Elevating W men's Wellness Trends in Intimate Hygiene May, 2024 Confidential and proprietary © 1Lattice Product in Spotlight: The report was curated using our flagship product, 1nsights . Consistently taking the center stage in our partnerships, it helps us gather strategic and insightful knowledge in this dynamic industry. 1nsights is a robust suite of tools and data which equips you to excel and outperform in your respective markets, through in-depth market assessments, granular competitive benchmarking, and precise price benchmarking. We ensure that your product or service stands out in the competitive landscape and your strategies are rooted in market realities.With 1nsights , you gain a significant advantage in navigating the complex and ever-changing landscape. In this report, we have highlighted valuable insights and key trends emerging in the current landscape of female intimate hygiene in India, compiled using 1nsights . Foreword Historically, India has struggled with raising awareness regarding female intimate hygiene and wellness. Cultural taboos, societal norms, and limited access to education have contributed to a lack of understanding and awareness among women, particularly in rural areas, regarding safe and hygienic intimate practices. This gap in awareness has often led to the perpetuation of myths and misconceptions surrounding menstruation and a lack of attention towards wellness. However, in recent times, the government and various private companies have taken up initiatives to educate women in rural areas on the importance of safe and hygienic practices. The shift towards reusability and technological integration into products are the key trends emerging in the sector; however, the issue of accessibility and nationwide awareness remains an issue. While traditional players such as Whisper and Stayfree are still major players in the market, new-age companies such as Sirona, PEE Safe, Namyaa, etc. are propelling the market forward by emphasising innovation, competitive pricing, and taking up initiatives in rural India to raise awareness on intimate hygiene and safe menstrual practices. These new-age companies provide an extensive array of products that extend beyond menstrual hygiene, encompassing intimate care items such as feminine wash, wipes, powders, moisturisers, and more. At 1Lattice, we hold an optimistic outlook, believing that this report will provide valuable insight into the current landscape of female intimate hygiene in India. We’re excited to have an open conversation with our partners in various industries, sharing insights and exploring these topics further, while keeping a close eye on how the future is shaped for the same. Roma Dixit Ashish Dhir Senior Director- Senior Director- Insights and Consulting, Consumer & Retail, Financial Investors, 1Lattice 1Lattice Executive summary • Currently, sanitary napkins maintain a predominant position as front-runners in women’s hygiene and wellness segment despite the emergence of alternative products like menstrual cups, tampons, etc due to its familiarity, convenience, ease of use, accessibility, and social acceptance • Menstrual cups are sustainable and environment-friendly products with minimum health concerns associated with their usage - Health risks are associated with sanitary napkins containing chemicals like Phthalate and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) leading to breast and ovarian cancer while tampons can cause Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS) if left inside for too long • Despite having a higher initial cost , menstrual cups prove to be a safer and more environmentally friendly choice in the long run when compared to tampons and sanitary napkins - Cost of disposable sanitary pad ranges ~INR 5-25/pc, menstrual cup ranges ~INR 200-250/pc and tampon ranges ~INR 9-15/pc - One menstrual cup can be used for a period of 10 years if properly cleaned and sterilized while the reusable pads launched by new-age companies (Pee Safe, Sirona, Avni, etc) last for up to 1 year • Key emerging trends - New-age companies are focusing on providing 100% organic, biodegradable period care products like sanitary pads, period panties, and tampons. These are made of ingredients like bamboo, banana fibre, cotton, etc. Some products are also reusable like cloth pads, menstrual cups, and period panties - Traditional ayurvedic and herbal remedies have started to garner increased commercial success in India as they serve as natural alternatives to western medicine for alleviating period cramps and regulating one’s menstrual cycle - Companies have started integrate technology into pain relieving products such as wireless heat massagers and into period tracking apps to provide convenience and accessibility to women • New-age brands such as Sirona and Pee Safe provide a diverse range of Stock Keeping Units (SKUs) spanning multiple categories within menstrual products, menstrual pain relief products and intimate care products whereas conventional brands offer a more restricted selection with only a few SKUs - Traditional brands like Whisper and Stayfree deal only in limited product categories like sanitary napkins and panty liners • Modern brands like Pee Safe and Nua have raised a total funding of ~US$ 18M. Meanwhile, conventional brands like Whisper and Stayfree have undergone acquisitions. Competitive landscape Competitive landscape of women’s hygiene and wellness in India Menstrual hygiene players Sanitary napkins / panty liners Tampons Menstrual cups / discs Period panties Menstrual pain relief players Pain relief oils / roll-ons Heat patches and wraps Electrical gadgets** Supplements / Drinks Medicines (OTC* & Herbal) Creams and Gels Women intimate care players Feminine Wash Wipes Powders & Moisturizers Deodorants Notes(s): *Over-the-Counter medicines are sold directly to a consumer without the requirement of a prescription, **Electrical gadgets © 1Lattice | 04 include massagers, heaters and sterilizers Source(s): Company websites, Secondary research, 1Lattice analysis Key Differences Although more expensive initially, menstrual cups are a safer and more reusable option in the long term compared to tampons and sanitary napkins Menstrual Cups Tampons Parameters Sanitary Napkins • Replaced after 4-6 hours • Can be worn up to 8-12 • Must be changed every Duration 6-8 hours hours • Traditional sanitary • Reusable for up to 10 • Not reusable, Reusability napkins are not reusable years depending on discarded after single • However new age companies care and maintenance use have produced reusable of the cup Cost-effective in the pads that last up to 1 year long run due to reusability • On average, a disposable • On average, one • On average, a tampon Cost sanitary napkin costs menstrual cup with costs ~INR 9-15 ~INR 5-25 pouch costs ~INR 200-300 • Easily available in all areas • Not available in all areas • Limited availability Offline availability but increasing popularity and accessibility • High penetration , often • Slower adoption rate in • Lowest penetration Penetration subsidized by the rural areas compared to among the three government in rural areas the others products in India • Sanitary napkins that have • Menstrual cups pose no • Tampons can cause Health concerns chemicals like Phthalate and health complications if Toxic Shock Syndrome Volatile Organic Compounds they are appropriately (TSS) by encouraging (VOCs) have been sterilized bacteria growth if left in associated with causing too long ovarian and breast cancer Voice of Doctors “Menstrual cups are very sustainable and environmentally friendly . One biggest advantage of using the cup is that it averts around 2500 disposable sanitary pads and tampons from going to landfill and oceans.” - Dr. Premalatha , Gynaecologist “The younger generation is curious and open to new learning techniques. Teenagers prefer the usage of menstrual cups over sanitary pads or tampons. Women above the age of 40 years find it difficult to understand the mechanism and usage of the menstrual cup due to traditional thought processes. Menstrual cups are also eco-friendly, last for a long time , are budget-friendly , and are comfortable.” - Dr Sneha Rajiv, Obstetrician & Gynaecologist “Since there is less knowledge about tampons and menstrual cups , the shopkeepers don’t have high enough demand to stock up on them. Many women who might even know about such products are too shy to ask for them or might choose not to use them given the taboo around them. Hence, they’re not readily available in the markets for young girls and women in the menstruating age group.” - Dr Madhu Goel, Obstetrician & Gynaecologist © 1Lattice | 05 Source(s): MoHFW, Healthshots,, ZeeNews, Company websites, Secondary research, 1Lattice analysis Key trends Organic, Ayurvedic, and reusable menstruation products are key trends emerging in the women hygiene and wellness market (1/2) 01 02 Natural and Reusable organic products sustainable products • Brands are focusing on comfortable • Chemical- free and biodegradable reusable menstruation products like period menstruation products with natural and panties, cloth pads, and menstrual cups organic ingredients are gaining popularity • Economical in the long run and are • Products are soft on skin and prevent eco-friendly rashes / irritation • PEE SAFE 100% biodegradable • Sirona reusable period panty for sanitary pads made of organic periods, postpartum bleeding, cotton / bamboo pulp vaginal discharge • Saathi sanitary pads made of • Brands like Sirona, Ecofemme, banana / bamboo fibers Avni, Fabpad, Pee Safe offer • Brands like Sirona, FLOH , Carmesi reusable cloth pads offer 100% organic cotton tampons 03 04 Herbal & Subscription model ayurvedic remedies • Herbal & ayurvedic remedies have gained • D2C brands offer subscription models, increased commercial popularity in India which enables customers to avail extra as a means of menstrual pain relief discounts • They serve as a natural alternative to • It also helps to create and customise OTC medicines and electrical appliances packs • Subscription models build • Kapiva provides relief from period cramps customer loyalty and a higher & discomfort, regularises menstrual cycle, retention rate manage PMS symptoms and balance • Nua enables customers to select hormones assortment of pads (combination of pads for heavy flow, medium flow and light flow) • Brands like Nua, Saathi and PEE SAFE, Avni, Carmesi offer subscription packs © 1Lattice | 06 Source(s): Company websites, Industry reports, Secondary research, 1Lattice analysis Key trends The other trends in the market include technological advancements, heightened awareness, and omnichannel presence among the brands (2/2) 05 06 Technological Integration Convenience in Tracking • Apps pertaining to the tracking of one's • Companies such as Ultracare Pro, Azah menstrual cycle have gained popularity for and Welme have started to incorporate their convenience and accessibility wireless technology into massagers and • These apps also provide detailed analysis heaters on one’s menstrual cycle and its • These products provide relief through both accompanying symptoms which is heating and through TENS (soothing beneficial in managing related symptoms electrical pulses) to help alleviate menstrual pain • Apps such as Flo allow for convenience in tracking • These apps also analyze one’s cycle across time for any irregularities or abnormalities 07 08 Awareness Campagins Omni-Channel Presence • Companies such as Sirona, Nua, • There has been a significant push to raise Clean&Dry, and Azah have broadened their awareness about menstrual hygiene, product offerings to be a one-stop shop for breaking taboos , and providing education all things related to feminine hygiene about safe and hygienic practices during • These companies offer user-friendly menstruation websites for easy shopping of menstrual care and intimate hygiene products • The Menstrual hygiene scheme from the government has helped educate over 3.43Cr females in rural areas on menstrual hygiene • Whisper under their Mother Daughter Menstrual Health & Hygiene Program have educated over 5Cr girls since 2022 on female intimate care © 1Lattice | 07 Source(s): Company websites, Industry reports, Secondary research, 1Lattice analysis Category / product offering benchmarking New-age brands like Sirona, Pee Safe offer various SKUs across categories while traditional brands are limited to a few SKUs in menstrual products Traditional New-age brands* brands Disposable sanitary pads Reusable sanitary pads MC** / disc MC sterilizer Panty liners Tampons Period panty Pain relief oil / roll-ons Heat Patches & wraps Supplements / drinks Electrical gadgets Feminine wash Wipes Powder / moisturizer © 1Lattice | 08 Note(s):*New age brands are founded in the last 10 years, **MC refers to Menstrual cup Source(s): Company websites, Secondary research, 1Lattice analysis Overall benchmarking New-age brands are raising funds, with Paree having total funding of US$ 44M, while traditional brands like Whisper and Stayfree have been acquired New-age brands 2014 2013 2017 2019 2019 2017 2018 Founding year Revenue 5.9 5.0 2.5 0.1 0.4 0.3 3.4 (US$ M)(FY22) Company stage Series B Series B Series A Seed Seed Seed Series A 8.5 18.4 18.3 0.1 1.4 0.7 4.33 Total funding (US$ M) Financials and funding 16.9 22.4 7.5 3.0 29.4 Valuation (US$ M) N/A N/A Funding rounds 5 8 6 1 3 5 Angel Key investors Investors Channel mix Offline Online 100% organic cotton, bamboo Subscription model* fiber, corn fiber Use of organic ingredients Low High © 1Lattice | 09 Notes(s): *It enables customers to receive packs of sanitary napkins monthly / quarterly at discounted rates Source(s): Tracxn, Company websites, Press releases, Secondary research, 1Lattice analysis Case study- Sirona Sirona offers a vast range of organic and reusable female hygiene products along with self-defense products Founded Headquarters Total funding Company stage Offerings 2014 Mumbai, India ~US$ 8.5M Series A Women’s hygiene and wellness products Key product categories Key features • India’s first all-inclusive female intimate hygiene company to sell self-defence products (pepper spray and emergency alarms) • Aim to be an INR 500Cr company in the next 3 Period care Toilet hygiene Personal safety years by focusing on their offline presence • Sell the longest lasting reusable menstrual cups in India which can last for 10 years • Sell India’s first portable menstrual cup UV sterilizer that kills 99% germs in under 3 minutes Intimate hygiene Hair removal Revenue Marketing & brand building Revenue growth (US$ M) 115K+ Followers 31.7K+ Subscribers 11K+ 5.3 C A G R 7K+ Posts 500+ Videos Followers 65% 3.2 C A G R • Increasing reliance on short and content like 88% Insta reels and YouTube shorts 1.7 • Higher engagement with smaller influencers to target niche audiences FY20 FY21 FY22 • Have a smaller offline presence but have plans to expand in the future Key social initiatives • Sirona Hygiene Foundation : Promote menstrual hygiene in rural areas. They distribute free menstrual cups and promote its use over pads to encourage sustainability and reusability through various projects and programs • Project Shakti Signature • Project Lakhon- Educate female police camp-Trains women across officers, inmates and women in rural India in self-defence and also areas on menstrual hygiene, nutrition donate pepper sprays to rural and provide them with reusable area menstrual cups and sterilisers • Project Eve - Aim to educate women across India on menstrual hygiene and donate over 1M menstrual cups through a public donation page © 1Lattice | 10 Source(s): Tracxn, Industry reports, Company websites, Secondary research, 1Lattice analysis Case study- Nua Nua, a D2C wellness brand, offers a range of period care and wellness products while enabling customers to customise their period care packs Founded Headquarters Total funding Company stage Offerings 2017 Series A Women’s hygiene and Mumbai, India ~US$ 18.3M wellness products Key product categories Key features • India’s only female intimate hygiene company to - Offer period pain relief drink mixes made of vitamin B3, L-Theanine, ginger extract and magnesium Sanitary napkins Period panties Panty liner - Offer customized pack of 36 sanitary pads in 3 size options- Heavy (XL+), Medium (XL), Light (L) Self-heating Cramp Intimate cramp patch relief mix wash Revenue Marketing & brand building Revenue growth (US$ M) 290K+ Followers 6.55K+ Subscribers 50K+ 2.5 1.5K+ Posts 80+ Videos Followers C A G R 127% • Increasing reliance on short-form content like C A G R Insta reels and YouTube shorts 83% 1.1 • Focus on community marketing and launch 0.6 products after having one-on-one conversations with consumers . It has built a community of FY20 FY21 FY22 4L women • Onboarded Deepika Padukone as its brand ambassador Key social initiatives • Project Prerna - Launched in 2020 to distribute underprivileged women and frontline workers during Covid-19 - Supplied 9L+ pads across Maharashtra and Kerala - Partnered with 6+ NGOs Kerala Flood Relief - Distributed Menstruation workshops - 5K+ sanitary pads to Collaborated with CRY for workshops flood-affected women in Kerala at a Bangalore government school, with the Indian Red Cross Society supplied 10K+ pads © 1Lattice | 11 Case study- Power Gummies Power Gummies, a nutraceutical DNB, offers crafted gummies designed to help females combat PMS syndrome Founded Headquarters Total funding Company stage Offerings Nutraceuticals in a 2018 Delhi NCR, India ~US$ 10M Series A tasty & chewable format (Gummies) Key product categories Description • The only natural nutraceutical product in the market for PMS • Gummies for “That time of the month” or PMS INR 800/month INR 999/month INR 1200/month Gummies was introduced in 2021 • Helps to cure Premenstrual syndrome (PMS), period pain, cramps and supports overall INR 1200/month INR 999/month INR 1300/month ovarian health • 100% vegetarian , gluten & gelatine-free INR 700/month INR 1200/month INR 800/month Revenue DNB channels • Offline channels are Channel split Revenue growth (US$ M) (%) creating high brand presence 1.7 • Share of marketplace C A G R 65% 143% channel reducing due to 95% higher CAC C A G R 133% 0.7 • DOC channel generating 3 5 % 5 % 0.3 32% revenue , driven by 2019 2022 the brand’s digital Offline Online presence and unique FY20 FY21 FY22 site-only offers Marketing & brand building Key investors 290K+ Followers 6.55K+ Subscribers 50K+ 1.5K+ Posts 80+ Videos Followers • Increasing reliance on short form content like Insta Reels and Snapchat • Higher engagement with smaller influencers to target niche audiences • Low focus on offline marketing due to their low ROI © 1Lattice | 12 Note(s): CAC=Customer Acquisition Cost Source(s): Tracxn, Industry reports, Company websites, Secondary research, 1Lattice analysis We are here for you Let us know how we can meet your business requirement? Roma Dixit Senior Director- Insights and Consulting, Financial Investors, 1Lattice E: roma.dixit@1lattice.com For media queries, Vaishnav Kumar Rai Manager – Corporate Communications please contact E: communications@1lattice.com M: +91 782 794 4925 www.1lattice.com Disclaimer: This material has been prepared by 1Lattice, which is the trade name of Lattice Technologies Private Limited (“1Lattice”, “we” or “our”) with the intent to showcase our capability and disseminate learnings to potential partners/clients. This material can be referred to by the readers on the internet but should be referenced to 1Lattice, if reused or adapted in any form, or medium and on any forum. The frameworks, approaches, tools, analysis and opinions are solely 1Lattice’s intellectual property and are a combination of the collection of the best data we could find publicly, and the 1Lattice team’s own experiences and observations. 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