We're committed to continuously advancing the education surrounding women's health and to providing best products for our bodies and our planet.
Heard the news about toxic heavy metals in tampons? Of course we’re happy that more awareness is being brought to safer products like Saalt Cups and Discs that are better for our bodies and the planet. But I’ve also noticed a sad pattern in people’s reactions to the news. Nobody is really surprised that trace amounts of these metals were found. We’ve come to expect that there are now so many environmental contaminants in our consumer products that they’re almost impossible to get away from. So the best we can really do is limit our exposure to them. What we ARE surprised about is that this is the first time we’ve seen a study of this kind, and it’s 2024. Women aren’t feeling surprised; we’re feeling TIRED. Tired of women’s health being de-prioritized in public health research. Tired of hearing that twice as much health research funding goes to diseases that disproportionately affect men over those that affect women. Tired of hearing that there have been 60 clinical trials studying the efficacy of Viagra, but the very first study to measure the absorbency of menstrual products happened last year, and the first to test for metal contaminants in tampons was released just a few days ago. Tired of knowing that tampon manufacturers aren’t required to test their products for harmful chemicals or disclose their ingredients on their packaging. Tired of knowing that we now have cars that go from 0-60mph in 1.9 seconds and computers we can carry in our pockets, but women have had the same tampons for the past 93 years that were patented by a man in 1931. And tired of knowing that we put a man on the moon over a decade before we got the innovation of the pad with wings in the 1980s. I was first introduced to the menstrual cup in my 30s and remember thinking, “How is it that I am an educated adult woman and never even knew this product existed?” The first menstrual cup was invented and patented by an American actress named Leona Chalmers in 1937, not long after the tampon was invented, yet it is far less known and adopted. Why are more Americans using disposable tampons patented by a man over a reusable product patented by a woman? Friends, we deserve better. I started Saalt because I simply wanted to get the word out that better options exist and create even better products for my 5 daughters and girls across the world starting their periods. So here’s my commitment to you, as a female leader making period care products. We’re committed to making the best and most innovative products that not only work, but also work for the health of our bodies and planet. We’re committed to being transparent about the ingredients in our products, proactively testing our products for harmful chemicals, and sharing the results. And we’re committed to using our influence as a company in the women’s health space to educate more people about menstrual and reproductive health. Let’s demand better and do better. -Cherie