When creating cosmetics or any product ingested or used on the skin, a stringent chemical analysis from a trusted UK provider is important. The same goes for hygiene products, and a new social media campaign is hoping to make changes in the chemical make up of common products such as tampons and baby diapers to ensure they’re good for the body.

The campaign #MyClosestEnemy has aimed criticism at supermarkets within the EU for stocking some popular ranges of these items that have been treated with chlorine dioxide to bleach them, and according to the campaign’s founder Rune Leithe, this can cause dioxins to be released into the body. These dioxins are linked to issues such as infertility, immune system disorders and even cancer in the body, and are also persistent organic pollutants, according to Chemical Watch. At present, these chemicals are also not legally required to be listed on the product packaging, meaning even informed consumer cannot avoid them.

A petition has already garnered over 20,000 signatures which will be presented to the EUs biggest retail chains in order to try affect change over the hygiene products they stock, and encourage manufacturers to create chlorine-free alternatives.

“The average woman will use 11,000 tampons or menstrual pads in her lifetime,” Rune explained, “risking repeated levels of exposure to chemicals like dioxins.”

In response to the campaign, Pierre Wiertz, who represents an association of manufacturers of baby diapers said that all EU regulations are being met, and that any chemicals of concern found in products were of ‘many times lower’ level than the limit set by legislation.