Nobody talks about what's actually in a tampon. It's one of those things we're just told to trust.

As I age, my trust is starting to wear thin. The UK is better regulated than places like the US, but awareness is growing, and tampons aren't the only products I have personally swapped out for the organic versions of.

If you've ever had irritation, dryness, or discomfort during your period, it's worth asking: what am I actually putting in my body?

What's in a conventional tampon?

Most tampons sold in the UK are a blend of cotton and rayon, a synthetic fibre made from wood pulp. They're processed with chlorine-based bleaching agents, some carry synthetic fragrance, and none of it is required to be on the label.

Here's the part that surprises people most:

“Manufacturers are not legally obligated to disclose or label the ingredients used in their products.”

That's not a gap in a random product category. Sponges and candles get mandatory safety assessments. Tampons - something we wear inside our bodies for hours at a time - don't. There's a live parliamentary petition and a government consultation trying to change that right now. (https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/737761)

What's different about organic tampons?

Organic tampons are made from 100% certified organic cotton. No synthetics, no bleaching agents, no added fragrance.

At Free Period, we list our ingredients because we only have one: 100% organic, GOTS-certified cotton.

They feel different too. They’re softer, less abrasive, and gentler on your body's natural balance. Most women who switch say the same thing: they had no idea how uncomfortable their old tampons were until they stopped using them.

The organic tampon market in the UK

The UK organic tampon market has grown fast over the past five years, led by brands like Natracare, TOTM, and Yoni. Demand is up. Price is still the barrier with organic products costing roughly twice as much as conventional ones in most UK supermarkets.

That gap matters more than it sounds. Period poverty affects an estimated 1 in 10 young women in the UK. When the safer option costs more, the women who'd benefit most are the least likely to get it.

The more people who order through Free Period, the more free organic period products we can get to women across the UK.

Free organic tampons. This is not a myth

Free Period UK ships 100% organic, certified tampons across the UK. You only pay a small shipping fee as our model can't cover that part… yet. 

Everything else is funded by brand advertising on the packaging, so the products themselves stay genuinely free, not discounted. If you've been curious about switching to organic but couldn't justify the cost, this is where you start.

Find free organic period products at freeperiod.uk, or at participating stockists across the UK.

freeperiod.uk