What you put in your body matters
You deserve to know what goes into your period care products. That’s why we are sharing our approach to making safe, effective products that we are proud of. We put thought, care, and love into every detail of the products you buy so you can feel confident in choosing Flex®.
What’s not in Flex products:
To start, our products are not made with toxins, common allergens, and other materials of concern. Flex products are not made with:
- BPAs
- PFOA, PFOs
- Phthalates
- Lead
- Latex (natural rubber latex, to be specific)
- Animal products of any kind
How do I know the materials are safe for my body?
Our Flex Disc™ is made from medical-grade resins that have a long track record of safety. The base material in our Flex Disc has been used in over 40 million discs for over twenty years: that’s a track record we stand behind. At the end of the day, Flex Disc and Flex Cup™ are the result of many thoughtful choices and rigorous controls that take place during the product development process.
Flex is a regulated medical device company
Did you know that Flex is a registered medical device company and regulated by the FDA? That means that we put in a lot of work behind the scenes monitoring and controlling every aspect of our materials and manufacturers to ensure they meet the highest standards of FDA Class II medical devices— the same standards as knee or hip implants.
Our menstrual discs are exclusively made in medical device facilities in Canada alongside other medical devices. But it’s not just how our products are made that makes the difference, it’s also the materials that our products are made from.
What’s in a name? Plastic, polymers, and resins
With the growing discussion around plastics and their uses, we want to share information to help you make informed product choices.
First, it is important to know that there are many, many different kinds of materials that are called plastic. Everything from IV bags to clothing to car tires are technically plastic. Chances are, you’re probably wearing something made out of plastic right now. Some plastic items you would trust to use on your body – like polyester fabric made with recycled water bottles – and some you would not.
It’s also important to keep in mind that there are other words used to refer to plastic materials, such as resin or polymer. We tend to use the word ‘polymer’ because it reflects the body-safe, medical-grade polymer we use in the Flex Disc.
Importantly, the Flex Disc needs to compress into a figure-eight shape for easy insertion and then spring back into a ring shape to form a leak-resistant seal. The Flex Disc was specifically designed to do just that, molding to the shape of your body at body temperature to form a leak-resistant seal. These features cannot be accomplished with silicone, latex, or other materials (none of which are used in our discs), and are what make our product so helpful for our customers.
We use medical-grade, body-safe polymers and colorants – but how can you, as a consumer, know which polymers are safe and which are not? To begin, it’s important to know the standards to which a product is manufactured.
We have the highest material standards for product safety
As a medical device company, the FDA governs what materials are suitable for different uses on and in the body. In our case, our materials are held to standards specific for use inside of the vagina. We think it’s so important to inform our customers of these protocols because not all companies are FDA compliant and not all feminine hygiene companies are regulated by the FDA.
Ultimately, the best way to ensure a safe polymer is to buy from brands you trust to be honest and transparent.
I am writing this blog post as Flex’s VP of Product Development. My experience of having spent a decade working for medical device companies makes me proud to work at The Flex Co., where every person contributes to our culture of safety and quality every day.
If you have questions about our products, their materials, or how they are made, please reach out to our Flexperts by emailing hello@flexfits.com.
