This Report examines the feminine hygiene category in India, highlighting significant shifts and trends. There is a noted decline in sanitary pad product development, with brands focusing more on packaging than innovation. Given the dominant usage of sanitary pads among Indian women, the category must address major concerns like comfort, leakage, stains and unpleasant odours, emphasising functional advancements.
The environmental impact is another pressing issue, as 12bn non-biodegradable sanitary pads are contributing to the nation’s plastic waste annually. Growing environmental awareness, driven by social media and government initiatives, is pushing brands to develop sustainable solutions, such as reusable pads and menstrual cups.
This Report also touches on the intimate hygiene category, where product launches have fluctuated. Low adoption rates highlight the need for ongoing education, with social media playing a vital role in spreading awareness, emphasising safety and reinforcing the purpose of these products.
This report looks at the following areas:
- Key trends shaping the feminine hygiene category
- Usage of feminine hygiene products
- Concerns with sanitary products
- Premiumisation opportunities for sanitary pads
- The rise in eco-conscious innovations in sanitary products
- Opportunities for the intimate hygiene product category
Enhance sanitary pads by upgrading their functional attributes, advocate for eco-friendly sanitary innovations, and boost the adoption of intimate hygiene products by incorporating skin-caring claims.
Twinkle Behl, Research Analyst – Beauty and Personal Care, India
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- Mintel’s perspective
- Key issues covered in this Report
- Overview
- The outlook of the feminine hygiene category in India
- Enhanced functional features can justify the premium pricing of sanitary pads
- Graph 1: willingness to pay more for sanitary pads/napkin features, by sanitary pad users, 2024
- Drive usage of eco-conscious sanitary innovations by doubling down on safety
- Boost usage of intimate hygiene products by incorporating skin-caring claims
- Graph 2: intimate hygiene issues experienced by intimate hygiene product users and non-users, 2024
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KEY TRENDS AND MARKET FACTORS
- What you need to know
- Sanitary pad launches witness significant decline
- Sanitary pads lead absorbent hygiene launches despite a noticeable decline
- Graph 3: select absorbent hygiene launches, by sub-category, 2020-25
- Sanitary pad launches prioritise new packaging over product innovation
- Graph 4: sanitary pad launches, by launch type, 2020-25
- New-age brands are dialling up innovation
- Status quo: long-lasting claims dominate the functional claims, followed by time/speed claims
- Graph 5: sanitary pad launches, by functional and select convenience claims, 2020-25
- Drive innovation with technology: Whisper India has launched Curvewear technology to prevent leaks
- Globally, brands are advancing functional features in sanitary pads
- Concerns about sanitary waste and plastic pollution drive sustainable innovation in sanitary products
- Disposable sanitary pads intensify India’s environmental burden
- Indian consumers show interest in sustainability
- Graph 6: agreement with the statement ‘I try to act in a way that is not harmful to the environment’, 2024
- In India, environmental friendliness is not a fad
- Graph 7: share of ethical and environmental claims in BPC launches, 2014-24
- Globally and in India, brands are pushing for eco-conscious sanitary solutions
- Concerns with plastic will lead to sustainable sanitary solutions
- Graph 8: environmental issues that consumers are concerned about the most, 2024
- Mintel’s 2020 Packaging Trend: Plastics Responsible
- Social media and offline campaigns create awareness about plastic inclusion in regular sanitary pads
- Government push towards sustainable solutions
- Kerala government advocates menstrual cups as part of the pushing for sustainable solutions
- Intimate hygiene discussions gain acceptance in India
- Intimate hygiene launches show fluctuation, but have gained traction in the past year
- Graph 9: intimate hygiene product launches, 2020-25
- Social media discussions on intimate hygiene gain popularity among young women
- Conversations about intimate hygiene gain acceptance on social media
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WHAT CONSUMERS WANT AND WHY
- What do you need to know
- Usage behaviour and concerns with sanitary pads
- Sanitary pads are the go-to, but young women are exploring novel alternatives
- Graph 10: usage of sanitary pads, by age group, 2024
- Graph 11: usage of feminine hygiene products in the last six months, 2024
- High disposable income enables the pursuit of innovative formats
- Graph 12: usage of feminine hygiene products in the last six months, by financial situation, 2024
- Cost and hygiene identified as major concerns for sanitary pad usage
- Graph 13: concerns with sanitary products, by sanitary pad users, 2024
- Communicating the rationale behind price increases in the mass-premium sanitary pad range is essential
- Graph 14: sanitary pad launches, by price group in USD, 2020- 25
- Graph 15: sanitary pad launches, by economy* and premium** claims on pack, 2024-25
- Highlight the economy claims on pack to appeal to the budget-conscious
- Showcase innovative features to effectively justify a premium price
- Women across generations have a varied range of concerns about sanitary pads
- Besides cost, sanitary pad brands need to tackle concerns linked to hygiene and comfort
- Convey premium quality by addressing concerns about sanitary pads
- Combining scent with functionality can appeal to a wider audience
- Graph 16: willingness to pay more for sanitary pads/napkin features, by sanitary pad users, 2024
- Social media chatter about sanitary pads revolves around comfort
- Convenience claims have the potential to grow in sanitary pads
- Graph 17: sanitary pad launches with select convenience claims, 2024-25
- Focus on enhancing comfort for diverse body shapes
- Redefine comfort with occasion-specific sanitary pad packs
- Enhance leakage protection with advanced technology and innovative features
- Prevent leakages by innovating with colour-changing detection features
- Combat odour concerns with scented sanitary pads
- Graph 18: intimate hygiene issues experienced, by sanitary pad users, 2024
- Combat odour concerns with scented sanitary pads
- Build on odour-neutralising benefits in sanitary pads
- Graph 19: sanitary pad launches, by odour-neutralising claim, 2020-25
- Opportunity to innovate with eco-conscious sanitary solutions
- Growing safety concerns drive demand for natural ingredients
- Social media chatter about sanitary products reveals an opportunity for conscious innovation
- Capitalise on natural and organic claims
- Graph 20: sanitary pad launches, by top three claims in natural claim category, 2020-25
- Graph 21: willingness to pay more for natural/organic materials in sanitary pads/napkins, by age group, socio-economic group and region, 2024
- Drive skin safety with natural ingredients
- Emphasise organic materials on sanitary pad packaging
- Demonstrate how natural materials and botanicals complement each other to foster a sense of wellbeing
- Extend natural/organic sanitary pad offering for teens/tweens
- The shift towards plastic-free BPC products will spur eco-friendly innovation in sanitary products
- Graph 22: attributes associated with sustainable/eco-friendly packaging in BPC products, 2024
- Indian brands advocate for sustainable sanitary products by highlighting the risk of plastics and harmful ingredients in regular pads
- The decline in environmental claims in sanitary pad innovation points to a crucial need to re-emphasise these claims for consumer appeal
- Graph 23: sanitary pad launches, by ethical claims, 2020-21 vs 2024-25
- Promote eco-friendly initiatives in sanitary pad innovation
- Case study: Fluus has introduced flushable sanitary pads with a zero-waste commitment
- The desire for reusable sanitary pads calls for a push towards sustainable solutions
- Graph 24: willingness to pay more for sanitary pads/napkin features, by type of sanitary product users, 2024
- Emphasise the synergy between cost-saving, efficacy and sustainability to drive usage of reusable formats
- Encourage the use of reusable products that are absorbent, gentle on the skin and easy to use
- Offer trials for reusable sanitary products to encourage adoption
- Promote reusable briefs for both incontinence and periods
- Intimate hygiene products usage and interest in features
- The majority of Indian women don’t use intimate hygiene products
- Graph 25: usage of intimate washes, by generation, 2024
- Graph 26: usage of intimate wash or intimate wipes in the last six months, 2024
- Cost concerns, perceived irrelevance and satisfaction with bathing routines limit the use of intimate hygiene products
- Graph 27: barriers to intimate wipes or intimate washes/cleansers usage, 2024
- Drive education and awareness around intimate hygiene through social media
- Promote adoption with trial packs and clear usage instructions
- Introduce multitasking formulas to capitalise on value
- Debunk the myth that a regular bathing routine suffices for intimate hygiene
- A long-lasting fragrance and the absence of harmful chemicals in intimate hygiene products will appeal to both users and non-users
- Highlight long-lasting fragrance and freshness claims on packaging
- Tap into Indian consumers’ faith in natural claims to enhance the appeal of being free from harmful chemicals in the intimate hygiene category
- Graph 28: intimate hygiene product launches, by select free-from and natural claims, 2020-25
- Leverage mix of natural/organic and free-from claims to build trust and safety
- Take inspiration from global brands leveraging facial skincare botanicals in intimate hygiene
- Tackle skin sensitivity concerns
- Graph 29: intimate hygiene issues experienced, by intimate hygiene product users and non-users, 2024
- Address skin sensitivity concerns in intimate hygiene products
- Double down on skin sensitivity claims on pack
- Graph 30: intimate hygiene product launches, by select beauty-enhancing, functional and product testing claims, 2024-25
- Double down on skin sensitivity claims on pack
- Incorporate barrier-defence formulas to provide relief from irritation
- Highlight ‘gentle on skin’ claim to build trust
- Allay skin safety concerns with professional approval
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APPENDIX
- Consumer survey methodology
- Social data research methodology
- TURF analysis
- Generations
- Abbreviations
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