Testing Pad Attachment Performance for Todays Consumer with Jill Scheu and Luke Burkholder

Individuals who menstruate have full lives, and their product of choice has to keep up with the demands of their lifestyle. A pad that is sticking is the last thing they want to worry about. In this episode of ‘Attached to Hygiene’, experts Jill Scheu, Chemist and Group Leader, and Luke Burkholder, Technical Account Manager, explore the number one issue that most menstrual health product users have with pads: stay-in-place performance. Consumer feedback is clear. About half of product users reported experiencing stay-in-place performance issues 50% of the time. If current test methods are not meeting consumer expectations, then it’s time for a different approach to how pads are being tested for the market.

Stay-in-place performance is a complex issue in menstrual health

Disposable pads are just one of the many products that users consider 'essential' when it comes to managing their period. According to Jill, once they find something that works for them, they typically don't change brands—even if that article falls below their standards. It’s also why manufacturers may be cautious about making changes to their products and methods. Producers are concerned about losing that loyalty. And so, the stay-in-place problem persists.

Jill and Luke have been studying what pad users need from the attachment adhesive. One question they asked was why the industry standard—peel testing—wasn’t accurately predicting user experience. Next, they considered what variables are involved in meeting the consumer’s expectations. And lastly, how can the industry test for the stay-in-place performance users really want? Their answer was to create an entirely new procedure, Bostik’s patent-pending Staybility™ test method.

 

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Outline of the Episode

• [05:55] Normalising the discussion of pads, underwear, and the menstrual cycle
• [08:57] The diversity of consumers and menstrual health products
• [10:32] User loyalty and the risk of changing products
• [15:40] Menstrual pads should meet expectations, with the fewest limits possible
• [20:10] Underwear fabrics, treatments, knits, and more can affect staying power
• [26:11] Valid testing starts with standard materials, then explores variables
• [32:00] The flexibility of Staybility™ test method for evaluating many factors
• [36:57] The entire pad’s construction impacts its stay-in-place performance
• [40:14] How can a pad attachment adhesive meet consumer expectations?
• [42:47] Partnering with producers to better understand consumer experience

Resources

You can find Luke Burkholder on LinkedIn or leave Jill or Luke a message through our email at [email protected].

You can also access the FemCare Answers Product Ingredient Glossary from BAHP that Jane mentioned in the interview right here!

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Host: Jack Hughes

Music by Jonathan Boyle

Produced and edited by: Jack Hughes with help from Paul Andrews, Michele Tonkovitz, Emory Churness, Nikki Ackerman, and Green Onion Creative.