In 1929, American Doctor Earl Hass invented the modern day tampon; a wad of cotton bound with a string for removal and cardboard applicator for sanitation; it was a game changer. Women began ditching their sponges and cloth for what Dr Hass was now calling ‟Tampax.” These products became widely used and accepted, and even grew to become a part of the 2.81 billion dollar global tampon market. Aside from a change of cardboard to plastic applicators, the fundamental design of the tampon has remained largely unchanged for 89 years.
That’s where Marlow comes in, the first ever lubricated tampon. Created by a group of ambitious young women, Marlow is a new feminine hygiene brand focusing on redesigning the tampon to better cater to women’s needs. Their flagship product is an organic tampon that comes with a tube of lubrication to help with insertion. Marlow answered the call with their product when they heard how many women struggled with insertion due to lack of lubrication. Vaginal dryness can make using tampons tricky and sometimes painful with the limited products available on the market. Some of the women the company spoke to were struggling with conditions like Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) or Vaginismus, which causes involuntary contractions of the pelvic floor muscles that can prevent vaginal penetration due to tightness and pain. For women that experience such things, using the average tampon can be sometimes impossible and make a woman’s period that much more unpleasant.
I had a chance to sit down with a member of their PR team Madeleine Hanaka to speak in depth about the menstrual product industry and Marlow’s mission. Hanaka has been with the team since May 2020 and also contributes to the Marlow blog.
When I asked Hanaka about the lack of diversity in menstrual products specifically with regards to tampons, she said it was in large part due to the stigma surrounding menstruation. “For centuries women or people that identify as women have been taught that our bodies are something to be ashamed of. We’re not as comfortable being open about our bodies or our bodily functions as men are, and so I think that menstruation is just a piece of that puzzle. We feel embarrassed because we’ve been taught that it’s something dirty, that it’s something that needs to be concealed.” It is this stigma she says that prevents women from demanding more out of their menstrual products and the companies that produce them.
Aside from the Diva Cup, which was pretty revolutionary when it hit the market in 2003 and became the first ever reusable menstrual cup, the developments in feminine hygiene products have been underwhelming, to say the least. People don’t know what direction to go in when it comes to inventing new solutions to menstrual management, and in the eyes of most, it’s not the sexiest of industries.
It’s hard to believe such a large market has been so untapped, after all 50% of the population menstruates and of that 50 per cent, around 70 per cent choose tampons as their preferred feminine hygiene product. Hanaka explains that this idea of “get what you get and don’t get upset” is unique to the menstrual industry. “As women, we’re often too embarrassed to ask for anything more, whereas with beauty products, or skincare or haircare or fitness people are more comfortable asking for better products because we’re constantly being pushed towards better products to look better. Whereas because menstruation is something that is hidden, it’s not something you can see people don’t care.”
When you consider the lack of vanity in menstruation, it begins to make sense why there seems to be such a lack of diversity and new development in menstrual products available. As women, we are constantly being advertised and pushed products to “enhance” our appearance but before we concern ourselves with our exterior we must first understand and take care of our interior, our bodies.
In addition to their immediate goals to develop inclusive products, Marlow wants to create space in the women’s health community for conversation around menstruation and what they want out of their menstrual products. Through their blogs and posts on social media, the company has been able to amass a following of individuals who want to have this conversation. Through this growing community, Marlow hopes to perfect their prototype, and of course reach their $20,000 goal on Indiegogo, of which they have 64 per cent already.
In speaking with Hanaka, it became clear that she, along with the whole Marlow team, found the positive reinforcement and feedback from their community the most rewarding part of the journey thus far. “It just feels good trying to tap into an area where people have felt unrepresented and unheard for so long.”
If you want to learn more about Marlow, check out their website and their social media pages @wearemarlow