Natracare pads are all totally free of chlorine bleach, perfumes, rayon, plastics, and other synthetics. They are instead made with natural materials that are at least 90 percent biodegradable, including plant cellulose and organic cotton.
Table of Contents
Natracare Organic Cotton Pads
Highlights: Breathable, soft, and super sustainable pads in a variety of shapes, absorbencies, and sizes, from an eco-friendly company.
- Breathable, soft, and comfortable to use
- Ideal for those with sensitive skin
- Made with natural materials that are at least 90 percent biodegradable
- Eco-friendly wrappers for some pads and liners
- Disposable – not as sustainable as reusable pads or cups
At a glance:
Made in: Sweden
Materials: (Pads) Certified organic cotton, ecologically-certified cellulose pulp, non-GMO cornstarch, non-toxic glue / (Wrappers) Compostable cellulose, compostable starch film
Certifications: GOTS, Soil Association, FDA, Vegetarian Society approved as vegan-friendly, Life-cycle assessment: EPD (Environmental Product Declaration), Nordic Ecolabel
What we like
Thanks to the natural materials, Natracare pads are breathable, soft, and comfortable to use. I love that they don’t have that plasticky feel or sound common to conventional pads, and they don’t create a humid, unpleasant environment because of heat trapped by plastic materials.
The Natracare range is a real hit with folks with sensitive skin, given that they’re totally non-toxic and don’t have any fragrance or perfumes added, nor any chlorine bleach or byproducts of bleaching.
Our top picks
Natracare makes a range of sanitary pads and menstrual management products, and over the years I’ve tried most of them!
As a heavier bleeder, I’m a big fan of the Natracare Ultra range because these pads are surprisingly slimline and discrete, even while providing excellent absorbency and coverage. For night-time use and heavier bleeding, I heartily recommend the Ultra Extra range and Maxi Pads, particularly the long pads with wings.
The Ultra and Ultra Extra pads come in individual wraps for convenience. These wraps comprise biodegradable materials and don’t fare well if you spill something in your purse or bag. As such, I’d stash these in a reusable silicone sealed pouch, just in case.
The Maxi Pads are thick, long, cushioned pads (without wings) that provide effective absorption and a great fit. These pads have a long strip of glue along the back to ensure they stay in place and are provided without wrappers. They don’t have individual wrappers, which helps to save resources overall but is less convenient for carrying the pads hygienically.
While the Maxis are great for period management, I also used these to great effect postpartum! They made fantastic cooling packs when soaked in sitz bath tea and aloe and frozen or refrigerated.
Naturally, I recommend getting yourself some reusable pads and saving both money and resources. However, I always have Natracare pads in the house for guests and for myself when reusables are in the wash or too much work (such as for postpartum bleeding or when travelling).
Sustainability
Natracare products are 95-100 percent biodegradable and always compostable. The company uses at least 99 percent biodegradable and compostable plant cellulose instead of the conventional super absorbent polymers (SAP). This is impressive, given the comparable absorbency and greater comfort of Natracare pads versus pads such as Always or Kotex.
Natracare also has a robust environmental and ethical policy, which can be found here. It is the best of the best for disposable period pads (and tampons), having led the way for decades to make this industry up its game when it comes to personal and environmental health.
Natracare pads are the only vegan-certified pads with all the right eco credentials for menstrual management products.
Natracare was the first company to measure the complete life-cycle of its menstrual pads. This EPD (Environmental Product Declaration) independently measures the carbon life-cycle analysis of a single Natracare pad, verifying the lower impact of these pads, from creation and transport, use and disposal.
Vs. the competition
Natracare’s key competitors are Organyc and Seventh Generation, which do many of the same things as Natracare and, for the most part, just as well. Natracare is the leader in this field, though, having been around the longest and with the best track record of following through on their environmental and health promises.
Natracare is very transparent in its business practices and actively works to support overall sustainability. This includes keeping packaging to a minimum, which may mean some individuals prefer the wrapped Seventh Generation pads (View on Amazon) over the unwrapped Maxi Pads and some of the pantyliners from Natracare.
Natracare Organic Cotton Pads
Highlights: Breathable, soft, and super sustainable pads in a variety of shapes, absorbencies, and sizes, from an eco-friendly company.