The availability-chain problems with 2022 led to a tampon scarcity that left few uterus-having folks (whether or not pregnant, parenting, or menstruating) unaffected. Fortunately, the rise in direct-to-consumer tampon firms helped make sure the period-care staple remained accessible, regardless of logistical obstacles. And, not solely are these D2C manufacturers dedicated to conserving tampons accessible, they’re additionally working to make them higher, each in your well being and the atmosphere. For those who’re able to make the swap from drugstore interval merchandise, we now have a handful of newly-available tampon manufacturers so that you can discover.
The most effective D2C tampon manufacturers, at a look
In lots of circumstances, the particular tampon manufacturers which have accessible inventory are capable of get round numerous supply-chain points as a result of they make the most of completely different supplies than the pharmacy manufacturers—and sometimes, extra sustainable supplies at that (win, win). For instance, period-care firms like Viv, Flo, and August use supplies like natural cotton and bamboo, corn fiber, and sugarcane-derived applicators of their pads and tampons (versus plastic), which has insulated their manufacturing processes from many plastic-centric supply-chain points.
“Inflation on most of the plastic composite components in pads, for instance, is as a lot as 20 %,” says Nick Jain, co-founder and COO at August. “As a commodity at such a low value level, a 20 % improve in raw-material value both forces an organization to extend costs or take a success on product margins, which limits their money stream.” In that state of affairs, it additionally turns into more durable for a corporation to carry a bunch of stock in inventory (already an costly factor to do), provides Jain. And now, the businesses that selected not to carry that stock are going through vital shortages, as plastic turns into tougher to obtain.
“In a time the place issues really feel particularly fragile, it is extra vital than ever to have our primary organic wants coated.” —Tara Chandra, co-founder of period-care firm Flo
However whereas these variations in uncooked supplies have definitely made it simpler from the outset for some eco tampon manufacturers to maintain their product accessible, it’s to not say they’ve all been proof against different supply-chain points previously, like staffing shortages and congested ports. And these logistical holdups would possibly’ve very properly nonetheless affected their means to maintain product well-stocked, had it not been for his or her deep-rooted values to guard menstruators at each flip. “We’ve been acutely dialed in to constructing our provide over time, and our operations workforce has made it a prime precedence from the start of this 12 months to safe weeks of provide for our menstrual-care merchandise,” says Beatrice Dixon, CEO of intimate-care model The Honey Pot Co.
Merely acknowledging that these merchandise are important has additionally led many smaller tampon firms to construction their provide chains round making certain availability, usually by putting massive orders upfront (at no matter value mandatory)—and significantly proper now, given the grim reproductive-health panorama in America. “In a time the place issues really feel particularly fragile, the place we’re struggling to get our arms on formulation and our reproductive rights are in danger, it is extra vital than ever to have our primary organic wants coated,” says Tara Chandra, co-founder of Flo.
It is value declaring that as a result of numerous the supplies used within the accessible tampons are extra premium than these of their drugstore counterparts, they could are available at the next value level per field. However, for people who’ve a versatile spending account (FSA) or well being financial savings account (HSA), most are eligible to expense, because of the CARES Act. Beneath, discover the tampon manufacturers taking particular care to assist menstruators with available merchandise for this primary, organic operate.
9 interval product manufacturers you need to know
August, Tampons (Worth Varies)
Based as a gender-inclusive, eco-friendly, and financially accessible different to conventional period-care manufacturers, August launched amid the pandemic. Due to that timing, founders Nadya Okamoto and Nick Jain had been prepared to include resiliency into their provide chain from the beginning. “We made the choice to maintain 4 to 6 months of stock readily available at any given time, in order that when the manufacturing cycles decelerate [as they are now], we now have reserve inventory that we are able to promote by way of,” says Jain.
With August, you possibly can mix their varied interval merchandise (pads, liners, and tampons) to construct a customized field for a subscription or a one-time buy. Your buy does require a 20 unit minimal, although, in order that’s one thing to bear in mind.
Supplies: 100% natural cotton (together with the string), BPA-free plastic applicator (that’s recyclable when washed off)
Tampon sizes: Gentle, Common, Tremendous
- Simply customizable subscription
- Good number of sizes and
- Requires 20 gadgets per field to ship
The Honey Pot Firm, Natural Tampons — $13.00
A part of why you possibly can all the time depend on The Honey Pot Co. to have tampons in inventory is due to the numerous completely different varieties they provide “for differing wants and people,” says Dixon, starting from common to tremendous absorbency to compact and even compact super-plus. They’re all made with natural cotton and a BPA-free, plant-based applicator.
Although the model additionally sells quite a lot of different menstrual-care merchandise, together with a menstrual cup, Dixon is dedicated to all the time conserving tampons, at $13 for a field of 18, in inventory. “Very like pads, tampons have been on the core of menstrual merchandise for a lot of the final century, so whereas offering new choices is nice, you can’t ignore the cultural implications of such a key product as a tampon,” she says.
Supplies: Cotton, sugarcane-derived applicator
Tampon sizes: Common, Tremendous, Tremendous Plus
- Extensively accessible at huge field shops
- Number of interval merchandise to select from
Viv, Tampons — $9.00
Viv tampons, which come as a field of 18 tampons for $9, have the excellence of being absolutely plant-based, thanks not solely to the organic-cotton core, but in addition, a sugarcane-derived (quite than plastic) applicator. (Notably, the corporate’s pads and liners are made with bamboo and corn fiber.) “As a result of our material-sourcing and manufacturing processes look very completely different from these of conventional big-box manufacturers, we’ve been capable of keep safe in our provide chain,” says Katie Diasti, founder and CEO.
Provided that Diasti’s aim is equally centered on lowering interval stigma as it’s on minimizing the environmental influence of durations, she’s additionally working to construct a neighborhood round uplifting menstruators of every kind—particularly within the present local weather. “The tampon scarcity isn’t just a headline or pattern; it is going to instantly influence probably the most marginalized menstruators and is a mirrored image of the methods during which menstrual well being has been uncared for and hush-hush for much too lengthy,” she says. And, to broaden their attain, now you can additionally discover Viv’s tampons on Amazon.
Supplies: Cotton, sugarcane-derived applicator, bamboo and corn fiber (for pads and liners)
Tampon sizes: Common, Tremendous
- Comparatively cheap
- Non-toxic, sustainable supplies
- Much less dimension choices than another manufacturers
Cora, Consolation Match Tampon — $10.00
Making secure period-care merchandise accessible to all and busting interval poverty has been on the coronary heart of Cora’s objective because the firm was based in 2014. And in accordance with chief advertising and marketing officer Dana Cohen, that gained’t be altering anytime quickly: “As a female-owned model, we consider that it doesn’t matter what, menstruators want entry to period-care merchandise.”
In the intervening time, Cora, which sells bins of 16 tampons for $10, has loads of accessible inventory (each by way of the Cora web site and throughout retailers like Amazon). Cohen says Cora has additionally seen elevated curiosity within the model’s reusable interval merchandise—significantly the interval disc, which launched final 12 months and which she suspects could assist offset a number of the demand for the model’s tampons.
Supplies: Natural cotton, sugarcane-derived applicator
Tampon sizes: Gentle, Common, Tremendous, Tremendous Plus
- Inclusive tampon dimension vary
- With each buy Cora donates interval merchandise to these in want
- Some clients say the flat-expansion design permits for leaks
Rael, Natural Cotton Tampons (16-Depend) — $9.00
“When the supply-chain downside began occurring [over the past couple years], we foresaw the problems that many manufacturers are going through now and made certain to ramp up the variety of merchandise we sometimes order for manufacturing,” says Yanghee Paik, CEO and co-founder.
Made with tip-to-string natural cotton, Rael’s tampons, $9 for 16, even have an organic-cotton protecting “veil” to stop cloth from shedding throughout the vagina and decrease leaks. And, whereas this model doesn’t use sugarcane-derived applicators (like many of the others on our checklist), they do use BPA-free plastic.
Supplies: Natural cotton, BPA-free plastic
Tampon sizes: Common, Tremendous
- Natural cotton veil to stop shedding
- Decrease-priced possibility
DeoDoc, Cotton Tampons — $9.00
A biodegradable cardboard applicator (and biodegradable packaging as well) makes DeoDoc organic-cotton tampons, $0 for 14 or 16 tampons relying on absorbency, significantly eco-conscious. And, just like the Rael tampons above, they sport an additional layer of cotton netting across the cotton core to make sure there’s no shedding or irritation to the vaginal wall—a specific aim for the gynecologist behind the model, Gunvor Ekman-Ordeberg, MD.
Just like the founders of Rael and The Honey Pot Co., cofounder of DeoDoc Hadieh Asadi, MD, says she selected to make bigger orders a number of months again with the intention to keep away from working out of inventory. “As a female-founded firm, we’re in energy to decide on what we wish to concentrate on, and for us, girls’s well being and ladies’s wants will all the time be of the best precedence,” says Dr. Asadi.
Supplies: GOTS-certified natural cotton, cardboard applicator
Tampon sizes: Common, Tremendous
- GOTS-certified natural cotton
- Includes a cotton netting to stop shedding
- Much less dimension choices than different manufacturers
Flo, Natural Tampons (16-Depend) — $14.00
As with Viv, Flo organic-cotton tampons exchange a typical plastic applicator with a sugarcane-derived one with the intention to be wholly plant-based, which has “helped us keep away from most of the shortages that mainstream manufacturers are going through,” says Chandra. Flo additionally gives additionally the choice for applicator-free tampons, for even much less waste.
Supplies: Natural cotton, sugarcane-derived applicator
Tampon sizes: Common, Tremendous
- 100% recyclable, 95 % plant-based
- Applicator-free possibility
Athena Membership, Natural Tampons — $8.00
With each absolutely organic-cotton and organic-rayon mix tampons, Athena Membership, which sells 18 tampons for $8, has choices relying on what you’re going for. The variability has additionally helps the corporate hold ample inventory accessible. “We plan forward with our suppliers, and work diligently to make sure we by no means inventory out—particularly for our period-care merchandise and significantly as a result of we’re a subscription-based enterprise,” says Maria Desmarais, cofounder and co-CEO of Athena Membership, which additionally makes a variety of different personal-care merchandise.
Supplies: Both cotton-rayon mix or natural cotton tampons, cardboard or plant-based applicators
Tampon sizes: Common, Tremendous
- Inexpensive pricing (even the natural tampons)
- Alternative of applicator sort
Daye, Nude Natural Tampons (18-Depend) — $11.00
Daye takes their sustainability efforts up a notch by introducing a dissolvable, flushable wrapper. Plus, their tampons use a no-shed protecting sleeve and are constructed from 100% natural cotton. You’ll be able to select between their natural “Nude” tampons, or their tampons that embody THC-free CBD, which the model says helps relieve ache from interval cramps. Or, should you’re unsure which to go for, you possibly can go for their Trial Field, which incorporates a mixture of each.
Supplies: Natural cotton, sugarcane-derived applicators, THC-free hemp CBD (optionally available)
Tampon sizes: Common, Tremendous
- Flushable, dissolvable wrapper
- Possibility so as to add THC-free CBD
