6 Reasons Why You May Need a Different Pad Attachment Adhesive

Consumers rely on your period care products. For those who use pads, the pad attachment adhesive is a vital component in ensuring leak protection. The reason is simple: A pad must be affixed and stay in the right place to absorb insults as intended. 

Holding a pad in place is the role of the adhesive. Even so, there are many attributes to consider when selecting the right attachment adhesive—and it’s supplier. For example:

1. Improving consumer satisfaction

A good pad attachment adhesive needs to meet several consumer expectations, from how they affix and stay in place, to how cleanly they remove. Our experts have identified a total of eight. If your current adhesive is failing on even one, it can affect a consumer’s ongoing loyalty to your brand. Learn more about these needs when you read ‘What to Look for in Pad Attachment Adhesives’. 

2. Changing expectations 

User needs are always evolving. Year to year ... month to month ... day to day ... even hour to hour. At the same time, technologies change. Your competition may already be offering new ways to make your consumers’ lives easier, and better. Keeping up with current expectations for pad attachment—or even pulling a step ahead—is a time-tested way to maintain and grow your market share.

3. Serving the needs of diverse users

Just because an adhesive may attach a pad to the consumer’s undergarment, that does not mean the adhesive is the right fit for all products or all markets. You want a pad attachment adhesive that holds up to users’ daily lives … the ones on the move, the exercise enthusiasts, the active sleepers, and more.

And keep in mind, those who use period care products come in all shapes, sizes, and a variety of ages. Teens, young adults, and more mature generations have differing experiences with menstrual health. If you are looking to target specific groups or needs, a different adhesive may be best suited to their needs.

4. Addressing regional and cultural factors that affect performance 

The right adhesive for one region may not be well-suited to another. This is because climate—where users are in the world—impacts pad attachment. Low temperatures can interfere with adhesion, causing the pad to shift more easily. In higher temperatures or humidity, the adhesive may become tackier. As a result, the chances of residue and tearing of the pad during removal increases. Depending on shipping, storage, and on-the-shelf conditions, the wrong pad attachment adhesive can disappoint the consumer from the moment the pack is opened.

But it doesn’t stop there. Underwear preferences—fabric types, weaves, and surface treatments—affect pad attachment performance. The same is true for regional product preferences such as fragrances, lotions, and additives for keeping the skin dry or cool. All of these factors need to be considered when selecting your pad attachment adhesive for any given product and region. 

5. Meeting your own business needs

Of course, your adhesive choice is not just about the consumer. The right adhesives may create new opportunities for assisting with your own company’s goals. For example:

• Consistent performance across a variety of backsheet materials, reduces the need to change adhesive when you update substrates or designs, for more efficient operations.
• Reliable peel performance, even with reduced add-on, enables increased profitability
• The right initial and in-use peel support greater consumer confidence by making the pad easy to remove and reposition in the underwear. It also holds the pad in place, leading to a comfortable, leak-free experience. 
• Compatibility with sustainable substrates and enabling the use of lower add-ons both support social responsibility

These are just a few factors to keep in mind when selecting adhesives for your products. 

6. Additional benefits provided by your adhesive supplier

The right partner is also able to offer you benefits beyond the adhesive itself. At a minimum, this should include coater trials, troubleshooting support, and additional services such as product audits to help optimise performance and adhesive use. But a quality supplier should also provide a stable supply chain, additional resources, and tools to help you grow your knowledge and influence in the absorbent hygiene industry.

Find more out about the seven ways Bostik works to enhance your absorbent hygiene business.

Considering a change in pad attachment adhesives?

Take advantage of all that Bostik can do for you. Contact us to learn more about your options for period care adhesives.

Legal disclaimer.

CODE: PC-23A03