New Delhi 30th September 2019: Sanfe, an IIT Delhi, incubated startup working on Feminine Hygiene with a vision to ‘create simple and innovative solutions to empower the women’ has forayed into Organic Period Care range with the launch of Organic Sanitary Pads, Panty Liners, Tampons and Menstrual Cups and Hygiene essentials which include Natural Intimate Wash and Intimate Wipes.
Only a few have ever wondered about what goes into the making of sanitary pads which are in direct contact with intimate area for at least five days a month. Conventional Sanitary Products expose the skin to harmful chemicals, dyes and bleaches which cause rashes, urinary tract infections and bad odor. Additionally, women tend to rely on soap and water to clean their intimate areas, which worsens the situation by disturbing the pH balance down there and making it more susceptible to rashes, allergy and itching.
A report by WHO observes that around 50% of the women have had Urinary Tract Infections(UTI), Rashes and Allergies at least once in their lifetime, the primary reason for which is attributed to improper menstrual hygiene and unbalanced pH level of the intimate area. Sanitary Pads available in the market contains Chlorine Bleaches, Color Additives and Fragrances to give them their unique value proposition but is ultimately harmful to the reproductive health of the user in the long run. Even Doctors and Gynecologists often discourage the use of regular soap to clean the intimate area during the menstrual cycles as pH of the soap solution is 8-9, and pH of a healthy intimate area stands at 3-4.
Sanfe intends to support a continuous dialogue around healthy and sustainable feminine hygiene, right from the path-breaking Stand and Pee Device, which aids women in using public washrooms without the fear of catching UTI or other infections; to Sanfe Roll-on, which gives comfort from cramps and pain during the difficult days of the menstruation; to the recently launched Sanfe’s Reusable Sanitary Pads made from composite Banana Fiber; each product has been a considerable step in redefining feminine hygiene. The ultimate agenda of Sanfe is to improve the condition of female health in India and other countries by offering innovative solutions which are accessible and affordable for even the last-mile women.
Taking the next step forward towards launching a complete Feminine Hygiene range, Sanfe has launched Reusable Menstrual Cups, Organic Period Care Range having chemical-free sanitary pads, panty liner and tampons along with Hygiene Essentials which include intimate wipes and wash. The startup has launched these products intending to offer women natural and organic solutions to overcome daily life challenges, making their lives more comfortable and secure.
The Organic Period Care Range, which comes in direct contact with the intimate area, is made of 100% Organic Cotton and is free from chlorine bleaches and fragrances, ensuring a rash-free experience to the user. Moreover, the decomposition of the organic Pads, Pantyliners and Tampons starts in about 6-12 months after disposal and takes about two years to decompose completely. Lastly, the Natural Intimate Wipes and Natural Intimate Wash is a travel essential for all women and makes it easy for them to cleanse their intimate area to prevent rashes, odour and infections, even when they are on the move.
Sanfe’s new product range includes:
- Organic Period Care Range
- Sanfe Organic Sanitary Pads are 100% Organic and Rash free, which was developed using GOTS Certified Organic Cotton and is Ultra Soft, Breathable and Biodegradable.
- Sanfe Organic Cotton Tampons is an alternative to disposable sanitary pads. It sits inside the vagina, absorbing the menstrual flow and is made using 100% Organic Cotton, which is biodegradable. These tampons offer complete protection against rashes and leakages and can be used up to 6 hours comfortably.
- Sanfe Cotton Panty Liners are made for light flow days and non-period days to absorb the vaginal sweating and discharges, giving a fresh feeling all day long.
- Sanfe Reusable Menstrual Cups are Eco-Friendly reusable alternative to Pads and Tampons, instead of absorbing the Menstrual Flow, they catch and collect it and can be used for up to five years. One can leave them in for 12 hours without any worry of leakage, overflow and doesn’t hinder movement and is ideal for active women.
- Hygiene Essential Range
- Sanfe Natural Intimate Wash and Wipes is a natural solution to clean the intimate area by maintaining a healthy pH of 3.5, with the goodness of Essential Oils along with Tea Tree and Aloe vera Extracts for soothing action and gentle cleansing. Wipes are convenient for the women on the move, especially during periods to take care of intimate hygiene.
With these Organic Period Care Range and Hygiene Essentials, Sanfe is trying to address the problems which women face during their menstrual cycles such as rashes, urinary tract infections, itching and allergies which occur due to lack of intimate hygiene. There are 336 million menstruating women in India, and they indirectly contribute tonnes of non-biodegradable waste in the form of used sanitary pads.
Thus, by foraying into the organic and biodegradable Sanitary Products and Hygiene Essentials segment, Sanfe aims to capture the mass premium Feminine Hygiene market, which is expected to reach a value of $1 Billion by 2025.
Speaking on the occasion of the launch Archit Agarwal, founder of Sanfe and B.Tech student at IIT Delhi said, “We don’t want to limit the choice of women by offering them traditional toxic bleached sanitary pads. Instead, we are offering them a basket of organic products ranging from Menstrual Cups to Cotton Tampons and Pads; we want them to feel empowered with our new range of eco-friendly and healthy menstrual hygiene products. We aspire to change the way women view their menstrual cycle as discomforting and limiting to happy and comfortable days with our simple innovations. At Sanfe, it is always a priority to understand the needs of women, develop products that suit their requirements and their value system. We want to alter the current poor state of feminine hygiene in India and other geographies by sparking conversations, changing mindsets and bringing better hygiene products and sustainable solutions.”
Harry Sehrawat, the co-founder of Sanfe and B.Tech student from IIT Delhi, says, “Feminine Hygiene is a neglected topic in our country, not because there is a lack of awareness around it, but because nobody wants to speak about it in public. We wish to correct that through our simple innovations in Feminine Hygiene, we have a stronghold in markets of Nepal, Bhutan, US and African countries with a month on month growth of 100% from January 2019. We aim to address the issue of lack of conversation around Feminine Hygiene through behaviour change communication amongst our target groups.”
