Women have used menstrual pads in various forms throughout history. Sometimes they were made from natural fibers such as grass, papyrus, sponges or some kind of natural fiber cloth such as cotton or wool. According to The Museum of Menstruation, in the early 19th century, there were two companies that emerged with commercial products. They were the Hartmann company from Germany and Johnson & Johnson, from the U.S.A. Both companies began addressing this important part of a woman’s life and so began this multi-million dollar industry. In the mid-1920’s, the German company Camelia began selling disposable pads. The evolution continued with the introduction of yet another disposable product in 1936 by Tampax. This product was the first tampon with an applicator. Although there were so many options, women began looking for alternatives to disposable products that were not only cost effective but were good for the environment. Sometimes the advancement of technology is not always what people want. At times, people do want to go back to basics without having to go back in time. Women wanted a product that was reusable and not chock-filled with chemicals to absorb their menstrual fluids. This was the vision of Brenda Mallory, Founder and President of Glad Rags, Inc. (http://www.gladrags.com) Glad Rags have become a recognized name in the line of feminine hygiene products all over the world. These washable menstrual cloths are made in the USA, not tested on animals and contain no plastics, perfumes or over-packaging. In this segment of The Organic View Radio Show, Brenda Mallory, will be my guest to talk about eco-friendly alternatives for women’s feminine hygiene products and how her company has worked hard to educate women about menstruation. Stay tuned!