And its equally important to question the motivations behind trending conspiracies that prey on emotions (and boost social virality), adds Jayesh. 727-821-9494. "For example, inhaling it at high concentrations can irritate the nose and throat." According to Safe Cosmetics.org, titanium dioxide does not penetrate healthy or even unhealthy, burnt skin, and so "poses no local or systemic risk to human health" when used topically. However, these studies were conducted on mice who orally consumed titanium dioxide, so we'll still need extensive clinical research on humans before we can definitively link TiO2 with reproductive disruptionor assume those risks definitely come from other intakes of the ingredient. They give women freedom.. Her video has 3.6 million views. The European Union banned titanium dioxide in food earlier this year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agriculture Service. The titanium dioxide in it is toxic to us & causing cancerous cysts, ectopic pregnancies, & reproductive damage in humans. The Food and Drug Administration considers tampons medical devices, which means the agency has oversight on whats in them. National Library of Medicines list When it comes to tampons and other period care, what does organic mean? Theres really two reasons why people think that it could cause cancer, and I can understand why because its confusing, Lincoln, an OB-GYN and author of the book, Lets Talk about Down There: An OB-GYN Answers all Your Burning Questions Without Making You Feel Embarrassed for Asking, told TODAY. The doctors all praised how tampons make a lot of activities, like swimming, more accessible when you have your period, and stressed that people should feel comfortable using whatever menstrual products they like best. In Canada and the USA, organic claims must be verifiable but only a percentage of the product needs to be organic, and that percentage must be displayed. "As an oxide, titanium is found in minerals in the earth's crust and is also found with other elements, including calcium and iron. Some country-level occupational health and safety organizations cite a lack of high-quality studiesfrom which they can draw any concrete conclusions about the long-term risks of Theyre really tightly regulated. The ban was related to really concern and hypothetical risks, she stressed. Examples of this include the follicular phase, ovulatory phase and the luteal phase. Theres nothing linked in the data that says that tampon use is linked to cancer or harm in the reproductive system, Dr. Christine Greves, an OB-GYN in Orlando, Florida, told TODAY. Because lets face it- we should not be putting toxic chemicals inside of our bodies on a regular basis. In the emergency room, I assess five primary routes of exposure for a substance when assessing for toxicity: inhalation, skin contact, eye contact, ingestionand absorption. Zero.. Plus, Gunter explained that titanium dioxide tends to stick to whatever fabric it is on, and is not easily washed out. A period is a way for the body to cleanse itself, reproduce necessary hormones and shed off the lining of the uterus. Propylene is a plastic that is found in food containers like those that hold yogurt, cream cheese and butter products. Fitness, Acupuncture & Healthy Lifestyle Blog. Her team is working on a pilot project analyzing tampons for the presence of metals and pesticides. IE 11 is not supported. Consuming rice and beans, milk, cheese, butter and eggs causes disease by age 30. Washington, DC Which supplements are most likely to land you in the ER? The European Unionrecently banned it as a food additive but the FDA has not. An additional two satellite groups underwent the same protocol for 45 days and for It is considered one of the most dangerous fabrics, but is still one of the main ingredients in our menstrual products! However, larger quantities of titanium dioxide might be damaging if ingested, Dr. Gohar says. Alkaline water:Should you be splurging to make your body less acidic? According to the US Food and Drug Administration, the compound is safe in regulated amounts meaning less than 1% of a food's weight to up to 25% of a sunscreen's concentration. Its really pervasive because its a whitening agent. a lot of people online are upset with tampon brands (tampax and L. specifically) because they include titanium dioxide in the tampons, which apparently can cause reproductive harm. The information that I retrieved about the ingredients found in varying menstrual products can be found on Tampax.com. We see tampons as something that could potentially harm us, Lincoln said. And its also awful fear mongering as I have received panicked messages from women worried their tampons caused their pre-cancer of the cervix. Everything You Need to Know About Maintaining Your Vaginal pH Balance: Normal Levels Retrieved May 11, 2021, from https://www.healthline.com/health/womens-health/vaginal-ph-balance, My name is Sara and I love anything to do with natural health, nutrition & fitness! What I want to get at here is that its so important to not add toxic chemicals to your cycle because this can later cause hormonal imbalances, bacterial infections or even a heavier flow. We recommend looking at the whole picture by looking for certifications and asking what those certifications entail. So are organic tampons better? Depending on the manufacturing processes, PEGs can be contaminated with measurable amounts of chemicals such as ethylene oxide and 1,4-dioxane. Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is a natural oxide of the element titanium with low toxicity, and negligible biological effects. of using pads and tampons with titanium dioxidewe just don't know for certain. "There is no published research available currently that has examined the impacts of vaginal or vulvar exposure to titanium dioxide," Dr. Eyvazzadeh. Sometimes referred to as titanium white or Pigment White 6, titanium dioxide is all around us. Retrieved May 11, 2021, from https://balmonds.co.uk/blogs/blog/the-problem-with-paraffin-in-emollients, Mancini, F., Bruggen, A. H., Jiggins, J. L., Ambatipudi, A. C., & Murphy, H. (2005). Retrieved May 11, 2021, from https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-09/documents/carbon-disulfide.pdf, Government of Canada, C. C. (2021, May 09). That is why its so important to take your own health into account and start educating yourself on common ingredients. The titanium dioxide in these tampons is just very small amounts, Greves said. Some of the fear mongering about tampons seems to be because the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifies titanium dioxide as a Group 2B carcinogen, meaning possibly carcinogenic to humans. But theres an important caveat hereby inhalation. This was from studies where rats were inhaling high doses. New study explores the benefits,harms. As for the potential risks (or lack thereof!) Someone had posted a TikTok about the dangers of the additive, claiming it caused cysts and cancers, and it went viral. How Bad Is It Really to Wear a Tampon for Longer Than 8 Hours? (LogOut/ Once that social media seed is planted, it is extremely difficult to convince people otherwise. Top editors give you the stories you want delivered right to your inbox each weekday. And although there is no evidence that titanium dioxide in tampons is unsafe, it has never been officially investigated. The TikToker goes on to say she's been told she can't have kids due to "reproductive harm to my uterus and ovaries" and complains of serious pain at night and while trying to sleep. I really appreciate your positive feedback . The FDA told PolitiFact that it is not currently aware of any evidence that titanium dioxide in tampons is toxic or harmsthe body. More:Which supplements are most likely to land you in the ER? There is some evidence to suggest that titanium dioxide may have a carcinogenic effect in some formats. Titanium dioxide is used in all kinds of products as a whitener, including toothpaste, sunscreen, and yes, period care. If you think of all the cosmetics and dyes and candy and food its everywhere, Dr. Jennifer Wu, an OB-GYN at Lenox Hill Hospital, told TODAY. Because exposure levels are very low, it is likely this is a very low carcinogenic risk. Other concerns of titanium dioxide toxicity involve food, highlighted by the recent lawsuit alleging that Skittles, a popular candy,contain a "known toxin." Before I dive into the horrible and unnecessary ingredients in both pads & tampons, I want to talk about why a menstrual period is such an important cycle that happens within the human body. How can this be? The Problem With Paraffin In Emollients. 4 Mistakes That Are Causing You to Waste Money on Skin-Care Serums, According to an Esthetician, These Are the Best Anti-Chafing Denim ShortsAccording to Some Very Happy Reviewers. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.). According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer, it's "possibly carcinogenic" since studies have linked lung tumors in rats with inhaling titanium dioxide. You cant just say just because you breathe something in and it causes cancer that its also going to cause cancer in a different route, Lincoln explained. There are zero long term studies on the effects the drugs and surgeries will have on them., When the Republicans were in power the last time for eight years, do you know how much discretionary spending increased in those eight years? 2023 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. St. Petersburg, FL Heres What Your Bodys Trying to Tell You, National Library of Medicine Titanium dioxide, U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Questions and Answers: FDA posts deemed final order and proposed order for over-the-counter sunscreen, European Food Safety Authority: Titanium dioxide: E171 no longer considered safe when used as a food additive, U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Code of Federal Regulations Title 21, New Jersey Department of Health: Hazardous Substance Fact Sheet: Titanium Dioxide, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health: Impact of Food Additive Titanium Dioxide on Gut Microbiota Composition, Microbiota-Associated Functions, and Gut Barrier: A Systematic Review of In Vivo Animal Studies. Making a purchase through our links may earn Well+Good a commission. One of our founding values at joni is radical transparency. Yes, I know there are scary videos circulating on TikTok, but this is chemophobia. They are very similar to Natracare and do not contain genetically modified cotton or any of the other chemicals that we discussed. Rayon is a semi synthetic fabric made from recycled wood pulp. What to Know About Food Additive Titanium Dioxide, Release of Titanium Dioxide from Textiles during Washing, Tampon wars: the battle to overthrow the Tampax empire. For instance, certain plastics and artificial adhesives have been shown to increase the risk of vulva-vaginal infections and contact dermatitis. In its report, the EFSA reported that they couldn't rule out the possibility that titanium dioxide caused damage to DNA ("genotoxicity")and thus couldn't establish a safe level of daily intake. One of our founding values at joni is radical transparency. The doctors all praised how tampons make a lot of activities, like swimming, more accessible when you have your period, and stressed that people should feel comfortable using whatever menstrual products they like best. 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