10pack Kotex Natural Normal Sanitary Pads vs Chlorine Free Maxi Pads: which is safer?
Seventh Generation Chlorine Free Maxi Pads is our pick: better on PFAS and on the overall hazard picture.
Kotex Natural
10pack Kotex Natural Normal Sanitary Pads
PFAS grade
Good 70/100
Overall grade
Good 62/100
Verdict
Buy
Hazard flags
⚑ 2
Material
Cotton, wood pulp absorbent core, plastic backing
Confidence
72%
PossiblePesticide residues in cotton
PossibleBleaching residues (chlorine or oxygen-based) in pulp or cotton
Our pick
Seventh Generation
Chlorine Free Maxi Pads
PFAS grade
Excellent 100/100
Overall grade
Excellent 96/100
Verdict
Buy
Hazard flags
⚑ 1
Material
organic cotton, wood pulp
Confidence
78%
PossibleFragrance allergen content
Where these two actually differ
- We flag Pesticide residues in cotton and Bleaching residues (chlorine or oxygen-based) in pulp or cotton on the Kotex Natural and not on the Seventh Generation.
- We flag Fragrance allergen content on the Seventh Generation and not on the Kotex Natural.
- The Kotex Natural is Cotton, wood pulp absorbent core, plastic backing where the Seventh Generation is organic cotton, wood pulp, which is most of the difference in these two grades.
- The gap is 30 points, wide enough that this is not a close call, and the Seventh Generation is the one to buy.
Both products run through the same public rubric: materials, coatings, brand disclosure, lab findings, and recalls, plus a beyond-PFAS hazard analysis. Grades are model-based estimates, not lab tests. How grades work →
More period pads: see the full ranking