This month we’re delighted to welcome a new Period Pioneer into our marketing team. Fee, is here to help us make 2017 our best year yet, and we’re excited to have her on-board, helping spread the word of TOTM. Here’s what she has to say on day 3 of her role:
‘This is a brand women need to pay attention to’ was my reaction when I first discovered TOTM. As an avid Pilates fan and reflexology advocate, I truly believe we should be more mindful of how we treat our bodies. So, it was while avidly reading TOTM’s advice blogs that I instantly felt engaged with their messages and mission.
It’s fair to say that I connected with the brand straight away, which as a marketer is great, but I wanted more; I wanted to be part of the journey.
Following the usual interview protocol, and a slightly less usual meeting down the pub, I was thrilled to be offered the position of Marketing Executive. And it’s from my new desk in TOTM Towers where I sit writing this today, armed with a plethora of shiny new stationary and several boxes of flavoured green tea, tasked with spreading the word of menstrual health.
The new face in the office
I’ve had a diverse career so far. Planning events, delivering campaigns for global conferences and blogging about cyber security, but stepping into the world of femcare comes with a whole host of new challenges. I’m hugely excited and motivated to be joining a company like TOTM, where there is a genuine aspiration to make positive change. Talking all things periods, vaginas and how to have a healthy time of the month. It’s about to become part of everyday conversation and I can’t wait to start raising awareness of these important issues amongst the health-conscious women of the world.
I wanted to kick things off by discussing the importance of going organic!
As mentioned before, I’m new to this industry, but when doing research into the femcare products available on the market, I felt moved to share my perspective on why organic sanitary products are a safer alternative.
Whilst we try to treat our bodies well and often opt for healthier food, we’re slower to adopt this approach when picking up sanitary products. Reality is, your vagina is a sensitive soul. If you don’t treat it well, then it could lead to serious health implications ‘down there.’
Be aware of synthetic products
When purchasing tampons, I think it’s important for all women to understand what the product contains; after all it is going inside your body. And unfortunately, manufacturers aren’t duty bound to disclose their ingredients. The reality is most tampons are made from synthetics and some contain nasties, including pesticides, parabens, and bleach!
If you use a synthetic tampon the fibres can cause ongoing irritation, itching, rashes and thrush-like symptoms. Longer term, the harmful chemicals can impact hormonal balance, cause reproductive problems, damage the immune system and are even linked to cancer.
Ready to have a healthier period?
Learning this really opened my eyes and made me realise we all need to make a conscious effort to discuss the health risks associated with our time of the month. Alongside raising awareness, it’s also essential to make healthier choices when buying femcare products.
By switching to an organic cotton product, you limit the health risks (short and long-term) associated with synthetic alternatives. This is because organic tampons do not contain harmful chemicals.
There is also evidence that supports going organic can lower the risk of Toxic Shock Syndrome. Following two decades of research, Dr Phillips Tierno linked synthetic tampons with TSS. He concludes that all cotton organic tampons lower this risk. It’s difficult to ignore his expert advice. Whilst women should always be aware of the symptoms of TSS when using any tampon, Tierno’s research reminds us once again of the dangers of synthetic products.
Give organic a go
In my opinion every woman should be saying no to chemical-ridden synthetic tampons. When it comes to our periods we have more choice then ever these days. We need to improve menstrual education, talk openly about our cycles and make every effort to be kinder to our vaginas!
Fee, from Cardiff.
