So, what’s really in Tampax Tampons?
We know you’re here to get the facts about what your tampon is made of — so let’s get to it.
Tampons have an important job: to absorb and lock-in your period flow to help you avoid leaks, so you can focus on what matters. To help prevent leaks, Tampons are primarily made from absorbent ingredients like purified cotton, rayon fibers, or a blend of both. Since a tampon is considered a medical device, our products are regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Safety first
At Tampax, your safety and comfort come first. We're committed to bringing you period protection that's backed by rigorous safety and quality standards. Our tampon ingredients undergo extensive safety evaluation before we use them in our products including a thorough science-based multi-step evaluation process.
Plus, Tampax tampons are tested by independent, reputable scientific laboratories. For example, they have been tested for up to 1,000 harmful substances, including heavy metals, by OEKO-TEX. And they have certified we meet their stringent safety criteria.
We are constantly looking for new and innovative ways to bring you safe period protection with our tampons. This includes working with experts, reviewing third-party studies and regulations, and conducting our own scientific research.
We are proud of and confident in the safety of our tampons. It is our mission to empower women to live life more fully and freely with safe, reliable protection that gives her comfort and confidence at every stage of life.
To know more about our safety process, visit this article.
Nothing but the best ingredients
At Tampax, we believe you deserve the best. We relentlessly pursue the best ingredients that can be used safely 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. This material helps our tampons prevent leaks, as it absorbs fluid quickly.
Purposeful design, intentional ingredients
Our products are designed to give you the comfort and protection you want with only the ingredients you need.
SMOOTH REMOVAL LAYER
For easy removal.
ABSORBENT CORE
Provides protection by absorbing and storing menstrual fluid.
LEAKGUARD BRAID™ Protection
Helps stop leaks before they happen.
STRING
Used to remove the tampon.
Gently expands to your individual shape thanks to Tampax FormFit protection.
APPLICATOR AND ANTI-SLIP GRIP
Designed to help prevent your fingers from slipping and get your tampon in the right place
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.
| Ingredient | Benefit |
|---|---|
| Rayon | Fibers that help absorb and retain fluid |
| Cotton | Fibers that help absorb and retain fluid |
| Polypropylene | Fibers that help channel fluid back to the core |
| Polyethylene | Fibers that help with smooth removal |
| Polyester | Thread that sews tampon together |
| Glycerin | Coating that helps fibers wick fluid |
| Paraffin | Wax that helps keep string clean |
| Ethoxylated Fatty Acid Esters | Coating that helps fibers wick fluid |
| PEG-100 Stearate | Coating that helps fibers wick fluid |
Vetted and validated by 3rd party experts
We think our tampons are pretty amazing, and we’re not alone! Tampax is the #1 recommended tampon brand by U.S. Gynecologists (based on 2025 survey).
Plus, Tampax products are OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certified. OEKO-TEX is an independent certification body for textile products in the raw, semi-processed, or finished state, at all production levels. This label certifies that every component of Tampax tampons was tested for up to 1,000 harmful substances, including heavy metals, and succeeded in meeting the stringent criteria.
Leading with trust and transparency, now and into the future
Tampax was the first period care brand to list their composition on SmartLabel ™ in North America.
We will continue to share 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 safe and thoroughly evaluated ingredients.
At Tampax, our goal is for you to feel confident, safe and protected when you use our tampons.