Green, enviro-friendly, and eco-conscious are phrases that get thrown around a lot. But what do they mean? What does it look like to live a life that is good for you and good for the earth?
The key is in sustainability. Being eco-conscious really means being aware of what we’re buying, why we’re buying it, where it’s coming from, how it is being manufactured, and what its overall environmental footprint cost is. Something of lower quality, made from non-renewal resources in far-away countries by poorly treated workers, shipped to us one $25 order + free shipping at a time clearly leaves a bigger footprint – especially if it breaks and is disposed of after five uses -
than something higher quality, made locally from renewal resources, and built to last years.
Does this mean we all need to grow our own food, harvest our own cotton, and spin our own clothes off a loom? No. But it does mean we can and should be mindfully conscious about how, why, and where we shop, and what we buy while we’re there.
Sexual health is no exception: every choice we make about caring for and sharing our most intimate selves is connected to a much larger context… plus it’s super fun - and a little bit cheeky (pun intended) - to bring up over cocktails.
So here you go: the top five subjects on how to keep your sexual health eco conscious.
P.S. Although I can’t guarantee a sustainable sex (wish I could), I can certainly vouch for the sustainable nature of these tips, tricks, and products to keep your vagina green and clean… at least until you’re ready to get dirty. (Wink, wink.)
Disposable tampons and pads create a lot of waste. A lot. After tampons have done their job preventing flow from your body, they carry on to the sewer system and prevent flow there too, often jamming up the water ways and ending up in the tummies of water-dwelling creatures.
Consider a reusable option like the Canadian made Diva Cup that can be easily washed and reused. Trust us, this sounds weird, but it is really comfortable, easy, works very well, and keeps literal billions of fem hygiene products out of the water.
If you are going to go disposable, go organic. They are made from pesticide-free grown cotton whitened in a much less harsh way than commercial tampons, and can even be delivered (with a bar of fair trade chocolate and an annual donation to Zana Africa to provide sexual health education to girls). Check out this innovative, thinking global / acting local monthly service from Canadian company Easy Period. Far gentler on your sensitive bits, far gentler in production than its drugstore competitor.
I know you follow Grandma’s advice and that your underwear is always clean (in case you get hit by a bus, obvs), but are they green? It’s pretty commonly known that a cotton gusset (the part that hugs your sweet spot day in, day out) is essential to great vaginal health: natural materials wick moisture away, so that your natural material can breath comfortably. For day-to-day wear, I love the playful prints and cheeky nature of The Candi Factory, designed and sewn by a wife and husband duo in west end Toronto. I'm a fan of the Justin Trudeau… just saying.
There are days (read: nights) when comfy cotton undies just won’t cut it. To have a collection of unmentionables that make you feel like a fox and are good for the earth? That’s sexy as hell. For fancier knickers that you (and yours) will want to get into a knot, I like trawling vintage stores for OG silk robes, kimonos, nighties and negligees from days gone by. Classic glamour with zero impact in its re-use.
If you want to feed your inner vixen, I love Canadian company Sokoloff. Montreal manufactured (with New York sourced materials), they offer sustainable lingerie so hot you might need to spray fair trade coconut water on you / him / her, just to cool down.
In case 11:30 AM in the McDonald’s PlayPlace isn’t birth control enough (Am. I. Right?), you’re going to want a back up method.
If protecting yourself from unwanted pregnancies and unwanted STI’s is the goal, condoms are where it’s at. Just don’t, for the love of all that is green, flush them! They wreak havoc on the sewage system and truly belong in the trash.
“The Pill” is super easy in its consumption, but all those plastic packs consume a lot of resources in production, as well as landfill space, too. They also flood our water with excess hormones you pee out, in quantities so significant they’ve been known to feminize male fish, which not only alters their gender, but their mating patterns. If you can avoid that method, do.
The most sustainable method of birth control is probably the copper IUD, which is naturally spermicidal and releases no hormones to you… or the fish.
The goal is to keep it passionate - not Phthalate-nate - in the bedroom, with yourself or with a partner. Those nasty chemicals (that no one can pronounce) are known endocrine disruptors that stay in your body via skin or mucous membrane 75% of the time. That means you’re going to want to pay attention to what they’re putting in your vibe or dildo, before you put it up your VJ.
Look for toys made of glass or crystal to be sure that your P stays pure. You might even check out a yoni egg to strengthen your inner sexual self and heighten sexual pleasure.
In addition to the thousand-and-one other uses for coconut oil, you can feel free to add “lube” as number 1,002. Great smelling (and tasting - meow), coconut oil is moisturizing, anti-fungal, and anti-bacterial, meaning it can double as a foreplay massage oil, and transition you to the main event, while even boasting yeast infection preventing properties. (And since we’re on the subject, if you are diligent in peeing after sex, you’ll further prevent infections that require an antibiotic Rx to treat, that in turn contaminate the water.)
You can also use a more traditional style lube that is healthy-body focused. Look for products made of natural ingredients and plant based ingredients (like aloe and grapeseed oil), not petroleum based ingredients, which can be harmful to you and the earth. I like Hathor products, especially for certain bedroom acts that involve a “back door approach” - we’re talking to you, anal.
The best lube by far though, checking every box (oh yeah, I went there), is the one mama earth gave you herself. Your vagina is magically self lubricating, and if you’re in a healthy sexual space, you can be getting hella wet, hella naturally. Read this if you want some handy tips on getting your wet game on.
Leisse Wilcox is a writer + mindset coach from a tiny beachfront town east of Toronto, who writes regularly at LeisseWilcox.ca.
A mom of three lovely girls, her passion is working with women to help them dig deep, get clear and confident with who they really are, help them find, express, and use their voice for good, in a lifestyle-friendly way.
When not happily engaged with clients or kids, Leisse can be found stargazing, dreaming about an A-frame cabin in the woods, or anywhere the tacos are.
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