[{"name":"Intimate Hygiene","url":"https:\/\/store.mintel.com\/industries\/beauty-personal-care\/intimate-hygiene"},{"name":"A Year of Innovation","url":"https:\/\/store.mintel.com\/report-type\/a-year-of-innovation"},{"name":"Global","url":"https:\/\/store.mintel.com\/markets\/global-market-research"}]
Report
en_GB
Brands have responded to prolonged wear and safety concerns, and need to consider the demands of key demographics, like teens, to further engage. Ziyu Tian, OTC & Personal Care Research…
Global
Intimate Hygiene
simple
A Year of Innovation in Absorbent Hygiene 2026
"Brands have responded to prolonged wear and safety concerns, and need to consider the demands of key demographics, like teens, to further engage."
Explore the latest innovations in absorbent hygiene with Mintel’s global innovation report. The report identifies the major launch activities, pivotal consumer attitudes and most important product developments over the past 12 months.
Key innovation trends in the global absorbent hygiene market are analysed and succinctly presented alongside Mintel’s consumer data and insights. So you can understand changing consumer demands and identify future growth opportunities.
Collapse All
What we have seen
Our pick of the most innovative launches in this review
Other innovative launches
EUROPE, MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA (EMEA)
Europe: support upcoming period care users
Innovate teen-specific personal care for Gen Alpha
Pads are well-positioned to support teen audience
Graph 1: pad and tampon launches, by sub-category, 2021-25
Highlight the target audience on pack
Brand innovation: Natracare
Europe: improve transparency to relieve safety concerns
Address the risk of exposure to harmful chemicals
Toxins free claims are trending back up
Plant-based innovations stand out
Brand renovation: Grace & Green
The Middle East & Africa (MEA)
Grocer retailers continue recycling commitments
ASIA PACIFIC (APAC)
Asia: longevity needs pave the way for format innovations
Prolonged protection secures multiple use occasions
Asia: sensorial period care can open up new innovation space
Increasing temperature calls for climate adaptive solutions
Sensorial launches have more room for growth
Graph 3: pad and tampon launches featuring sensorial* claims in description, 2021-25
Cooling launches to cater to seasonal needs
Brand renovation: Sofy Chojyukusui
Australia & New Zealand
Trust in dermatological evidence indicates premiumisation
THE AMERICAS
North America: prove value proposition amid economic pressure
Support the stocking up needs of consumers
Mass market launches will garner more audience
Graph 4: absorbent hygiene launches, by price groups, 2021-25
Multipack to cater to different flow within a cycle
Brand innovation: Hazel
North America: digital first for inclusive engagement
Digital approach are significant touchpoints
Digital engagement on pack increases in popularity
Graph 5: absorbent hygiene launches carrying social media claim and featuring QR code, 2021-25
Designed for underrepresented niche demographics
Brand innovation: Pampers
Latin America: population change is set to bring lasting impact
Launch activities reflect an aging society
Graph 6: absorbent hygiene launches, by sub-categories, 2021-25
A female focus in private label launches
What is 'A Year of Innovation' Report?
To truly understand a market, it’s essential to look at the products that are shaping it. Our ‘A Year of Innovation’ reports provide a detailed review of specific categories, focusing on the most notable product launches from the past 12 months. These reports are designed to give you a clear and comprehensive picture of recent innovation and its impact.
How We Analyse a Year of Innovation
By deconstructing the past year’s activity, we can provide valuable context for your current and future strategies. Here’s how we do it.
A Deep Dive into Product Launches
The core of these reports is a thorough examination of new products. We go beyond simply listing what’s new. Our analysis delves into the “why” behind each product launch, exploring the strategies, ingredients, and marketing claims that are driving innovation. This helps you understand what’s working, what’s not, and where the market is headed.
Powered by the Global New Products Database (GNPD)
Our insights are built on a foundation of robust data from Mintel’s Global New Products Database (GNPD). This powerful tool tracks and catalogues new product launches from around the world. By leveraging the GNPD, we offer a complete exploration of innovative activity within your category, ensuring our analysis is comprehensive, accurate, and relevant.
Uncovering Trends and Consumer Shifts
Our ‘A Year of Innovation’ reports are designed to equip you with actionable insights into how to lead innovation in your category. By studying recent product launches, we can identify shifting consumer habits and preferences. These reports help you connect the dots between what consumers want and how companies are responding. You’ll gain a deeper understanding of emerging trends, allowing you to refine your own product development and marketing strategies with confidence.
£ 2,195(Excl.Tax)
Download today with instant access
Pay via credit card or invoice (net 30 payment terms)
Multiple formats provided
We send a PDF and Powerpoint version straight to your inbox. An interactive version of the report is also available on our online platform
Tailored solutions, inspiring brand action and long-term vision will help absorbent hygiene brands promote spending and bond with diverse audiences.
A Mintel Analyst, Global Analyst
...
Absorbent hygiene remains a slow-moving category, with most of the innovation coming from small brands. Opportunities exist to improve ease of use and explore recycling schemes.
Dionne Officer, Research...
Retail sales of the sanitary protection and incontinence market reached £708m in 2025, with an increase of 6%, driven largely by sales of incontinence products. However, 29% of...
Safety defines the future of eco products, while intimate hygiene can benefit from blurring for premiumisation. Incontinence holds potential with untapped demand.
Ziyu Tian, OTC & Personal Care Research...
India's absorbent hygiene market has seen notable growth over the past five years, driven primarily by the diaper segment.
Mothers report high satisfaction with baby diapers, but the growing...
The Canadian absorbent hygiene and intimate care market is currently impacted by economic uncertainties, including cost of living and trade concerns, which are tightening household budgets. Despite these...
We use Mintel Reports, mostly for financial services and ecommerce markets, plus a few retail and technology ones.
As a leading payments provider, we value additional insights into consumer behaviour, opinions and trends that are shaping the many different markets we operate in. Mintel is a very good and very quick way for us to obtain those insights.
We use Mintel to get a view on where a particular market is going, which can support us in product development and help us identify opportunities or indeed risks, it is a very useful barometer of a market’s potential.
Andrew Neeson, Market Intelligence Manager, VocaLink
There is no question that Mintel is the go-to resource for the best quality market research, but I did not think it was an affordable option for Abacus Marketing to consider. As a small marketing agency, we only work with a few new clients each year.
However, we have a very high-end consultative approach to our work, so we really do need a partner like Mintel to provide the big agency experience we are always aiming to deliver. Our clients come from an incredibly diverse range of industry sectors, so we obviously need access to market research reports from a very wide spectrum of marketplaces – and that is precisely what we got.
Stephen Taylor-Brown, Managing Director, Abacus
Mintel is really good for getting a handle on a particular category quickly. If we are working on a new business pitch in an area we don’t have much experience in, it’s a brilliant way to get up to speed with what’s going on, what’s changing and what the key trends are in any category.
It’s very rare now that anyone will plough through a 200-page report – that’s why the summaries are really useful. We know they are backed up by a lot of detail, so if you need to go into something in more depth you know the information will be all there for you.
Pauline Robson, Managing Partner, Mediacom
Mintel helps us when we want to know something quickly – it provides fast answers to our questions. If we need to get a view of what’s going on in a particular market it’s very useful.
When carrying out background research, I find Mintel an excellent starting point.
The fact that it covers so many markets is a big plus for me– instead of having to buy specialist products in each area we are interested in, especially when we only require a brief view on a particular market, we can go to Mintel for help as a one-stop shop. I find Mintel a useful and valuable resource.
Ben Zeidler, Director - Research and Analytics, Tenth Wave
At Jackman, we believe that powerful strategies are based on human insight. Mintel’s leading-edge reports and insights into consumer attitudes and behaviors are an important input as we develop and execute strategy.
Alana Gavin, VP Research and Insights, Jackman
Next Starts Here
Whatever your business needs, we have the solution. From market intelligence reports to customised growth strategies.