For Girls About Feminine Hygiene Products
Feminine hygiene products such as sanitary napkins, menstrual cups, and tampons are the necessities of a girl or woman of menstruating age. These products help females in the proper management of periods, thereby helping them avoid contracting infections caused due to improper practices during periods. The prices of sanitary products are significantly high in a few countries, which has led to its limited sales.
For example, a survey of almost 200 poor women living in the St. Louis area revealed that nearly two out of three could not afford feminine hygiene products at least once in 2018. The unaffordability of these primary feminine hygiene products has led to an alarming concern regarding the exclusion of taxes on these products.
Various countries now offer tax-free female hygiene products, through which a more extensive customer base can purchase, hence leading to significant growth of the market. For example, in November 2018, Nevada, US, freed its customers from 6.85% sales taxes on menstrual products, such as sanitary napkins and tampons. This move led to a significant rise in the sales of these products as it has become much more affordable to a broader base of customers. Similarly, Malaysia, in August 2018, lifted the 6% taxes applied on menstrual hygiene products such as tampons, sanitary pads, and panty liners. Hence, the availability of hygiene products at an affordable rate is anticipated to increase the sale of the products, therefore fueling the market growth significantly during the forecast period.
Some of the commonly used feminine care products include sanitary napkins, tampons, washes, and wipes, among others. Menstrual products such as tampons, sanitary napkins, and menstrual cups are used widely among women and girls in recent years. The availability of these products through various distribution mediums such as supermarkets, general pharmacy stores, and others, is expected to fuel the use of these products. Also, during recent years, various government bodies across the globe have exempted the tax applied on menstrual products such as tampons and sanitary napkins, which has further increased the affordability of the product among the women living in low-income communities as well.
During recent years, there has been a rise in the preference for organic products for feminine hygiene, as these products assure no or limited risk of side effects. The number of menstrual care companies focusing on providing tampons and pads made from 100% organic cotton has increased. Since 2014, there has been a rise in the number of female-led startups such as Aunt Flow, Cora, Lola, Kali box, Ellebox, Easy, and others offering 100% organic tampons or pads. Also, leading players such as Procter & Gamble have launched organic pads and tampons in the market recently.