New and Softer Materials for Enhanced Comfort in Disposable Hygiene

In daily life, comfort matters! That might mean feeling good in an amazing outfit. Moving freely without restriction. Enjoying your activities without distraction. The same holds true for the disposable hygiene product underneath that amazing outfit. Whether in adult incontinence, baby care, or feminine hygiene, comfort is a top consumer need in absorbent articles. 

 

That’s why we at Bostik welcome conversations with our customers about their unique products and processes, and then make the recommendation for the right adhesives. We do this to best serve your needs as a product manufacturer—and your consumer’s quest for comfort. Specifically, how can our adhesives help enable the use of new and softer materials with reliable bonds to support product performance and integrity?

 

Softer materials being used in disposable hygiene

 

Pliable, breathable, gentle, soft. Consumers value these qualities in disposable hygiene products for the comfort they provide. Manufacturers like you are exploring their options for softer materials in various areas, such as the absorbent core matrix, topsheet, backsheet, and others. Many are turning to:

 

• Cotton: A common favourite that is fluffy and perceived as hypoallergenic
• Bamboo: Growing in popularity, bamboo is viewed as antibacterial and, in some uses, requires no added chemicals
• Cellulose-based material: Wood pulp in particular contains cellulose, which can be transformed to make rayon, which can imitate the feel of natural fibres such as cotton, silk, linen, velvet, and taffeta 
• Bi-component fibres: These are comprised of two thermoplastic materials extruded together generally in a core – sheath arrangement, the inner material providing strength and the outer for softness. The fibres can be then agglomerated into a nonwoven fabric.
• Nonwoven materials with more loft and/or a gentler touch obtained through various entanglement processes or mechanical treatment of the fibres.

Because softness is such a crucial part of comfort in disposable hygiene products, more attention is being given to measuring softness. This is one of the factors that needs to be considered when looking to meet the needs of consumers in each of the three markets. With this in mind, it’s important to remember that perception of softness varies by region. For example, cotton is viewed as soft in North America while in Asia, silky and satiny materials are perceived as soft. Because of this, lotion or aloe vera may be needed to give certain materials the feel of softness to appeal to consumers in a specific geography. Similarly, slip agents may be added to the fibres in manufacturing material for the same reason.

New material options can enhance comfort in other ways

In addition to softness, comfort includes other factors. It makes sense to look at new materials that can bring your consumer benefits like:

• A good fit to the body that can avoid sagging, bunching, or pinching
• Better absorption and leakage prevention in the core 
• More effective topsheets to protect skin from effects of rewetting

Additives and treatments for odour control can also contribute to comfort by offering consumers mental and emotional security. This is especially important to users of adult incontinence and feminine hygiene products.

Choose the right adhesive to bond new and softer materials

Various considerations go into bonding new and softer substrates. That’s why you as a manufacturer may wish to take a look at the technologies and processes you are using to manufacture your products. When using softer substrates, bonding options may be limited. We can help you choose the right adhesive to maximise product performance. 

Contact us to learn how choosing the right adhesive is a vital consideration in bonding the materials you are using.