How were sanitary pads invented?

Sanitary pads are important hygiene products for women. We will see how sanitary napkins were invented and how this company developed them to be more organic.
Interesting Engineering

Sanitary pads are important hygiene products for women. These are disposable absorbent pads that they use when they get their period. It is used to effectively collect menstrual blood for disposal while providing comfort without any leakage.

How were sanitary pads invented? Well, the story goes way back to the First World War. 

During that time, soldiers on the battlefield would have wounds that needed to be treated immediately. Wood pulp bandages were used to control bleeding and act as wound care bandages. This is how the first pads were made. 

French nurses at the time thought of how wood pulp was effective in absorbing blood when being used as bandages. This is because wood pulp can absorb much more than its weight in blood, making it a suitable material for menstrual pads. 

Through time, this idea was worked on and developed in laboratories, leading to the sanitary pads that we have today. Many options are widely available, varying in size, texture, and other factors to cater to different preferences, mainly dependent on the consistency of period flow. 

The process of making one requires a lot of testing and checks. From the terms themselves, sanitary and/or menstrual pads need to be sanitary in nature while fulfilling the purpose of collecting menstrual blood. 

These pads require hygienic processing as it would be crucial in supporting the protection of the uterus and cervix. They also need to be thin and comfortable to wear while having a layered structure of materials to prevent leakages. 

Most of the invented sanitary pads use petroleum-derived raw materials. However, this is harmful to both women’s health and the environment, which calls for other possible innovations. 

This company produces biodegradable pads that integrate natural bamboo and organic cotton in the layers. The pads made from these materials can prevent the release of carbon dioxide up to 4 times its own weight because of the biopolymers coming from sugar canes.

These eco-friendly sanitary pads require a vigorous manufacturing process beginning with the production process of the wood pulp. The formed wood pulps are sealed using a sensitive impulse sealing method after being wrapped in a non-woven fabric. The process continues as position stickers are placed, creating the pads, and submitting them to quality control. 

These pads are finally ready for packaging and distribution after passing the standards. In turn, the eco-friendly pads help women with their periods with less impact on their health and the environment.