Oi Tampons

Oi

Tampon100% certified organic cotton
Applicator100% biodegradable & recyclable cardboard; plant-based materials; applicator-free
Available OptionsMini, Regular, Super, Super+
Packaging100% biodegradable & recyclable cardboard; plastic
ShopBuy on Amazon

Oi is actively working on removing plastic waste, toxins, and synthetics from our bodies and the environment by creating products that use only organic, sustainable materials.

Oi’s tampons and pads are organic, making them biodegradable. Because of this move to use only compostable materials, they do not contribute to the plastic waste that harms our ecosystem every year.

Oi is about making a change and convincing women to do the same. A change from synthetic to organic, from plastic to biodegradable. It’s a change to protect oneself and the environment.

Rael Tampons

Rael

Tampon100% certified organic cotton
ApplicatorBPA-free plastic; cardboard; plant-based materials
Available OptionsRegular, Super, Super+
PackagingInfo not available
ShopBuy on Amazon

Rael is a brand made for women by women. They have also innovated feminine health care by carefully studying how to remove the synthetic materials and chemicals in the standard products used. Instead, they provide natural products that are safe for their users and the environment.

On top of that, Rael has made it its mission to provide intimate products to those who need them most.

With each photo posted on Instagram with the hashtag #HappyPeriodsForAll, they encourage women to remove the stigma surrounding periods and donate their products to someone in need.

They have also partnered with Happy Period so they can support LA-based women who live in poverty, providing them with decent and good intimate care products.

MyBoxShop Tampons

MyBoxShop

Tampon100% organic cotton
ApplicatorBPA-free plastic; applicator-free
Available OptionsRegular, Super, Super+
PackagingBox is 100% recyclable
ShopBuy on Amazon

MyBoxShop’s campaign tagline is “No Toxins, Period.” It perfectly summarizes their products – all-natural, no chemicals, and no dioxins.

The use of organic cotton ensures excellent absorbency without compromising one’s health. It also protects the environment through its use of sustainable materials, helping to lessen pollutants significantly.

Sustain Tampons

Sustain

Tampon100% certified organic cotton
Applicator90% plant-based plastic
Available OptionsRegular, Super
PackagingBox is recyclable; the individual wrapper is plastic and not recyclable
ShopBuy on Amazon

An average person is said to use about 13,000 tampons in their lifetime. That’s six years’ worth of tampons in a woman’s body and thousands upon thousands of plastic waste sitting in the landfill. That’s a lot of chemicals and pollution.

This is why Sustain has taken significant steps to eliminate these problems by using organic materials and eliminating the use of chemicals, pesticides, and dyes.

Aside from the fantastic efforts of Sustain in helping their consumers and the environment, they have also taken things a notch higher by helping pass the Menstrual Products Right to Know Act in New York. This act mandates all intimate care brands to be transparent about their ingredient list.

This move has educated women, not only in the US, but all across the globe about what goes into their hygiene products and how it affects their bodies.

Tampax Tampons

Tampax

TamponOrganic cotton
ApplicatorPolyethylene (90% plant-based)
Available OptionsRegular, Super
PackagingWrapper is made of Polyethylene
ShopBuy on Amazon

Tampax has created organic tampons that are safe to use regularly. Its main material is organic cotton, and the applicator is 90% plant-based – all-natural, and free of dyes, fragrances, and bleaching.

Tampax has also partnered with Feeding America, providing period products to those in need, especially to girls who usually miss school because of their menstruation. With this continued effort, they hope to end period poverty across the United States.

O.B. Tampons

O.B.

Tampon100% organic cotton
Applicator92% plant-based materials and renewable resources; applicator-free
Available OptionsRegular, Super
PackagingInfo not available
ShopBuy on Amazon

O.B.’s organic tampons offer women protection and comfort during their period. The applicators are plant-based and made with renewable materials, thus lessening plastic waste that sits in landfills for years.

Created by a German ob-gynecologist, this tampon is made with only the best materials and thorough research. Caring for women involves caring for their future, too. This is why O.B. has also made sure to use sustainable materials that lessen the negative impact on the environment. O.B.’s parent company, Edgewell, also motivates its employees to participate in their communities by volunteering or donating to important causes worldwide.

Veeda Tampons

Veeda

Tampon100% natural cotton
ApplicatorBPA-free plastic; applicator-free
Available OptionsLight, Regular, Super, Super+
PackagingInfo not available
ShopBuy on Amazon

Veeda is all about caring for its consumers. With the thousands of period products used by a woman in her lifetime, it is crucial that brands take steps to minimize potential health impacts by offering better alternatives to traditional products.

This is why it’s so amazing that Veeda has created a natural and sustainable tampon that functions effectively.

Aside from having women in mind, the creators of Veeda also put great importance on the ecological footprint their products leave. Using natural, recycled, and biodegradable materials in their tampons and packaging has contributed to the lessening of waste. They have truly shown kindness not only to women but also to Mother Nature.

Blume Tampons

Blume

Tampon100% organic cotton
ApplicatorBio-plastic (sugarcane derived)
Available OptionsRegular, Super
PackagingBox is recyclable; outer packaging is made of mater-bi
ShopBuy on Amazon

Blume is all about celebrating womanhood and helping girls do the same. They do this by providing excellent feminine care and helping to remove the shame that accompanies their periods.

Blume’s campaigns strive to help educate women to be more confident about their bodies, help them thrive even in adversity, and encourage them to be more conscious and make the right choices for themselves and for their environment.

In choosing Blume’s organic tampons, women not only give themselves high-quality products but they also help in reducing plastic trash that is usually found in standard tampons.

Common Questions & Myths About Organic Tampons

Organic Tampons Won’t Lower Your Risk of Toxic Shock Syndrome

Toxic shock syndrome (TSS) is a rare but potentially fatal infection that can come from the use of tampons. It has nothing to do with the makeup or materials of the tampon itself, but instead linked to the act of using a tampon for extended periods of time.

If you’re worried about TSS, the best solution is to not use tampons, period.

Do Organic Tampons Shorten Your Period?

While there are many anecdotal claims of organic periods shortening periods, the truth is that there is no scientific basis for this.

The device is going into the body so that could change things, but there’s no scientific evidence that’s the case… Menstruation can change naturally from month to month. Stress affects menses and that’s probably the biggest thing from a month-to-month or year-to-year basis, but menses also changes closer to menopause.

Dr. Daniel M. Breitkopf, OB-GYN at the Mayo Clinic

While there may be other health benefits to using organic tampons, a shorter period likely isn’t one of them.

Do Organic Tampons Expire?

While the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) doesn’t require expiration dates on tampons, the truth is that organic tampons do have a limited shelf life. The general consensus is that organic tampons have a shelf life of about 5 years, after which they should probably be tossed.

This isn’t because the cotton goes bad—it’s because there is a risk of mold developing on the tampon. If the tampon is kept in a cool and dry environment (probably not the bathroom) and the packaging is kept intact, there should be no risk. If they’re going to be stored for an extended period of time, putting them in an airtight container far away from sources of moisture as possible is the best idea.

Can You Flush Organic Tampons?

The short answer is no, you shouldn’t flush tampons down the toilet, no matter if they’re organic or not. While organic tampons may be advertised as biodegradable, they will not break down quickly in the sewer system.

Whether you’re on a municipal sewer service or have a septic tank, flushing tampons down the toilet is a bad idea and can lead to massive clogs in the plumbing. Just don’t do it.

In Summary

If you’re looking for a quick recommendation on organic tampons, here are a few:

Any of the brands on our list are a great choice, including the ones above. If you have any questions about organic tampons, please leave a comment below.

 
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