Scented sanitary towels

[HavingALittleBabyToolshed]

Nearly every week I see a thread started on MN about scented sanitary towels and almost every single day I see them referred to on some thread or other.
At work we see a lot of women, who whilst they come in with something far more serious, are also impacted by thrush, itching and various other irritations because of highly scented plastics worn against the skin.

When I have my period I try to use my mooncup or reusable towels but sometimes (if I come on unexpectedly at work or out and about) I’ll buy pads which 9/10 cause me irritation because of scent.
The whole sanitary protection aisle stinks of this weird part floral/part talc stench which means you cannot discern which brand does or doesn’t smell.
Some are even marked “perfume free” but perfume free does not mean scent free.

This has such an impact on young girls who are largely reliant on what their parents buy, on women and girls on low incomes who don’t have the money to shell out on large one time spends for mooncup and anyway let’s face it they aren’t really for young girls just starting their periods and feeling overwhelmed or something every woman feels comfortable with.

Why on earth to brands like Always, Bodyform etc. feel the need to floral our fannies? Why are our periods so disgusting and revolting to them?
Are they in bed with vagisil etc.?

I truly believe this is something we should tackle as feminists because it is bonkers.

I agree with your post and particularly like the phrase 'floral our fannies'

I've never had a problem whenever I've used them.

Majority of the time I buy the supermarket brand, these ones have been fragrance free, not that it states that, they just are.

Are all of the big brand ranges now fragranced? They should always have a selection of non fragranced. I know the majority on MN seem to dislike them.

Are all of the big brand ranges now fragranced?

It seems so whenever I have bought them. I end up using one and then donating the remainder of the packet to the staff stash at work.
I will often buy them in a corner shop or the pharmacy at work, where the choice will be Always or Bodyform.

They'll get the message if we stop buying them. Yes, for a while we'll have to go out of our way to do this (I get mine in Tesco, so not exactly going out of my way) but what is the alternative, they obviously aren't listening if the majority of women dislike them already.

What do you think can be done?

Well maybe it'd be ok if they actually smelled of flowers but they smell like chemicals. Absolutely disgusting. And I think the smell is more intense than before. I bought some pantyliners recently and i had to throw them all out on the third day because the packet was smelling out the room. My handbag stank.

I also stick to non scented ones (apart from that mistake!).

But the moon cup doesn't work for everyone. I have had a few different brands and sizes and I understand why people like them. But as someone they don't work for I'd rather have chemical smelling panty liners because at least they're reliable!

I think there are a few things we can do.

1. Stop buying (this doesn’t help the people who don’t have access to larger stores)
2. Write to the brands
3. A targeted social media campaign with a good hashtag
4. Perhaps get @MNHQ involved in a campaign?

Having them add artificial scent to sanitary pads gives the impression that periods are dirty or something that needs to be hidden. This creates a culture of shame around a perfectly natural and necessary bodily function.

But the moon cup doesn't work for everyone. I have had a few different brands and sizes and I understand why people like them.
Yep it isn’t for everyone, it’s fantastic for those of us it works for but they aren’t a product that suits everyone. Those who need pads should be able to buy a product that does not mean you need to buy OTC treatments or seek medical help.

I posted a couple of link to good article's on the current chat thread, so I'll just paste my posts here too.

There is a list of chemicals that was made from running tests on always pads. personally I think pads tampons and nappies should come with an ingredients list.

www.womensvoices.org/feminine-care-products/detox-the-box/always-pads-testing-results/
-----
Products Tested
Always Ultra Thin unscented

Always Ultra Thin Clean Scent

Always Infinity unscented

Always Radiant Infinity Light Clean Scent

Methodology
Analysis of the samples for volatile organic compounds was conducted by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry with EPA Method TO-15 using headspace containers.

Results
The Always menstrual pads were found to contain several chemicals of concern, including the following:

Styrene: carcinogen
Chloromethane: reproductive toxicant
Chloroethane: carcinogen
Chloroform: carcinogen, reproductive toxicant, neurotoxin
Acetone: irritant.
Volatile Organic Compounds Detected in the Headspace of Menstrual Pads
Chemicals DetectedClean Scent Always Ultra ThinUnscented Always Ultra ThinClean Scent Always RadiantUnscented Always Infinity
Chemical Nameppbvppbvppbvppbv
1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene0.640.54ND1.20
1,3,5-TrimethylbenzeneNDNDND0.54
2-Butanone7.507.70ND4.20
4-EthyltolueneNDNDND0.46
Acetone480.00340.0092.0093.00
ChloroethaneNDND4.406.10
Chloroform1.201.50NDND
ChloromethaneNDNDND16.00
Cyclohexane0.500.78ND1.10
Ethyl acetate8.005.50ND2.30
EthylbenzeneND0.52ND0.84
Heptane1.101.50ND0.86
Isopropyl Alcohol170.0039.00ND17.00
m,p-Xylene1.402.00ND2.80
o-Xylene0.540.68ND1.50
Styrene0.44NDND1.10
Toluene3.206.20ND7.00
trans-1,2-DichloroetheneND0.5026.00ND
Vinyl acetate14.00NDND6.60
Xylenes, Total2.002.70ND4.30
ND = not detected

Yes yes yes to this.

I can remember being in school, oh, more than 20 years ago, and our feminist English teacher starting a discussion on the sudden explosion in panty liners on offer and all the advertising suggesting women are naturally smelly and disgusting and need to use liners every day for ‘freshness’ and ‘confidence’. Our mothers and grandmothers didn’t.

And now we’ve moved on so that normal party liners aren’t ‘enough’ to stop us being so nastily female and we need chemical scents too.

A good piece on the industry and chemicals.

m.huffpost.com/us/entry/3359581

Naturally Savvy notes that 10 years ago, House Representative Carolyn Maloney introduced legislation requiring research into the potential health risks of feminine hygiene product use, including cervical, ovary and breast cancers and endometriosis. Unfortunately, the legislation failed to pass, and it doesn’t appear there’s been any research

Cloth pads and mooncups are the most environmentally friendly as well as vagina-friendly methods. There are loads of options, so we should be thinking with our purses.

I have no idea if I am using scented or not, I must have a bad sense of smell as I really can't tell.

Wings however annoy me immensely.

I hate hate hate them. Top tip - I buy the pads I do like (Always Soft) on Amazon, as they're quite rare in shops.

Not only is the idea that women smell bad and need to have that covered up misogynistic bollocks, the scent applied to the pads is awful. And how much more dangerous are the chemicals that create the scent when they're saturating tampons rather than pads?

I don't have many periods but I thought you had to specially look for scented ones - the ones I buy don't really smell of anything. I do agree that it adds to the feeling of shame around periods though - it's sad that it'll be mostly teenage girls that they, and Vagisil etc, appeal to. However as a teenage girl (abd hell, as a 30-year-old woman) Mooncups or reusable pads or Thinx would not have appealed. I do actually like the choice of products capitalism affords us in this particular sphere, although I wish the wider societal divides were addressed so it wasn't such a lottery as to who could afford quality sanpro.

I use reusable pads and they’re the best for me. Can’t use a mooncup. Occasionally wear tampons on heavy days or for work, and have recently switched to organic cotton ones after reading about what’s in the high street versions. I’m lucky to be able to afford to do this.

Yes. It's infuriating. I'm period free so can't help with purchasing other than foodbank donations but if @MNHQ considered a campaign, that would be great.

What would help would be a list of genuinely no-pong disposable towels.

I've just bought 'perfume free' for DD as I thought that would mean they don't smell, but they do mention something about freshness.

I want to get the nice basic towel. Which can I get?

I don't think this is a feminist issue as such, because plenty of women like and want these products, and prefer buying something with a distinctive 'period product' aroma. Whereas if I thought a cover-up smell was needed, I'd give a bush-blast of my own choice of scent.

All the men I've ever discussed this with (not many to be fair, but enough!) say they like the smell of 'woman'. After all, it's part of the sexual attraction of smell. They like us to be clean but not 'unscented'.

I don't think we really need to be worried about smelling like 'woman'

I have a very acute sense of smell and can occasionally smell when a woman is on her period. It's not offensive.

I want to get the nice basic towel. Which can I get? Tesco's own brand do them.

I miss good old Vespré. Papery oblongs. It's got harder and harder to find a pad that wasn't plasticky and therefore sweaty and uncomfortable, I much preferred the soft papery pads. They seem to be non-existent now.

I went re-usable a couple of years ago and I haven't looked back. I appreciate it's not for everyone, especially youngsters and people who can't summon the funds up front. Maybe the more people get into re-usable the more widely available and cheaper they'll become.

FYI I said people there because women would exclude girls. Reading it back I might be mistaken for someone who thinks men need sanitary protection.

Ugggh, I agree , the scented ones are vile. Once on holiday I came on unexpectedly and the only pads in the only shop open were the scented always ones. I could smell them as DH walked in with the bag of shopping ! No way was I using those. I was able to make do with tissues until the morning.
I use a mix of organic ones, Bodyform unscientific, and washables. When I had terrible peri meno flooding last year the washables were by far the most absorbent of all pads I tried.

Totally agree with this - I have neuropathic stinging and burning Down There and was advised to get some OTC lidocaine. Only thing available is scented Vagisil

I am tempted by reusable pads but my periods are ridiculously heavy and I often flood, so not sure they would cope. I’m no longer able to wear tampons or anything which goes inside so pads are my only option and you’re all right, they smell revolting and seem to be made out of sweaty, plasticky shite. Very annoying.

Badger I had the Charlie Banana washable ones during my flooding bout, and they definitely held more than maternity or night time towels. They can move around though, they need sturdy pants over the top! Brilliant for at home. I had the regular ones, I think the longer ones would cope with flooding even better.
I bought mine from earthwisegirls.co.uk