Anion technology in a sanitary pad

Anion technology in a sanitary pad

2 years ago, Hong Kong-based company Winalite International, Inc. introduced anion technology to the feminine pad, launching the Love Moon Anion Sanitary Napkin which has an additive that is supposed to decrease bacteria, eliminate bad smell and ease discomfort brought on by dysmenorrhea.
Love Moon's anion technology makes use of negative ions, or negatively charged air molecules, which absorb and neutralize materials such as dust, germs, and bacteria. A sanitary pad is embedded with a strip containing 5,800 negative ions per cubic centimeter. The ions are embedded in liquid form, dried and released upon contact with the skin.
It is said that anions are crucial to a person's health, and the lack of anions can result in feelings of fatigue, dizziness, headaches, depression and shortness of breath. It is theorized that the anion padding in the sanitary napkin will enhance comfort and generally improve well-being for a woman during her period.
"They call negative ions 'air vitamins.' In general, these improve the mood and concentration, decrease depression, and have a calming effect," Ricardo S. Guanzon, a distributor of the product, told BusinessWorld.

Mr. Guanzon served as guest speaker at the relaunch of Love Moon Anion Sanitary Napkin. He is the medical director of St. Joram Medical & Wellness Center in Pangasinan, a fellow of the Philippine Academy of Family Physicians, Inc. and a member of the Philippine Guidance Counselors Association.
Anions, he explained, become aids as they increase serotonin breakdown in the bloodstream. During menstruation, the hormonal release of estrogen is said to increase serotonin, which in turn results in muscle spasm associated with dysmenorrhea. Theoretically, the anions in the pad, because they lower serotonin levels, will either lessen or prevent dysmennorhea.

Mr. Guanzon, however, was quick to point out that "there is always something unique or idiosyncratic about our physiological systems" which explains why a product works for one person but doesn't for another. He admitted that the product has not undergone rigid clinical trials to back any therapeutic claims, only that the response has been "overwhelming."

"It has better absorbability. In an emergency, it can even be used as a dressing for a wound. Tests have shown that the pad can breathe [meaning] moisture isn't trapped inside [thus preventing] germ proliferation."

Currently, only Winalite has a product with a patent for using anion technology. Love Moon is already available in China, Thailand, Malaysia, Taiwan, Singapore, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Dubai. Starting next week, it will be sold in Austria and launched in other parts of Europe.

Grant Pace, consultant for Winalite International, Inc., told BusinessWorld that at the moment, that sanitary napkins command around P56 billion in sales in the Philippines alone. Winalite claims it already commands 10% of the market in China. Replicating their success here could easily net P5.6 billion.