While we’re certainly making plenty of contributions to the Internet’s ever-growing library of cotton information, we’re still always keeping an eye out for other articles extolling the benefits of cotton. From Cotton Inc. to Cotton Grower, there are a variety of resources we rely on to stay abreast of cotton trends. So imagine our surprise when our eyes fell upon an article that praised one of our products, all while focusing on a topic that is near and dear to our hearts.
Absorbency/Leakage Protection First, Skin Health Second
Recently, on the Nonwovens Industry website, Tom Wilson of CenterBrain Partnership wrote an article entitled “Absorbency and Protection Are No Longer Good Enough.” In a nutshell, his article focused on the fact that while consumers are primarily concerned with absorbency and leakage protection when choosing products, after that skin health—specifically, skin sensitivity—is next on the list. Here is an excerpt from the Nonwovens Industry article regarding recent research conducted by Cotton Inc. and CenterBrain:
In 2015, CenterBrain Partners, Inc. conducted a national study among women and found that 54-64% of women using light to medium incontinence pads were concerned about skin sensitivity. Several claims that have been used to describe skin sensitivity have included: ‘cottony,’ ‘natural’ and ‘hypoallergenic.’ Women found that ordinary absorbency-only claims were obsolete because protection is multi-faceted and is not just about leakage. Protecting sensitive skin is vital also.
- 95% of disposable absorbent products users aren’t even aware that cotton is absent from the products they’re utilizing for bladder control.
- 61% percent said they would rather these products be made of cotton.
- 78% said they would be willing to pay more to get it.
Between two-thirds and three-fourths of these consumers associate cotton with some of its strongest attributes: softness (74%), comfort (71%), absorbency (68%) and skin irritation prevention (68%).
We often note that cotton is customer-preferred for these important reasons, so it’s nice to hear it from another source.
HyDri® Spotlighted As An Innovative Cotton Product
While the article also touches on the use of chemicals in modern personal care products, and how Corman developed cotton products for this market, the biggest grin from us came at the mention of our HyDri® cotton. Wilson pointed to our product as an example of how manufacturers have used innovative processing techniques to enhance the fiber, and therefore the products made from it:
Some have argued that cotton makes a poor absorbent structure compared to current designs because it can turn into mush (and is more expensive). However, developments in the processing of cotton have improved. For example, one cotton converter, Barnhardt, leaves some oils and waxes on the cotton to make it more hydrophobic so that it only absorbs a prescribed amount of moisture, resulting in a drier top surface. Their product is called HyDri. It is 100% hydrophobic, dry against the skin, offers the softness and comfort of cotton, is breathable, and is a natural fiber. These all represent great enhancements, especially when compared to the extruded films and poly-based materials that are typically used in most of these products today (and that are less eco-friendly, too).
To Wilson’s point, our HyDri® cotton checks off the two boxes that are important to consumers when it comes to these personal care products: absorbency is covered since moisture passes through the nonwoven fabric while remaining dry to the touch, and sensitivity isn’t an issue since natural cotton is used.
Read the Full Article—And Get In Touch With HyDri® Questions
Obviously we’d like to thank Tom Wilson for writing such an informative article, and we hope our readers will click through the link above to read the piece in full. Additional thanks go out to Cotton Inc. for partnering up to complete the research, and to Nonwovens Industry for featuring the article.
If you’re interested in learning more about HyDri®, or any of our additional products, we hope you’ll take the time to get in touch with us. We design products with consumers in mind—and this latest research proves we’re focusing on all the right features.