As consumer demand for plant-based products continues to rise, an increasing number of new products with these features are appearing on store shelves. In the absorbent hygiene market, this translates to products that feature fibers like cotton, hemp and other alternative fibers that consumers view to be healthy and natural. Here are a handful of plant-based brands Nonwovens Industry will be keeping an eye on this year and beyond.
Pinkie
Pinkie was established in 2022 by co-founders and mothers Fiona Simmonds and Sana Clegg after realizing there was a gap in the market for intentional period products designed for young girls and to normalize the conversation around periods.
Pinkie pads—named for the smallest finger on the hand— offer mini and small sizes measuring smaller than other organic competitors to offer better fit and comfort for tweens and teens. Pinkie also appeals to Generation Alpha with fun branding and packaging like a striped draw string disposal pad and bright colors.
“Between the two of us, we have five daughters, and there was nothing at the store that we felt comfortable giving them,” says Simmonds. “Girls are getting their periods so much earlier now than when we were young - the average age of a girl’s first period has dropped to 11.9 years old - yet big-name brands have continued to relabel their products ‘for teens’ without addressing the size difference between a tween and an adult woman. Others who do offer slightly smaller sizes don’t offer organic or natural ingredients. It was incredibly important for us to develop a product line that not only fit young girls perfectly but was made with organic, plant-based materials without toxins and dyes.”
Despite the smaller size, Pinkie pads don’t sacrifice on absorbency with levels ranging from 30-80 milliliters, or the equivalent of 16 tampons, dependent on the size. Design features include leak-guarded wings, an organic cotton topsheet and a plant-based Japanese superabsorbent core.
This month, Pinkie expanded its retail distribution by launching in over 3,300 CVS stores across the country and online to make puberty care even more accessible ahead of back-to-school season. This follows the brand’s first retail partnership with Target, and foray into Walmart earlier this year.
Daye
Feminine health brand Daye, known for pioneering the world’s first Cannabidiol (CBD)-infused tampon, has expanded access to cervical cancer prevention with the launch of its new HPV Diagnostic Tampon. Made with organic cotton, this convenient at-home test allows users to easily and discreetly screen for 14 high-risk HPV strains. Currently available in the U.K., the kit will expand into the European Union.
The tampon must be inserted into the vagina for 20 minutes to become a sample. After the sample is collected, Daye tests the specimen using cutting-edge molecular PCR testing (the most accurate way to detect vaginal infections). Results will be available via a detailed report, including results and summaries of the latest medical research, within five to 10 days.
Daye uses tampons for at-home screening because they provide a non-invasive, familiar and comfortable method for patients to collect comprehensive samples from their entire vaginal canals. Studies published in the Journal of Human Reproduction and BMC Women's Health have shown that Daye tampons offer improved sensitivity for detecting infections compared to the traditional swab.
In other news, Daye recently raised £10 million in Series A funding which will fuel its expansion into the U.S. market as well as the launch of new product lines. It is also investing in growing its retail presence through partnerships with select clean beauty and wellness stores that align with the brand’s mission.
Kudos
Cotton-based baby diaper brand Kudos recently announced it raised $3 million in new funding, with investors including Precursor Ventures, Xfund, and Oversubscribed Ventures, according to a report in TechCrunch.
Founded by MIT graduate and Procter & Gamble alum Amrita Saigal, Kudos baby diapers launched in 2021 to be the most skin-friendly, high-performance plant-based baby diaper on the market. Kudos diapers feature a 100% cotton topsheet, meaning that the baby’s bottom touches only cotton, not polypropylene, which is found in most other diapers.
“Consumers are a lot more conscious to use their dollars for sustainable products that minimize harmful exposure to their child and to the planet,” Saigal told TechCrunch.
Kudos’ DoubleDry technology for baby diapers features two layers of absorption and thousands of funnels built in to wick moisture away from baby’s bum and into the core of the diaper so that baby’s skin can stay dry.
Mewalii
Danish Femcare start-up Mewalii, founded by Simone Westergaard and Frederikke Dahl, introduced period pads crafted from Sero regenerative hemp fibers without the use of cotton. The launch in January 2024, marks a significant milestone for the founders after more than four years of dedicated effort and passion of development.
Mewalii's journey began in 2019 when the founders, inspired by a university entrepreneurship program, envisioned developing fully biodegradable sanitary pads. During their research, they investigated the use of different types of natural fibers and found hemp used less water than other materials and could be grown without the use of pesticides.
The Mewalii pads contains a 100% hemp-based core and a topsheet combining hemp and viscose for added softness. Additionally, the hemp was softened via mechanical processes.
The motivation behind Mewalii's initiative lies in addressing the environmental impact of conventional feminine hygiene products. With an estimated 26% of the global population menstruating, the founders were determined to offer alternatives to the environmentally harmful products currently available.
Currently, Mewalii’s product range consists of day pads and night pads, and the brand expects to launch panty liners this year. After this, Dahl says they would love to look into hemp tampons.
The pads are available on Mewalii’s webshop and supermarkets in Denmark. Within the next year, it will begin to make plans to go international.
