What's Actually in Your Pad?

Here's something that might surprise you: in South Africa, pad and tampon brands don't have to tell you what's inside their products. There's no law that says they must list the ingredients on the box.

That's a big part of why the Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals study out of the University of the Free State made such headlines earlier this year. It led to an investigation by the National Consumer Commission into several well-known brands. In the end, no products were recalled — regulators said the chemical levels found were low. But the bigger issue the study raised hasn't gone away: right now, you mostly can't find out what's in a pad just by reading the box.

Why Doesn't South Africa Have This Law Already?

Some places do have it. New York was the first place in the world to pass a law like this — since October 2021, any pad or tampon sold there must list its ingredients on the packaging. A few other US states have followed.

South Africa doesn't have anything similar yet. The local standard that does exist, SANS 1043, checks things like absorbency and hygiene — but it doesn't require brands to say what chemicals went into making the product.

So for now, whether a brand tells you what's inside is completely up to them.

What's Usually In a Pad or Tampon?

Even without a law requiring it, it helps to know what commonly goes into these products.

Cotton — soft, breathable, and the most natural option. Some products are 100% cotton; others mix it with synthetic fibres, so "cotton" on the label doesn't always mean pure cotton.

Rayon — a soft, absorbent fibre often used in tampons. It used to be bleached with chlorine, which raised concerns. Most brands today use chlorine-free bleaching instead.

Synthetic materials — things like polyester and polypropylene, added for extra absorbency and to help prevent leaks. Adhesives, fragrance, and colour are often added too.

A Few Ingredients Worth Knowing About

You don't need to become a chemist to shop smarter — just a few things worth having on your radar:

• Fragrance. This one's tricky because brands usually aren't required to say exactly what's in a "fragrance" — it can legally stay a secret. For some women, added fragrance can cause itching, irritation, or a reaction.
• Dyes and colouring. Purely cosmetic — they don't make the product work better, and they can occasionally cause irritation in sensitive skin.
• Glycerin. Sometimes added to tampons to make insertion smoother. It's considered safe by the FDA, but some research suggests it may encourage yeast growth in women who are prone to yeast infections.
• Petrolatum. Common in personal care products as a moisturiser. Usually low-risk, but if it isn't properly refined, it can carry trace contaminants — and can irritate sensitive skin either way.

None of this means every product with these ingredients is dangerous. It really comes down to how much is used, how it's made, and how sensitive your own skin is. But you can only make that call if you know what's in the product to begin with — and right now, that's not guaranteed here.

What Gentle Day Does Differently

We don't wait for a law before telling you what's in our products. Gentle Day pads, liners, and tampons are made without added fragrance, dyes, or chlorine bleaching. We back this up with independent certifications rather than just saying so — including Oeko-Tex Standard 100, GOTS (for our tampons), AITEX Made for Health, and Intertek testing confirming our products are PFAS-free.

Simple Ways to Shop Smarter

1. Ask the brand directly if their packaging doesn't tell you much. If enough women ask, brands start listening.
2. Look for real certifications, not just words like "natural" or "gentle" on the front of the pack. GOTS and Oeko-Tex mean an outside body actually checked.
3. Treat "organic" and "fragrance-free" claims as a starting point, and check whether they're backed by certification.

The Bottom Line

Right now, no law in South Africa requires pad and tampon brands to tell you what's inside their products. That means it's up to each brand to decide how open they want to be about something you use, close to your body, every single month.

Until that changes, the safest move is simple: choose brands that tell you anyway.