Videos showing discolored pads, chemical burns and even a maggot sealed inside a menstrual pad are flooding social media. Users say most of these products came from the brand Always — one of the biggest names in the $50 billion menstrual product industry.
The claims left many frustrated and confused, and they wondered how safe their pads really are.
Hidden chemicals in Always pads
Menstrual pads and tampons are classified as medical devices and regulated by the FDA.
“They’re technically regulated,” said Alexandra Scranton, director of science and research for Weaving Voices for Health & Justice, formerly known as Women’s Voices for the Earth. “But there are no rules on what these products can be made of, what contaminants they need to be checking for, or what they need to be testing.”
Scranton’s organization helped push for stronger transparency laws.
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In 2014, Scranton’s team commissioned a lab test of four Always brand pads. The study detected several volatile organic compounds, which are chemicals that can cause reproductive or developmental harm with long-term exposure.
Among the chemicals detected:
- Styrene (carcinogen)
- Chloromethane (reproductive toxicant)
- Chloroethane (carcinogen)
- Chloroform (carcinogen, reproductive toxicant, neurotoxin)
- Acetone (irritant)
“The chemicals we found in our testing — those volatile organic compounds — you won’t find any of those as ingredients on the label,” Scranton said.
States like New York and California now require companies to print full ingredient lists on menstrual product packaging — a change that only took effect in the last few years.
“The major improvement we really pushed for is that now on any menstrual product, you’ll see an ingredient label,” she said. “That’s new.”
Organic brands push for safer alternatives
As public trust in traditional brands wanes with social media attention around Always, users are turning to organic companies as safer alternatives.
Val Emanuel, co-founder of Rif Care, said she started the brand after she and co-founder Rebecca Caputo experienced miscarriages and hormone imbalances likely linked in part to traditional menstrual products.
Emanuel joined the conversation on the Always controversy on TikTok and explained to Straight Arrow News what she thinks the misunderstanding is regarding the discolored pads people are posting about.
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The average woman will spend an estimated $18,000 on menstrual products throughout her lifetime.
“What it looks like I’m seeing in those pads is just super absorbent polymers,” Emanuel said to SAN. “A lot of girls were commenting, saying, ‘That’s just bunched-up cotton,’ and it made me realize how much people don’t know about what’s actually in pads.”
Always pads do not contain cotton. Instead, they use cellulose or synthetic materials like super absorbent polymers — similar to what’s inside disposable diapers. Emanuel said her company, like many other organic brands, avoids those substances entirely.
“At Rif Care, people were concerned about chemicals like BPA and PFA,” she said. “By using organic materials, we avoid certain manufacturing processes — and that means avoiding those chemicals.”
Both Scranton and Emanuel noted that traditional companies aren’t necessarily adding harmful ingredients on purpose. Instead, the chemicals often appear as byproducts of manufacturing, such as breakdowns of adhesives, plastics or fragrances.
“But your body doesn’t care whether it’s intentional or not,” Scranton said.
What consumers can do to protect themselves
For those who’ve experienced irritation or reactions, Scranton said the FDA’s MedWatch form allows consumers to report adverse product experiences directly to the FDA.
With brands like Always still under scrutiny and ingredient testing left mostly to advocacy groups, transparency around menstrual products remains limited.
Scranton said consumers shouldn’t stay silent and encourages anyone who’s had a bad reaction to speak up publicly. “Use social media, contact the company, or report it to the FDA,” she said. “When people share their experiences, that’s when things start to change.”
After finding a maggot in her Always pads, social media user Allie D. contacted customer service and received a $10 coupon. Another user, Stacy Hernandez, who shared her story about chemical burns on TikTok, said Always reached out and asked her to complete a customer form — but she was unable to submit it due to a technical glitch.
Both Scranton and Emanuel agree the goal isn’t to scare consumers, but to demand accountability.
“Companies are responsible to make sure their products aren’t contaminated,” Scranton said. “That’s the bottom line.”
Straight Arrow News reached out to P&G, the parent company of Always, for comment. As of publication, the company has not responded to our requests.
