More than 60 percent of women in Germany wear panty liners.
Above all, the pads must be absorbent.
Öko-Test has checked which ones you can confidently rely on.
Öko-Test tested 54 panty liners (an overview of other test reports).
In the practical test, plastic is particularly convincing
Almost all products contain halogenated organic compounds
Panty liners are often neglected among menstrual products.
And that despite the fact that, according to a Forsa survey in Germany, over 60 percent of women and girls between the ages of 14 and 60 use disposable panty liners during their period.
A large part of the population that relies on the safety of a panty liner.
But what do the deposits really hold?
Öko-Test has put over 50 products through their paces.
Panty liners in the Öko-Test: Many rely on plastic
As the consumer magazine Öko-Test writes, most prefer disposable products to reusable panty liners.
This is anything but good for the environment, but the requirements to be environmentally friendly and absorbent often mean a difficult tightrope walk, which means that consumers ultimately have to make compromises in one way or another.
This is confirmed by the results of the panty liner eco test, reports HEIDELBERG24.
In this case, the disposable products are put to the test in the Öko-Test.
29 of the items tested are panty liners, 25 of them ultra pads.
Most of the products perform well.
Of all things, pads with a lot of plastic are doing the trick.
The reason for this can be found in the absorbent core of the pads, which often consists of so-called super absorbers.
These contain small, super-absorbent plastic polymers that can absorb many times their own weight.
Check out this post on Instagram
A post shared by ÖKO-TEST (@oekotest.de)
Panty liners in the Öko-Test: Most contain possible carcinogens
Unfortunately, panty liners often end up in the sea, mainly due to incorrect disposal.
As a result, the plastic contained can quickly become a problem.
However, there is one ray of hope: Many modern panty liners reduce the plastic content and even perform better in the test than other pads with super absorbers.
But the ingredients are also important for health reasons.
After all, you don't necessarily want to let harmful and irritating substances near your intimate area.
Unfortunately, Öko-Test detects halogenated organic compounds in most panty liners.
The problem with the substances is that, according to Öko-Test, they are difficult to degrade and many of them are considered allergenic and carcinogenic.
Again and again Öko-Test finds problematic substances in products that come into close contact with the body.
The testers also found toxic heavy metals in cleansing masks for the face.
Panty liners in the Öko-Test: With these products, you'll get wet
Of course, what is of most interest immediately during use is whether the bandage works well.
Does it fit well and does it stay tight?
How absorbent is she?
The insoles are tested for all of these properties in the laboratory.
The results of the practical test are ultimately decisive for the overall assessment.
The complete test report with all the details is available in the November issue of Öko-Test (for a fee).
The podium of panty liners and ultra pads:
Cosmea Bio & Vegan panty liners, normal without fragrance ("very good")
Jessa panty liners Active Shape, normal ("very good")
Siempre panty liners, normal with fresh scent and aloe vera ("very good")
Duchesse Ultra pads, normal with wings (“very good”)
Facelle So Free Ultra pads, normal with wings (“very good”)
Facelle Ultra pads, normal with wings (“very good”)
The winners in the test have correspondingly high suction power and hold the liquid well and for a long time.
The losers in the test perform only satisfactorily in practice.
After drinking, they give off an uncomfortably large amount of moisture.
The ultra-pads from Eco by Naty also came last in the test with the grade "sufficient".
Panty liners in the Öko-Test: Many do well overall
Overall, the insoles paint a positive picture.
But it's not just bandages that have to be tight.
Face masks also have to do a lot while being worn close to the body.
Stiftung Warentest has tested which FFP2 masks you can use to protect yourself against corona and other viruses and which models rattle completely.
(paw)
List of rubrics: © picture alliance/dpa/Gioia Forster/Montage HEADLINE24
