When I started nookees, people told me that regular cotton might be fine and organic certification mostly is just marketing. But here's what kept me up at night:
Our vaginal tissue absorbs chemicals up to 60 times more efficiently than our digestive system. And conventional cotton? It's treated with about 25% of the world's insecticides and 10% of all pesticides. The math wasn't adding up for me at all.
Same with regular and well-known organic certifications. A good start indeed, but definitely not what I had in my mind. So I started some research, and when it came to the fabrics, I had the same feeling as when going to discounters and buying their organic products or buying from organic supermarkets or booths at the local farmers' market. The huge difference lies in the detail.
Regular organic certifications might sound good in the beginning (and again, it is a good start), but they often only say that the finished products have been tested for harmful substances. They do not stand for sustainable materials or fair production.
While IVN's best-certified (or even GOTS) means the real deal: zero harmful chemicals, 100% organic fibers (without any compromises!), strictest social criteria, most frequent testing, and complete transparency.
Guess what nookees pads are made of. Guess how much more this costs. But guess how much more this is worth. Like one of my favourite companies Patagonia is referring to quite often (and became one of my mantras): every single item that's been produced on this planet is harmful to this planet. No exception. And even nookees might fall under this category. But at least I am aware of this and I try to make the best out of it. Choosing one of the highest organic certifications, which includes every person who is working on nookees, feels like a good start for me, our planet and our vaginal tissue.
