health and wellness
Flex Continues to Offer Non-Toxic Solutions as FDA Investigates Toxic Metals in Menstrual Products
LOS ANGELES, Sept. 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ —
Flex, a pioneer in sustainable period care, has announced that its menstrual discs and cups are confirmed to be free from harmful substances, including PFAS (forever chemicals), lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury. This announcement comes in the wake of the FDA’s recent investigation into the presence of toxic metals in tampons, sparking urgent conversations about the safety and regulation of menstrual health products.
Despite the tampon’s invention dating back to 1931, it wasn’t until now that these essential items have been subjected to rigorous testing for harmful chemicals. The recent findings of toxic metals in some tampons have heightened safety concerns, leaving many consumers wondering about the long-term health impacts of using these products.
In the midst of this crisis, a growing number of consumers are questioning, “What’s safe?” While some have transitioned to alternatives like organic tampons, period underwear, and natural pads, studies show that toxic chemicals are also finding their way into these products.
“We face a critical gap in research regarding whether toxins in tampons can be absorbed through the vaginal wall,” said Lauren Wang, founder and CEO of Flex. “This raises an essential question: should period product manufacturers be responsible for proving their safety, or is it up to the consumers to prove there’s harm?”
Flex introduced its innovative disposable menstrual disc in 2016, positioning it as a non-toxic, body-safe alternative to traditional tampons. Since launch, over 150 million discs have been sold without any reported cases of Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS). With independent lab results verifying the absence of harmful metals and PFAS, Flex solidifies its status as the leading disc and cup brand in the U.S.
As concerns about chemical safety continue to rise, it remains alarming that fewer than 3% of American women are aware of Flex’s offerings. The company is dedicated to increasing awareness around safe, non-toxic period care options.
About The Flex Co.
Flex is recognized as the #1 sustainable period care brand in the U.S., innovating the menstrual disc category in 2016. Its award-winning portfolio is available in over 30,000 retail stores, including major retailers such as Walmart, Target, and CVS. Headquartered in Venice, California, Flex is FDA-registered and the sole designer of its disc and cup products, manufactured in the U.S. and Canada. To learn more about Flex’s commitment to safe menstrual health, visit flexfits.com.
Stay informed and empowered in your period care choices with Flex!
SOURCE The Flex Company
Our Lifestyle section on STM Daily News is a hub of inspiration and practical information, offering a range of articles that touch on various aspects of daily life. From tips on family finances to guides for maintaining health and wellness, we strive to empower our readers with knowledge and resources to enhance their lifestyles. Whether you’re seeking outdoor activity ideas, fashion trends, or travel recommendations, our lifestyle section has got you covered. Visit us today at https://stmdailynews.com/category/lifestyle/ and embark on a journey of discovery and self-improvement.
Author
A Healthier, Greener Home: Eco-Friendly Cleaning Hacks
(Feature Impact) Keeping your home clean doesn’t have to mean filling your cabinets with harsh chemicals or single-use cleaning products. In fact, some of the most effective solutions may already be in your pantry.
By swapping a few everyday products for simple, eco-friendly solutions, you can clean effectively, save money and make your home a little greener. If you’re looking to reduce waste, cut back on toxins and simplify your cleaning routine, natural ingredients like vinegar, baking soda and lemon can deliver results while also being safer for your home – and the environment.
Make Your Own All-Purpose Cleaner
Instead of buying multiple cleaners for different surfaces, try a DIY solution that works in many areas of the home. In a spray bottle, combine 1 cup white vinegar, 1 cup water and 10 drops of the essential oil of your choice – such as lemon, lavender or tea tree – then use it on countertops, sinks, glass and other surfaces to curb grease and grime. Avoid using vinegar-based cleaners on natural stone like granite or marble, however, as its acidity can cause damage.
Let Baking Soda Do the Scrubbing
One of the most versatile eco-friendly cleaners around, baking soda acts as a gentle abrasive that helps lift stains without scratching surfaces. Simply sprinkle baking soda onto sinks, bathtubs, cookware, stovetops or tile grout then scrub with a damp sponge or cloth for a sparkling clean finish.
Freshen Carpets Naturally
Carpets and rugs can trap odors, but a DIY deodorizer made of 1 cup baking soda and 10-15 drops of the essential oil of your choice can replace chemical sprays and keep floor surfaces smelling fresh. Just sprinkle across the carpet, let sit for 15-20 minutes then vacuum.
Use Lemon to Cut Grease and Stains
Lemon juice is a powerful natural cleaner due to its acidity and antibacterial properties. It can leave behind a fresh scent when used to clean cutting boards, remove soap scum and water spots or deodorize garbage disposals. For stubborn grime, mix lemon juice with baking soda to create a paste that can tackle tough surface stains.
Naturally Deodorize Drains
If your kitchen sink smells unpleasant, skip the harsh chemical drain cleaners. Pour 1/2 cup baking soda down the drain then add 1/2 cup white vinegar. Let the mixture fizz a few minutes then flush with hot water to help loosen buildup while neutralizing odors.
Polish Stainless Steel with Pantry Staples
Remove grimy fingerprints and give stainless steel appliances a streak-free shine with a simple mixture of 1 tablespoon white vinegar and 1 tablespoon olive oil.
Find more DIY, eco-friendly cleaning tips and tricks at eLivingtoday.com.
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock
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Our Lifestyle section on STM Daily News is a hub of inspiration and practical information, offering a range of articles that touch on various aspects of daily life. From tips on family finances to guides for maintaining health and wellness, we strive to empower our readers with knowledge and resources to enhance their lifestyles. Whether you’re seeking outdoor activity ideas, fashion trends, or travel recommendations, our lifestyle section has got you covered. Visit us today at https://stmdailynews.com/category/lifestyle/ and embark on a journey of discovery and self-improvement.
health and wellness
Cannabis Legalization Drives Innovation, Raises Health Concerns
Cannabis legalization is driving innovation, but much of it focuses on commercial products rather than patient health. New research highlights gaps between market growth and medical evidence.
Lucy Xiaolu Wang, UMass Amherst and Nathan W. Chan, UMass Amherst
Cannabis legalization
Innovation in health care saves lives. But not all health innovations have enough evidence to actually benefit patients.
Barriers to innovation are often higher in illicit or restricted markets, including cannabis, stem cells and cryptocurrencies. Researchers face higher costs, limited access to raw materials and data, and stricter regulations.
Cannabis illustrates a particularly confusing tension between regulatory restrictions on one hand and research and innovation on the other.
While the U.S. federal government still classifies cannabis as having “no accepted medical use,” many states have legalized it for medical or recreational use. Meanwhile, the Department of Health and Human Services obtained a cannabis-related patent in 2003 covering potential medical uses of cannabis compounds for protecting the brain from damage or degeneration. The patent was exclusively licensed for commercialization.
Research and innovation on cannabis can take many forms. Clinical trials may study cannabis products as medical treatments, the effects of cannabis on its users, or factors related to abuse and dependence. Meanwhile, cannabis-related patents can be filed for wide-ranging purposes, such as chemical formulations, methods for production or new consumer products like edibles, beverages or vaporizers.
But do these innovations actually benefit consumers and patients?
We are economists studying how institutional changes affect innovation in different markets. Our recently published research found that legalization of recreational cannabis use appears to spur innovation, but primarily in ways that expand commercial opportunities rather than scientific understanding or health benefits for patients.
Cannabis’ evolving legality in the US
Cannabis is a plant that contains chemical compounds called cannabinoids. One such compound, tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, produces psychoactive effects, while another compound called cannabidiol, or CBD, is often used to relieve anxiety and pain. However, there has been insufficient evidence on how effective cannabis products are in treating medical conditions, as well as a lack of consistent medical and dosing guidance.
At the federal level in the U.S., cannabis has been classified as a Schedule I drug for over a half-century. This classification indicates that the federal government considers cannabis to have a high potential for abuse and no accepted medical use.
As a Schedule I drug, there are significant restrictions on cannabis research. Researchers who seek to conduct cannabis-related clinical trials must obtain approval from both the Food and Drug Administration and the Drug Enforcement Administration, a process that can take over a year. They are also limited to using select varieties of cannabis obtained from federally authorized cannabis suppliers, and are generally prohibited from studying products available in state-authorized markets.
There are ongoing pushes to relax these restrictions. Meanwhile, cannabis has been legalized to varying extents in many states. California became the first state to pass a medical cannabis law in 1996, allowing qualified patients to grow, possess and use cannabis for medical purposes. Many states followed suit in the late 1990s and early 2000s. As of June 2025, 40 states allow medical cannabis use.
A number of states also allow recreational or nonmedical cannabis use among adults, which is regulated in similar ways to alcohol. Colorado and Washington enacted the first recreational cannabis laws in 2012, and there are 24 states that permit adults to use cannabis recreationally as of January 2026.
Altogether, the legal landscape for cannabis in the U.S. has varied considerably across states and over time. States with more permissive laws can lower the costs of medical research and product development with cannabis, even if federal drug scheduling continues to restrict access. For instance, one group of Washington State University researchers asked participants to independently purchase and smoke cannabis from a legal dispensary before returning to their lab for study.
State legalization and cannabis innovation
To systematically examine how state legalization affects cannabis-related innovation, we compiled and analyzed datasets tracking cannabis-related clinical trials and patent applications.
We distinguished different types of cannabis-related innovation. Specifically, we categorized cannabis-related clinical trials based on whether they focused on its potential as a treatment, its usage and effects, or its role in drug abuse. Similarly, we categorized cannabis-related patents based on whether they focused on chemical compounds, medical uses, methods or products.
We also assessed public health concerns across three measures: patents explicitly involving THC; patents with a high risk of misuse; and patents targeting consumers directly, such as high-potency formulations, edibles or vaporizers.
Then, we compared changes in cannabis-related innovation over time in states that legalized cannabis earlier with those in states that did so later or not at all. We measured innovation by counting the number of cannabis-related clinical trials and patent filings. We distinguished between medical and recreational legalization to assess how different policies affect innovation.
Overall, we found that when states legalize cannabis for recreational use, cannabis-related patents increase – but mostly in commercial-oriented areas rather than health-focused ones. Patents were concentrated in market-oriented innovations like cultivation equipment and consumer products, rather than in clinical or science-based research. We also found some evidence that these innovations may raise public health concerns.
Legalization did not result in meaningful increases in clinical trials. This suggests that barriers to cannabis-related clinical research – such as limited access to research-grade cannabis, limited funding and stigma around working with a federally controlled substance – remain substantial.
Gaps between research and product
As 420 – signifying April 20, a day celebrating cannabis culture – approaches each year, public attention turns toward the legal status of cannabis.
The legal landscape has evolved rapidly over the past few decades, and further changes are in the pipeline. Both the Biden and second Trump administrations have made efforts to reclassify cannabis as a Schedule III substance, which would indicate that it has an accepted medical use and low-to-moderate potential for dependence.
These reevaluations of the legality of cannabis come at a critical time. There has been an explosion of recreational cannabis products in recent years, including increasingly potent strains and a wider variety of ways to use cannabis. Meanwhile, critical research on the health and safety of cannabis use has lagged due to heavy restrictions accompanying Schedule I status.
This gap between medical research and product innovation can have significant public health consequences. The 2019 to 2020 outbreak of lung injuries related to e-cigarette or vape use was linked partly to the use of unregulated or illicit cannabis vaping products. These harms highlight the risks of allowing product innovation for controlled substances to outpace scientific understanding.
Policies that significantly reduce obstacles to clinical research can in turn help close the widening gap between cannabis markets and addressing their public health implications.
Lucy Xiaolu Wang, Assistant Professor of Resource Economics, UMass Amherst and Nathan W. Chan, Professor of Resource Economics, UMass Amherst
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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home improvement
Fresh Start, Fresh Planet: 5 Steps to Reduce Waste During Spring Cleaning
Spring cleaning is a perfect opportunity to reset, reorganize and make small changes that can help the planet. Consider these five easy waste-reduction tips to help you jump into the season feeling organized and eco-friendly.
(Feature Impact) As the days get longer and the weather improves, many people often find the motivation to refresh their homes – and their habits.
Spring cleaning is a perfect opportunity to reset, reorganize and make small changes that can help the planet. What’s more, these changes are simple to implement and can even earn you some extra cash.
Steps to Reduce Waste During Spring Cleaning
Consider these five easy waste-reduction tips from the experts at CalRecycle to help you jump into the season feeling organized and eco-friendly.
1. Recycle Kitchen Waste
As you clear out expired or forgotten food, sort items for maximum impact:
- Remove plastic and non-compostable packaging and put spoiled or freezer-burned food into your green bin. These scraps can be turned into compost and clean energy, helping cut methane emissions from landfills.
- Toss empty, dry recyclables, including condiment bottles, glass jars, metal cans and plastic food containers, into your blue bin.
2. Cash in Empty Beverage Containers
- Cleaning out your home may uncover some empty or forgotten beverage containers. Empty out leftover liquids and take eligible beverage containers for soda, water, juice, wine and distilled spirits to your nearest recycling site for cash back. Every California Redemption Value (CRV) beverage container you recycle saves resources and puts money back in your pocket.
- If you’re short on time, donate your empty CRV beverage containers to your favorite nonprofit organization. Set up a separate bin just for eligible beverage containers and drop them off for donation when it’s full.
3. Give Clothes and Household Items a Second Life
- Dig into your closets and shelves to see what you can repair, repurpose or donate. Fix a missing button, turn old fabric into cleaning rags or give gently used items to a local free-exchange group or thrift store to reduce textile waste. Simple steps like these can keep usable items out of the landfill and help someone else put them to good use.
4. Declutter Paper and Electronics
- Recycle junk mail, magazines and newspapers in your blue bin. Remove any plastic windows, wrap or stickers first. If you shred documents, place the shredded paper inside a paper bag before recycling. Bonus tip: Switching to digital statements and bills can help prevent paper clutter in the first place.
- Old electronics and used batteries don’t belong in the trash. Gather them from drawers and cabinets then take them to an e-waste drop-off site or local household hazardous waste collection center for safe handling.
5. Refresh the Bathroom
- When restocking soaps or cleaners, look for products that offer refillable containers (especially reusable glass and aluminum ones). It’s a simple way to cut down on plastic waste.
- When you finish bottles of shampoo, conditioner, soap or cleaning sprays, make sure they land in your recycling bin after you empty them out.
- Swap out single-use paper towels for washable cloths or rags. They’re reusable, durable and kinder to the environment.
For more details, CRV redemption locations and food scrap recycling tips, visit RecyclingReimaginedCA.com.
Photos courtesy of Shutterstock
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