Thought you knew all the feminine care products on the market? Well, maybe not. LOLA, founded by Jordana Kier and Alex Friedman, decided it was time to take on those big-name brands.
The Problem
Companies like Tampax and Always have touted their leak-free, scent-masking protection for so long that any other brand might seem redundant. There isn’t a group of twirling girls or blue-liquid tests we haven’t seen. These commercials promote that what matters is spot-free white jeans, not what we are putting in our bodies.
The problem is that we've never questioned it.
Most of us assume tampons are made of cotton, but big-name brands use a blend of polyester and viscose rayon, and many include additives (think dyes and artificial scents). This not only introduces chemicals to our bodies, but toxins that can cause bacterial growth, sometimes leading to toxic shock syndrome (TSS).
LOLA’s Mission
Kier and Friedman decided it was time to ask what is in our female hygiene products. The result? Kier says, “The more we started doing research around the ingredients and what was actually in the products, the more we realized we couldn’t figure it out.”
For a staple toiletry item that gets cozy with the most intimate parts of our body, you’d think there are regulations.
Currently, though, the FDA does not require companies to disclose the ingredients in their feminine care products. Yup, that means there are no laws regarding what’s in your liners, tampons or pads.
Considering researchers estimate a woman uses an average of 10,000 feminine care products in her lifetime, it begs the question if these products could potentially do harm.
Yet, there have been no studies conducted on the long-term effects of exposure to these artificial fibers and ingredients.
Full Disclosure
It’s not like menstruation is a hot topic during that afternoon coffee date with the girls, but it’s time to hold companies accountable for what they sell.
LOLA headed this movement by fully disclosing the ingredients (100% organic cotton, BPA-free applicators) in their tampons, and have since moved on to all menstruation products.
It’s a subscription service that allows you to customize your box—as many wing-tips, liners, or “super” tampons as you need—and will run you $9-10 per box. You can choose how frequently LOLA delivers (so you always stay stocked), plus by purchasing from LOLA you support their give back program which provides feminine care products to low-income women. Since July 2015, they’ve donated 100,000 tampons in 60 different cities.
Sounds like spot-free protection done right.
