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Learn more about Tampax tampons and feminine care products, including tampon and period information and helpful women's health articles.

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Nothing but the best ingredients

What Everyone Should Know about Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS)

Table one

<div class="tableone">
  <table>
    <tr>
      <th>Ingredient</th>
      <th>Benefit</th>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Rayon</td>
      <td>Fibers that help absorb and retain fluid</td>
    </tr>
     <tr>
      <td>Cotton</td>
      <td>Fibers that help absorb and retain fluid</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Polypropylene</td>
      <td>Fibers that help channel fluid back to the core</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Polyethylene</td>
      <td>Fibers that help with smooth removal</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Polyester</td>
      <td>Thread that sews tampon together</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Glycerin</td>
      <td>Coating that helps fibers wick fluid</td>
    </tr>
     <tr>
      <td>Paraffin</td>
      <td>Wax that helps keep string clean</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Ethoxylated Fatty Acid Esters</td>
      <td>Coating that helps fibers wick fluid</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>PEG-100 Stearate</td>
      <td>Coating that helps fibers wick fluid</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Titanium Dioxide</td>
      <td>Makes thread look whiter</td>
    </tr>
  </table>
</div>

Ingredient Transparency

Tampax is the first Tampon brand to use SmartLabel ™, where you can find detailed information on our ingredients.


Leading with trust and transparency, now and into the future

## Leading with trust and transparency, now and into the future

image three

All people have the right to understand what goes into the products they buy, so we will continue to feature Tampax ingredients on SmartLabel.org, Tampax.com, and our packaging so that when you reach for our products, you’ll know what is in them, that they are tested, and that they can be used safely.

Behind every Tampax, there are 80+ years of experience and real people who care about making a product that’s safe and comfortable for you to put in your body.  

Your trust in our products is what keeps us innovating and continuing along our ingredient transparency journey.

Paragraph 1

Tampax-US-EN/Untitled-9_0018_How_to_Insert_a_Tampon_-_Image_1_-_Header-finalversion_bphhnp

What's in Tampax Tampons

ThingLink

All Your Period Questions, Answered

Our products are designed to give you the comfort and protection you want with only the ingredients you need.

Purposeful Design, intentional Ingredients

## Purposeful design, intentional ingredients

Safety first

Can You Flush Tampons? The Facts on Tampon Disposal and Recycling Tampax

Question 6 

Paragraph - after infographic

### What ingredients are in Tampax Pearl and what’s the benefit?

Our ingredients are carefully selected to give you protection and comfort you can feel good about. Learn more about why we selected them.

__Major Ingredients in Tampax Pearl:__ Our purified cotton is a plant-based ingredient purified for usage. Rayon is a material derived from purified wood pulp and is processed into an absorbent cellulose fiber. Our purification process ensures Tampax tampons are made without elemental chlorine bleaching and do not add any perfumes to the tampon. Comfort is key, so our Tampax Pearl plastic applicators are made without BPA and designed to make insertion easy and smooth. The LeakGuard Braid helps stop leaks before they happen by channeling them back to the core.

Tampax and Amy Schumer

Smart lableimage

Period Health - Everything You Need to Know About PMS

Everything You Need to Know About PMS

Safety First

While periods seem pretty straightforward they can actually get super complicated. There’s the timing, the symptoms, and the cramps to factor into it, not to mention the sudden flood of hormones. But once you know what’s behind the domino effect that leads to your period, it can be easier to predict — and therefore manage. Here, we answer the most common questions about your period.

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Find Your Flow Quiz

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There’s nothing worse than feeling a little *squish* in your pants and being faced with the potential horror that you might’ve just started your period unprepared. “When should I get my period?” you wonder, followed by “Did I just start my period?” are not the best things to cross your mind on a day you’re not expecting it. Be your own period prepper with the Tampax Period Calculator to know when your flow is about to start.
For those vagina-havers with regular cycles (how’s it feel to be genetically lucky?), use our period calendar tracking tool to find out when you can roll the dice with your favorite pair of white jeans. 

__How do menstrual calculators work?__
Glad you asked. Basically, your body runs on a four-part “menstrual cycle” — and while you might assume that phrase means just the week of bleeding, in actuality, your menstrual cycle also refers to the weeks you don’t bleed. Your body is still grinding and putting in work — it’s not like your reproductive system just goes all-out the one week you bleed.
[You start with the menstrual cycle (your period, when the lining of your uterus sheds), followed by the follicular phase (when the follicles in your ovaries mature and get ready for the prime time: ovulation), then comes (you guessed it) ovulation (when the egg is released), followed finally by the luteal phase (when the egg makes its way down your fallopian tubes and gets ready to bleed)](/en-us/period-health/menstrual-cycle-phases/).

Knowing this, you can track your period and your cycle. Voila!

It’s like those annoying SAT logic questions. If luteinizing is def gonna happen, then the menstrual cycle is def gonna happen next, and it’s only a matter of time before you bleed. You can also tell other ways to see where in your cycle your body is, like tracking your basal body temp (your temp when you first wake up), and checking your cervical mucus, both of which are helpful to know if you want to see if you’re ovulating, aka at your most fertile. But since seeing your period is an easier way of pinning down where you are in your cycle, tracking the days you bleed can also help you fill in the missing gaps to better picture your cycle’s timeline. 

It’s using this information that you can get a chronological, clearer picture of what to expect. 

Of course, not everyone’s cycle is totally the same. The average length that people usually go by is 28 days, but [anywhere from 21 to 35 days is normal too](/en-us/period-health/menstrual-cycle-phases/), so don’t stress if you tend to be on the earlier or later side, as long as it’s consistent for your bod. If you’re on birth control, this can also help give you a more stable idea of your cycle, as birth control regulates your period a bit better. 

But whether your period is three days, five, or seven days, whether it comes every month or more like every month-ish, you can still use a period calculator to better learn your cycle.
__How to Use a Period Tracker:__
Simply input the length of your average period and the length of your last period, and let the period calculator do the rest. 

Pop in the date your last period began, the length of time it lasted, and the average length of your cycle to get a better idea of when you can reasonably expect your next period. If you have no idea how long between your periods, make a note the next time it starts and when it ends so you have it on hand for next month. Better late than never amirite?

You can also use a “period tracker” for way more than just predicting bleed week. Since ovulation usually occurs on the [14th day of your cycle](https://www.medicinenet.com/menstruation/article.htm) (with Day 1 of your cycle being the first day you bleed), you can also learn and track peak ovulation.

Period Calendar Bottom Text

Switch between tampon absorbencies throughout</br>your menstrual cycle for better comfort and protection.

## GO UP</br>or GO DOWN

Image one

How to Decide Between Pads and Tampons Title

Everything You Need to Know About PMS 

<img src="https://images.ctfassets.net/xzpusfk4t9vc/2upHS7BiFossXkJ4dNxmz9/a994538ba11a60acc2681b1dd2664ec6/smartlabel.JPG" class="imageright" />With your well-being as our ultimate standard, we will continue to feature our ingredients on our packaging, on SmartLabel.org and Tampax.com so that when you reach for our products, you’ll know they are made with thoroughly evaluated ingredients. Your trust in our products is what keeps us innovating and continuing along our ingredient transparency journey.

Leading with trust and transparency, now and into the future 

## Leading with trust and transparency, now and into the future 

Ingredient Transparency Paragraph - Pearl

__SMOOTH REMOVAL LAYER__
<br />Provides comfortable removal even on light days.

__ABSORBENT CORE__
<br />Provides protection by absorbing and storing menstrual fluid.

__LEAKGUARD BRAID™__
<br />Helps stop leaks before they happen.

__STRING__
<br />Used to remove the tampon.

Gently expands to your individual shape thanks to Tampax FormFit protection.

__APPLICATOR AND ANTI-SLIP GRIP__
<br />Helps to comfortably insert the tampon.

Learn more about Tampax® ingredient safety process to give you peace of mind about your period protection.

Ingredient Safety | Tampax®

Find out what P&G did over the past four decades to ensure that women get safe period care products.

Safety First - title

## Safety first

content image

Question 3

<img class='imageleft' src="https://images.ctfassets.net/xzpusfk4t9vc/KZgM2HbQw39emhQOPJ5ub/653912523bc2305371dae56adcd0846e/Cotton_branch_middle_article_image_2.jpg" alt="Tampax" />At Tampax, we believe your vagina deserves the best. We relentlessly pursue the best ingredients that can be used safely from both science and nature, and we continuously assess every finished product to ensure safety. For example, rayon is a synthetic material derived from purified wood pulp and is processed into an absorbent cellulose fiber. Its unique fiber shape (trilobal rayon) is specifically designed for tampons. It absorbs fluid quickly and expands to help stop leaks. Natural cotton is an ideal absorbant fiber that provides the period protection we all need. Some tampons use a combination of natural cotton and rayon fibers that help provide the ideal absorbency level for your flow. 

Nothing but the best ingredients - paragraph

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Tampax Our Ingredients | Tampax®

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Tampax

Are tampons flushable? How do you properly dispose of them? Find tips and more answers on flushing tampons.

Can You Flush Tampons?

Can You Flush Tampons? | Tampax®

Toxic Shock Syndrome is a serious illness that can impact anyone. Learn the causes, symptoms, and treatment options. Get tips for preventing TSS.

What Everyone Should Know About Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS)

Tampax Pure products

Your questions, our answers

Article List Can You Swim on Your Period?

#### High standards and highly selective processes have helped Tampax products obtain these credentials:


Vetted and validated by 3rd party experts

## Vetted and validated by 3rd party experts

Find your flow combo with Tampax Pearl

Tampax-US-EN/3rd_image_pzggc3

Our Partnerships

Question 4

Article List What Everyone Should Know about Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS)

faq Cntianer

Get answers to your period questions around menstrual cycle duration, symptoms, discomfort, and more.

All Your Period Questions Answered | Tampax®

Ingredient Transparency Paragraph - PURE

__SMOOTH REMOVAL LAYER__
<br />Provides comfortable removal even on light days.

__ABSORBENT CORE__
<br />Made of 100% organic cotton and provides protection by absorbing and storing menstrual fluid.

__LEAKGUARD BRAID™__
<br />Helps stop leaks before they happen.

__STRING__
<br />Used to remove the tampon.

Gently expands to your individual shape thanks to Tampax FormFit protection.

__APPLICATOR AND ANTI-SLIP GRIP__
<br />High quality plastic applicator with an anti-slip grip for easy insertion

Question 5

<img class="imageright" src="https://images.ctfassets.net/xzpusfk4t9vc/3NhpvW397M0O2ME6kttCCu/2ce14b2762be917c28569a322334eea1/CC011505_Cabinet_Pearl.jpg" alt="img" /> Quality and safety is at the heart of everything we do, so all of our products are thoroughly evaluated before they get on the shelves and into your vagina. For us, safety includes everything from where our ingredients come from to how we package the product, and all the steps in between. Call us perfectionists, but ensuring safety starts with a four-step, science-based process for ingredient assessment that builds on and exceeds government requirements. We look at safe limits, smart uses, and evolving safety information to ensure our products are the highest quality. Basically, if the safety or efficacy of an ingredient is ever in question—we don’t use it. Period. 

To know more about our safety process, visit this [article](/en-us/about/ingredients/ingredient-safety/).


Safety First - paragraph

Your flow is different every day.  
Your tampon should be, too.

#### Find your flow combo with Tampax Pearl

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Tampax PURE COTTON

Ultra

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### What ingredients are in Tampax PURE COTTON and what’s the benefit?

Our ingredients are carefully selected to give you protection and comfort you can feel good about. Learn more about why we selected them.

__Major Ingredients in Tampax PURE COTTON:__ Our purified organic cotton is a plant-based ingredient purified for usage. Our purification process ensures Tampax tampons are made without elemental chlorine bleaching and do not add any perfumes to the tampon. Comfort is key, so our Tampax PURE COTTON high quality plastic applicators are made without BPA and designed to make insertion easy and smooth. The LeakGuard Braid helps stop leaks before they happen by channeling them back to the core.

Content Navigation content

Tampax has been serving consumers with period care products for more than 80 years. Ensuring that our products are safe for the millions of consumers who use them is at the foundation of everything we do. We are confident in the quality and safety of every single ingredient in our Tampax brands, and we are proud to share our history because nothing is more important to us than your well-being.

## 1990s-2000s

<img src="https://images.ctfassets.net/xzpusfk4t9vc/oUCEZoQ0J8JizLNKyqac7/f423ee07bd76f844d9ac931eaa779f99/icon1.JPG" class="imageleftsafety" /> 
<h4>Information about the major components added to packaging</h4>

## 2017-2018

<img src="https://images.ctfassets.net/xzpusfk4t9vc/78XQHNu9uiOXAMIGz46L5k/c7cb463e4bf34e23285aeb4d2e740c2a/icon2.JPG" class="imageleftsafety"/>
<h4>First and only Fem Care brand to list product ingredients on SmartLabel</h4>

## 2019-2021

<img src="https://images.ctfassets.net/xzpusfk4t9vc/6dR6obkqvngr1TRqwgaI4a/0c98f2ec0a7f5ac45ca51b40334fdb53/icon3.JPG" class="imageleftsafety"/>
<h4>Blockchain Web App Technology enabled for organic cotton products – Ingredients will be listed on menstrual product packages in order of predominance</h4>

### For the confidence, comfort, and protection you deserve. Nothing more, nothing less. Period.

__At Tampax, the safety of our ingredients and materials is the most important choice we make for our products.__

<div class="divbullet">1</div>

<div class="heading">
 DOUBT<br/>
  <p>The Foundation</p></div>

When we explore ingredient options or work with our suppliers, we ask questions, just like you. We review all existing safety information and if we can’t be sure that it can be used safely, we won’t use it.

<div class="divbullet">2</div>
<div class="heading">
DEFINE<br/>
  <p>Safe Range</p></div>

Our PhD scientists and outside experts help us define a safe level for each ingredient. Almost everything in the world has a safe and an unsafe level or limit, including life-sustaining basics like sunlight, oxygen and water.

<div class="divbullet">3</div>

  <div class="heading">
DETERMINE<br/>
    <p>Safe Product Use</p></div>

We rely on analytical data in combination with supplier information to ensure that the amount of an ingredient is within the safe limits.

<div class="divbullet">4</div>
<div class="heading">
DILIGENCE<br/>
  <p>Monitor Use and New Information</p></div>

Perspective on an ingredient’s safety can change, sometimes seemingly overnight. That’s why we review new literature, assess consumer comments and connect with experts to stay on top of the science.


4 Step Safety Process

## 4 Step Safety Process

Ingredient Safety - video

Our Ingredients

Ingredient Transparency

Safety First

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