When you think of buying organic sanitary pads online, the first question that might cross your mind would be: which brand is the best for biodegradable sanitary napkins?
It is not easy to find out which ones are the best biodegradable sanitary pads, provided there are so many brands in the market with all their promises. Their ads seem to help little as they all promote themselves as 100% natural and biodegradable.
In an experiment, a group of environmental specialists tried to compost soiled pads of different brands and found shocking results. Many popular brands failed the test. Some pads started decomposing after a long time, and there were a few pads that started composting within 2 to 6 months.
So, before jumping into the trap of an ad, you must do thorough research to find out the truthfulness of brands’ promises and claims. In India, it is not mandatory to reveal the components of sanitary pads. This gives brands a chance to lie about the composition and claim their pads to be natural and biodegradable to lure customers into buying them.
In addition to the genuinity of the composition, there are so many other factors that help in deciding whether or not a sanitary napkin is worth buying. We’ll compare some of the top biodegradable sanitary pads brands here to help you select the best brand.
Noraa
“We are Noraa. By women, for women.” Led by this tagline, Noraa is a group of “super-women”. Noraa pads are natural and biodegradable. Noraa units provide employment opportunities to women and help them move towards financial independence. The pads are made of organic cotton, corn starch, virgin pulp, and bamboo. All the materials used are plant-derived and chemical-free.
Many brands who claim to be producing organic pads do use organic products but them to give them a neat look. Also to glue the materials together and infuse fragrance, they use chemicals. But Noraa pads don’t use any kind of chemicals and plastic. Their soiled pads start biodegrading within six months. That’s the quality a biodegradable pad should possess.
If a pad doesn’t start decomposing in 6 months or so, it is not eco-friendly, and certainly, there is plastic content in it. So, Noraa pads are organic, safe to your skin and the environment, as well as soft, and highly-absorbent. One pad of Noraa costs ₹25. It’s a sustainable and healthy option for those women who are looking for organic alternatives of sanitary pads.
Saathi
Saathi brand was founded with the aim of producing pads based on sustainable product design. Saathi pads are made using banana fibre which comes from the stem of a banana tree. Banana fibre is known for its supreme absorbency. Along with being organic, another reason for these pads to be sustainable is that banana fibre is discarded after harvest. So, the pads are made of an agricultural by-product.
Saathi pads are indeed soft and organic. When composted, a soiled Saathi pad biodegrades in around 7.5 months. You can purchase Saathi biodegradable sanitary napkins online. One Saathi pad costs ₹22.5. The pads are soft, comfortable and aren’t bleached. The only drawback of these pads is that some of these pads may have lumps which might be inconvenient for some women.
Heyday
Heyday is another brand who claims to manufacture biodegradable sanitary pads. Heyday pads are made of organic corn and bamboo pulp. These pads are organic and plastic-free. Even the corn and bamboo plants are grown in vertical farms where the soil is free of chemicals. Heyday pads are organic, comfortable, plastic-free, and biodegradable.
These pads are soft and do not cause rashes. When composted, Heyday pads decompose by 50% after 4 months. On Heyday website, they claim to be toxin-free, however, the pads look bleached. Chemicals used in bleaching are harmful to one’s health and may cause diseases like cancer, infancy, uterus infections, etc. One Heyday pad costs around ₹11-12.
Carmesi
Carmesi was founded by a woman who suffered from rashes and allergies during menstruations. Upon realising the harmful impact of a synthetic inorganic sanitary napkin, Tanvi Johri decided to establish a brand that would manufacture 100% natural sanitary pads. Carmesi unit distributes free pads to underprivileged and needy girls.
Carmesi pads are made of corn starch, bamboo fibre, and corn-based bio-plastic. The pads are soft and very plush in look and feel. However, when composted, the soiled pad didn’t start decomposing even after 6 months. There happens to be a plastic layer which doesn’t shred. Also, Carmesi pads cause dryness sometimes. One Carmesi pad costs you around ₹30.
Anandi
Anandi pads are manufactured by Aakar, a social enterprise that provides rural women with affordable and sustainable sanitary pads. A pack of 8 Anandi pads cost ₹40, which is a very budget-friendly option for girls from poor backgrounds and slum areas. Anandi pads are 100% biodegradable and start disintegrating within 90–180 days. These pads can even be composted at home inside the compost pit under required circumstances and temperature.
Anandi biodegradable sanitary pads are soft with excellent absorption. The only disadvantage of Anandi pads is that they are not available online and are currently provided to rural women only.
Conclusion
When you are switching to sustainable sanitary pads, you would be looking for the quality and absorbency as your first requirements. Certainly organic and biodegradable sanitary pads are a bit costlier than regular commercial pads. So, if you are going to spend some extra bucks for organic products, you must ensure that the product is genuinely organic and biodegradable. You may try to decompose one soiled pad yourself in a pot or in the backyard.
Also, with an organic sanitary napkin comes comfort and convenience. All of these biodegradable pads come with separate biodegradable pouches. Additionally, the cotton allows your skin to breathe, reducing the chances of infections due to moisture. These pads also save you from rashes and allergies. Thus, you should research enough before selecting the best biodegradable sanitary napkins online.