The Silent Signals: Hormones and Forests

I enjoy the outdoors for many reasons.

I like the feeling of sun on my face. I like hearing leaves doing their applause routine in the wind. I like the fact that no tree has ever asked me to join a Zoom call.

But one of the most fascinating reasons I love being outside is something I can’t even see.

Forests are speaking.

Not in words, of course. But forests speak in chemistry. Trees release tiny airborne compounds called phytoncides — natural substances they make to protect themselves from pests, fungi, and bacteria. Some of these compounds, like alpha-pinene and limonene, are part of that fresh, woodsy, “ahhh, I needed this” smell we notice when we step among trees. Researchers studying shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing, describe it as taking in the forest through the senses rather than hiking hard or exercising intensely.

And here is the beautiful part: our bodies seem to respond.

Studies on forest bathing have reported changes that sound like the body quietly unclenching: lower blood pressure, lower heart rate, reduced stress hormones such as cortisol, and a shift toward the calmer “rest and digest” side of the nervous system. The research is still growing, and forests are not a magic cure-all, but the direction is clear: time among trees can be a meaningful support for stress regulation and wellbeing.

That made me think about hormones.

Hormones are also silent signals. They are tiny messengers that help regulate growth, mood, metabolism, fertility, sleep, reproduction, and so much more. They do not need to shout to matter. In fact, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences notes that hormones act in extremely small amounts, which means even small disruptions can sometimes have meaningful biological effects.

So, on one side, we have forests: living systems releasing natural compounds that may help our bodies relax.

On the other side, we have some plastics and plastic additives: human-made materials that can introduce chemicals our bodies may not welcome quite so warmly.

Some chemicals associated with plastics and everyday consumer products are called endocrine-disrupting chemicals, or EDCs. These are substances that may mimic, block, or interfere with our hormones. BPA and phthalates are two commonly discussed examples. NIEHS notes that endocrine disruptors can be found in many everyday products, including some food packaging, cosmetics, toys, carpets, and pesticides, and that contact can occur through diet, air, skin, and water.

To me, that is the simplest way to understand it:

Nature helps the signal. Plastics add noise (or worse).

Not every plastic exposure is the same. Not every product carries the same risk. And no, one plastic wrapper is not going to single-handedly ruin your hormones while twirling a tiny villain moustache.

But I do believe in reducing unnecessary exposure where I can — especially in the small choices I repeat every day, every week, and every cycle.

This is why I think about period products differently now.

Pads sit close to some of the most sensitive skin on the body, often for hours at a time. Researchers have found endocrine-disrupting chemicals in some menstrual products, including pads, tampons, and liners. Reported chemicals have included phthalates, volatile organic compounds, parabens, environmental phenols, fragrance chemicals, and dioxins or dioxin-like compounds.

One study looking at sanitary pads and diapers measured volatile organic compounds and phthalates, and found large differences between pad brands. The authors noted that phthalate concentrations in sanitary pads and diapers were significantly higher than those found in common commercial plastic products.

That does not mean we should panic. Panic is very rarely a good wellness strategy.

But it does mean we can get curious.

What is touching my body?
What is sitting against my skin?
What is it made from?
Is there a lower-plastic, plant-based, or biobased option?
Can I choose products with fewer unnecessary materials, fewer fragrances, and more transparency?

For me, this is where the forest lesson becomes practical. I do not need perfection. I need a better direction.

And I love when that direction feels connected — not just to my body, but to the larger living world around me.

That is one of the reasons we created OVO GROVE.

Through our partnership with EcoMatcher, every OVO GROVE tree is real, geo-tagged, photographed, and trackable on a 3D map. Customers can name their tree, follow its location, and see the growing impact of the OVO GROVE community over time. The first OVO Grove is taking root in India, helping support soil regeneration, biodiversity, and farming families. 

What I find especially lovely is that the experience does not end at “a tree was planted.” Through the EcoMatcher experience, you can virtually visit your tree, explore the diversity represented in the Grove, listen to forest sounds, and learn more about the people and communities connected to the planting. In a small but meaningful way, it lets the forest come back into the room with you.

And maybe that matters.

Because part of the magic of forests is that they remind us we are not separate from nature. We are responsive to it. We breathe with it. We are calmed by it. We are shaped by the signals (and noise) around us.

So when I think about period care, I do not only think about performance. I think about relationship.

Relationship to my body.
Relationship to the materials I choose.
Relationship to the planet that absorbs the consequences of those choices.

I still want comfort. I still want reliability. I still want a pad that works. But I also want products that feel more aligned with the world I want to live in — one with fewer unnecessary plastics, more thoughtful materials, and a little more care built into the cycle.

The forest does not rush us. It does not lecture. It simply keeps doing what forests do: releasing invisible signals, cooling the air, holding the soil, sheltering life, and reminding our nervous systems that we are part of something living.
So when you meet your tree in OVO GROVE, take a moment to listen.
The forest has been whispering good things for a long time.
Maybe our bodies have been listening.

Meet OVO Grove

Reference notes :

1. Forest bathing and phytoncides: Research on shinrin-yoku describes forest bathing as sensory immersion in the forest atmosphere and identifies phytoncides such as alpha-pinene and limonene as tree-derived volatile compounds. See https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/ehpm/27/0/27_22-00160/_html/-char/en
2. Forest bathing and stress physiology: Reviews report associations between forest bathing and lower blood pressure, heart rate, stress hormones, and improved autonomic balance.
3. Endocrine disruptors: NIEHS defines endocrine-disrupting chemicals as substances that may mimic, block, or interfere with hormones and notes that hormones act in very small amounts. (see https://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/agents/endocrine)
4. Plastic-related chemicals: NIEHS lists BPA and phthalates among common, well-studied endocrine disruptors, with exposure possible through everyday products.
5. Menstrual product chemical exposure: Reviews and studies have detected endocrine-disrupting chemicals and plastic-related additives in some menstrual products, including pads and liners.(See  https://publichealth.gmu.edu/news/2023-12/endocrine-disrupting-chemicals-found-menstrual-products-including-tampons-pads-and )