How to Support Consumers’ Need for a Comfort in Absorbent Hygiene

Your absorbent articles for period care, baby care, and incontinence make their users more comfortable in a number of ways. Soft substrates. A good fit. Keeping moisture away from the skin. These comforts and others require a well-designed absorbent hygiene system, supported by the right adhesives. 

Let’s take a closer look.

 

Elastic attachment adhesives help provide a comfortable fit

Whether for babies or adults, many diaper-type products rely on elastics around the waist and legs to keep them snug, yet not too tight, and help control leaks. The same is true for pant-style products. Elastic attachment adhesives should hold the elastic firmly in place, whilst allowing them to stretch without slipping. 

 

Construction adhesives for adhering softer substrates 

Another way to enhance comfort is through the choice of materials that are in contact with the skin. Ensuring that everything is held together without creating rough or hard spots is one aspect. Another is bonding with substrates chosen for their positive impact on comfort. This means using adhesives that:

• Adhere to topsheets made of softer, often natural, fabrics like cotton
• Resist bleeding through the substrates
• Bond with clothlike backsheets  that may be made of film or nonwoven fabric
• Are compatible with surface treatments on polymer fibres or topical treatments such as lotions and aloe

It is worth noting that not all bonding methods are compatible with natural fibres like cotton. Some can also create hard nodules that can affect the perception of softness.

In addition to carefully choosing your adhesives, the right manufacturing processes and substrates can help achieve comfort through enhancing softness.

 

Pad attachment adhesives for better stay-in-place performance 

As users of certain products for period care and light urinary incontinence can tell you, pads that shift position are not comfortable. Instead, consumers look for a product whose attachment adhesive keeps the article firmly in place throughout the movements of their day or night.

To accomplish this, you need a positioning adhesive that can bond to their choice of underwear, and has the staying power to resist the various forces they are subject to during daily activities.

 

Different core adhesives support thinner product designs

Consumers can find both pads and pant-style products to be more comfortable as they become slimmer. Whether this is through the use of thinner substrates or a less bulky core design, adhesive choice can be key.

Not all adhesives are suitable for thinner substrates, which can be susceptible to distortion if the add-on temperature is too high. Choosing an adhesive with a more moderate application temperature reduces the chance of puckering. 

Not every adhesive will deliver the desired performance level in every core design. Depending on your chosen core design, you may require a specific adhesive. For example, in the compound/pre-compound core, reducing SAP motivation is an important factor to consider. For channel cores, using an adhesive with adequate peel strength may be necessary to maintain proper function.

 

Keeping the skin dry through leak protection and absorption

Leg elastics are one way that current product designs work to control leaks. Another is through creating more absorbent cores such as the compound/pre-compound and channel cores, discussed above.

Another way adhesives support comfort is through hot-melt wetness indicators. They can prompt caregivers when changes are needed. This helps to reduce the chance that subsequent insults will leak out, causing discomfort and skin irritation. 

 

Make informed choices for the comfort of your consumer

Whichever of these many options is your current focus, the right hot-melt adhesives can help. Our absorbent hygiene specialists can guide you through the selection process. We can also assist with testing to ensure that your operational and product expectations will be met. After all, every positive experience you provide is another chance to boost consumer loyalty, sales, and long-term profitability.