Vinay Kumar Singh
General Manager-Technical,
Mikasa Cosmetics Limited,
Ahmedabad, Gujarat
vinay.s@mikasacosmetics.com
I thought of writing on this topic because of two reasons.
a) Products used for Feminine Hygiene are to be applied topically, thus could be like Cosmetics. I had an opportunity to research on this product segment. At Mikasa Cosmetics Limited, Ahmedabad, We have developed various such Products for the benefit of most important section of our Society-Female.
b) Secondly I spent my childhood in village where I have witnessed that most household was lacking basic facility like toilet and the sufferer used to be women and girls. I really wonder whether they were having access to even basic requirement of their body, which in our country is big taboo in spite of the fact that one need to use proper product and practice right method to take care of it.
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Feminine hygiene is a term used to describe personal care products (also called menstrual products) used by women during menstruation, vaginal discharge, and other bodily functions related to the vulva. Sanitary napkins (American English) / Sanitary towels (British English), tampons, menstrual cups, pantiliners and feminine wipes, feminine wash, feminine cream & feminine powderare the major categories of feminine hygiene products.
Menstruation and the vagina generally is a conversational topic that often prompts expressions of disgust, mockery, jokes or pleas for ignorance, particularly from men. But let’s all agree to be mature adults here, and talk seriously about a health issue that affects nearly every woman on the planet, and is too often ignored out of misguided politeness or attitude of society.
The average woman will have about 350 menses in her lifetime, which, given an estimated average period length of 6 days, means she will spend a total of nearly 6 years of her life menstruating.
The female genitalia is the home to a very delicate balance of bacteria and yeast. If that balance is disturbed, one can end up with painful conditions such as urinary tract infections (UTIs), vaginitis, pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and yeast infections. Some of these infections, particularly UTIs, can become quite acutely severe.
The best way to safeguard against these common, but potentially serious, infections is to prevent them altogether, and to keep the bacteria and yeast levels in balance. While there are many things you can do to avoid UTIs, yeast infections and other problems—such as urinating before and after sexual intercourse, avoiding over-washing the area with harsh soaps, wiping front-to-back, avoiding bubble baths, and wearing cotton underwear and also to be very cautious about what types of materials and items you use.
Teen girls are particularly susceptible to these fears, given the multitude of anxieties surrounding puberty and the onset of menstruation.
Maintaining feminine hygiene is important to one’s overall health because in addition to preventing odors, itching, and discomfort, practicing feminine hygiene can also prevent bacterial infections from occurring. In some cases, bacterial infections may lead to sterility, disease, cancer, and other health problems. To maintain your feminine hygiene, you must bathe regularly, develop healthy habits in regards to your menstrual cycle, and wear fabrics that allow your vaginal region to breathe.
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Vaginal area is dark, moist, and closed off most of the day. These factors can create a foul-smelling odor and can also make you feel embarrassed.
As soon as puberty strikes, along with having mixed feelings towards new found womanhood, responsibilities start pouring in too. One of those unavoidable responsibilities is feminine hygiene, which should be a priority for ladies of all ages.
When it comes to feminine hygiene, it’s important for women to be very meticulous and consistent with maintaining the cleanliness of their vaginas. Although, no matter how clean and healthy a woman’s vagina is, it will always have a distinct smell that’s natural, characteristic and innate.
The good news is that vagina is a self cleaning “machine.” In other words, as part of its function, vagina actually cleans itself. But, when you need to clean “down there,” the best way to do it is to use water and gently remove any possible dirt and debris. If you want to use a proper cleanser. Try to avoid products with strong perfumes as it may irritate the area. Use pH-balanced gentle cleansers. Try not to overdo cleansing in the area because it may cause an imbalance of the normal growth of bacteria around your vagina and lead to possible infections.
India claims the lowest usage of feminine hygiene products in the world. Of the 496.4 million women in India, only 6% that is around 30 million women use some sort of hygienic sanitary napkin during their monthly menstruation. Compare this to the 96% rate seen in developed countries, like the United States, and India’s statistic is pitiful.
According to India's 2011 census, 89 percent of the nation's rural population lives in households that lack toilets. This absence of proper sanitation presents public health challenges and affects Indian women disproportionately.
An estimated 355 million Indian women and girls must find ways to cope with monthly menstrual hygiene. Most of these women either have no access to toilets or are faced with unclean lavatory facilities. Moreover, they usually wait until nighttime before using public toilets or fields, which exposes them to various forms of physical attacks.
According to a recent AC Nielsen survey conducted in major metropolitan areas of India—Aurangabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Gorakhpur, Hyderabad, Lucknow and Vijayawada—inadequate menstrual protection is a serious hindrance to everyday life. Indian women resort to methods of feminine hygiene that have been practiced for generations: old strips of cloth or napkins fashioned out of natural fiber husk that can be reused. Disposable sanitary napkins are expensive for poor consumers, and a lack of awareness also limits women’s comprehension of how sanitary napkins should be used and why they promote good health and hygiene.
Of the 355 million reproductive-age women in India, only 12 percent use absorbent pads or another sanitary method to stem the blood flow during their periods, a report by AC Nielsen and Plan India found in 2010. The rest tend to rely on old fabric, husks, dried leaves and grass, ash, sand or newspapers.
Menstruating women can’t perform religious rituals, touch idols, pray, visit temples, cook, serve food and touch drinking water in many traditional Hindu homes because they’re considered impure
A few households in rural Uttar Pradesh, the state just west of Bihar, have a separate area for menstruating women to sleep, according to a report from Unicef.
There are no satisfactory alternative methods of maintaining feminine hygiene for the average Indian woman; as a result, women often endure embarrassment, infection and loss of workdays due to the negative social stigma and discomfort associated with monthly menstruation. Reproductive tract infections are 70% greater among women who lack access to hygienic supplies. As many as 31% of adult women in India note a drop in their productivity levels when they menstruate, resulting in missing an average of 2.2 days of work each month.
Urban women make up 20% of the country’s sanitary napkin market. In 2008, there were 96 million women in urban India and, at that time, it was projected that that number would increase by 17% to 1.2 billion women in 2013. With this predicted population growth, the sanitary napkin market could was valued at as much as USD 365m in 2013, up from USD 166.1m in 2008.
India’s sanitary napkin market has significant profit potential. The demand for such products is stable; purchases are recurring and not subject to normal business cycles. Historically, the price of feminine hygiene products have been relatively expensive, but that is changing as small and large businesses enter the market and make an accessible, lower-priced offering to a wider consumer base. How can the market continue to grow and increase accessibility and awareness of feminine hygiene?
Traditionally, multinational corporations (MNCs) have dominated the manufacturing of feminine hygiene products. It is important to note, however, that the machinery used in manufacturing is expensive to procure and maintain. There is also the additional cost of the raw materials required to make the sanitary napkins. Although MNCs have achieved economies of scale that benefit consumers in relatively richer markets, the bottom of the pyramid (BoP) consumer is left out. There is need for affordable, quality feminine hygiene products.
Inventor Arunachalam Muruganantham at Jayaashree Industries, a Coimbatore-based company, has found a solution with his mini sanitary napkin-making machine. He was inspired to design and invent the mini machine after learning from his wife that if she, along with all his other female family members, bought sanitary napkins, they would have to reduce the monthly milk budget significantly. The low-cost mini machine’s design is based on small-scale production. Large-scale production of sanitary napkins requires as much as USD 782,000 as an initial investment. However, Jayaashree’s mini machine can be purchased for about USD 1,680. It is estimated that the mini machine can make 120 sanitary napkins per hour.
The affordability of the mini machine presents a unique opportunity to expand availability of this necessity while also increasing local employment opportunities. Most of Muruganantham's clients are NGOs and women's self-help groups.
People thought Muruganantham was a fool but today, he is the sanitary-napkin man.
The easiest and most effective way to protect yourself from irritations and further from infections is by using the right Feminine Hygiene Products.
Unfortunately in India, many women, due to lack of proper awareness today, think that wetness, discharge, odour, irritation and itching in private parts is all a part of daily life.
Many organisations have now launched Products that offer complete solution to vaginal problems and for feminine care. Product range comprises of daily Intimate wash, Intimate Cream, Whitening cream, Powder, Shower gel and Deodorant to cleanse ,protect and offer better smell in the vaginal area, thereby improving the everyday hygiene.
Intimate Wash has vitamins and natural herbal extracts, milk extract and milk protein which protect and cleanse the vaginal area while maintaining the necessary pH balance. The vaginal area is especially sensitive and requires specialized care. Hence, the gentle wash keeps away itching, irritation and other infections making one feel fresh and confident all day. It helps cleanse away odor-causing bacteria from the vaginal area. It also improves the skin tone and texture which is often affected by sanitary pad rashes and panty friction.Feminine (intimate) hygiene wash must be as below,
It must have the right pH(between 4.5- 5.5), mild natural ingredients, mild fragrance and must be safe & gentle enough for everyday use.
Intimate Cream provides gentle, effective relief from burning, itching, irritation and other vaginal infections, curing the Vaginitis in a week to ten days of regular application. Cream containing Benzocaine as a local anesthetic (numbing medication) is also used. It works by blocking nerve signals in your body.
Benzocaine topical is used to reduce pain or discomfort caused by minor skin irritations, sore throat, sunburn, teething pain, vaginal or rectal irritation, ingrown toenails, hemorrhoids, and many other sources of minor pain on a surface of the body. Benzocaine is also used to numb the skin or surfaces inside the mouth, nose, throat, vagina, or rectum to lessen the pain of inserting a medical instrument such as a tube or speculum. There are many brands and forms of benzocaine topical available.
Intimate Powder not only keeps the vaginal area clean, sweat free and fresh all day but it also dries wetness caused by vaginal discharge, reduces odour, protects the area from vaginal itching, burning, sanitary pad rashes, chafing on thighs, and other feminine problems. And with its special formulation, it also prevents vaginitis. Some are enriched with skin-soothing vitamins E, A & D.
Intimate Whitening: Sweat and excessive friction from tight clothing can darken the skin around the intimate area, causing self-consciousness, decreased confidence or intimacy inhibition. Intimate White is the natural and safe whitening feminine wash that is enriched with natural ingredients for maximum whitening effect.
Intimate Revitalize: Turn back time with Intimate Revitalize, the first-ever feminine wash with Vitamin E and collagen, which are known ingredients to enhance skin softness and firmness. It Combat signs of ageing with youth reviving formulation to regain softness and suppleness in the intimate area.
Intimate Cool & Fresh: Escape feelings of stickiness or sweatiness as a result of excessive humidity, heat, and other environmental factors. It puts an end to the discomfort with the cooling freshness of natural menthol essences.
IntimateBath & Shower Gel: Intimate Bath & Shower Gel was created specifically for your V. This extra-special body part can be pampered with this for gentleness.
IntimateDeodorant Spray: Let’s be honest – armpits aren’t the only body parts that sweat. So a time-released deodorant spray available for this women’s dilemma. Spray some on in the morning for a fresh feeling, or carry a can for use over the day. It Helps neutralize odor and absorb moisture. It contains Vitamin E that leaves skin feeling smooth.
I appreciate the effort by Shivangi Gupta, Director, Midas Care, who says "Post excessive research on the issues faced by women relating to vaginal infections and other irritations, We decided to launch a complete range of specialized feminine intimate care products. Our endeavor is to make each woman feel confident all day long and not be in any discomfort. We understand that the only way to combat issues pertaining to intimate hygiene is by first addressing the issue. Most women are extremely shy in discussing the problems faced by them in their intimate areas and they continue to suffer silently. These problems are caused by a lack of specially designed products for feminine intimate care. Studies show that urinary tract infection (UTI) is highly common among women across the country. Our Product range provides superior protection to reduce vaginal infections and protect the sensitive skin from damage."
We in India need many Shivangi and Muruganantham to address such issues which are almost neglected by our society. Government should take proactive step to help society to get rid of problem associated with Feminine Hygiene. Situation is improving but a lot more has to be done as I now even witness similar situation of non availability of toilet in city slums like Village of my childhood.
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