What Women Want

For years, the nonwovens industry has been largely dominated by men—surprising given that so many of the products we produce either cater to females or are mainly purchased by women. This seems to finally be changing, however, as more women are choosing education and career paths from which they were once discouraged—like science or engineering.

This month, we report on the introduction of two innovative new feminine hygiene lines created by young women for women. Both cater to unfilled needs in the feminine hygiene market and are poised to shake things up in the category.

The makers of Sequel, two young Stanford-educated engineers and high performance athletes, have designed a new tampon that promises a more comfortable and leak-free design. In making the tampon, the founders looked to solve certain needs they felt in the feminine hygiene market—based on their own experiences.

While Sequel focuses on fit and performance, another new launch, Hempress Hygienics, is focused on ingredients. The female-led brand has introduced the market’s first 100% organic hemp and cotton-based feminine hygiene products. These products, the founders say, align with its commitment to fostering healthier and more conscious lifestyles.

Surely, the nonwovens industry has been feeling a stronger female influence for some time. In recent years, conferences like the World of Wipes, Hygienix and Outlook, have seen not only more women in attendance but also as speakers. And, we are routinely seeing more female executives at companies throughout the nonwovens industry supply chain.

The effect of all these changes will continue to transform consumer markets like wipes, feminine care, baby diapers and more and will go a long way in creating more choices in these categories.

As always, we appreciate your comments.

Karen McIntyre
Editor
kmcintyre@rodmanmedia.com