Most of us just grab care products off the shelf without thinking too much about it. These products have been around for a time. The brands feel familiar. It is easy to think that if something was truly bad we would already know.. That is not always true. That is a reason why independent testing is such a major topic lately.
Trusting the Label Is Not Always Enough
Here is the truth. Feminine care products are actually called devices. However that does not mean they get checked strictly as a new medicine would. For a time companies have been able to report their own safety info. This means we often have to take a company's word for it of seeing real data from an outside source.
Why Outside Testing Changes the Picture
This is where independent labs help. When researchers who do not work for a brand test these products they use careful methods. Sometimes these researchers find things that the company did not mention. It is not that every brand is trying to hide things on purpose.. Without outside proof we do not really know what is inside a product. We only know what we assume is safe.
The Tampax Lawsuit Shows Why This Matters
The tampax lawsuit is a real-life example of why this a problem. Some class action cases against Procter & Gamble claim that some Tampax Pearl products had metals in them that were not listed. Importantly these findings came from independent lab testing and not from the company itself. The tampax lawsuit is still going on now. No settlement has been made yet. The tampax lawsuit shows why we cannot just trust what a manufacturer says.
What This Means, for Consumers
I am not saying that every feminine care product is unsafe. Independent testing does help find things that might get missed. This is important because we use these products on our sensitive parts very often. Looking at research of just trusting the box can really help you stay safe.
Final Thoughts
Independent testing is not a bonus. It is often the way to find out information that companies might not tell us. The tampax lawsuit is a reminder of why we need outside eyes looking at things especially for products that are this personal.
