The invention of the disposable menstrual pad marks a turning point in public health and the daily lives of people who menstruate. The transition from managing menstruation with reusable materials to convenient, single-use products improved personal hygiene and allowed greater participation in public life. This historical shift represents a major advancement in consumer technology. Understanding the path to the modern pad requires examining centuries of reusable methods, the material science breakthrough that made disposability possible, and the commercial introduction of the product.
Historical Methods Before Commercialization
For millennia, people managed their menstrual flow using homemade, reusable materials tailored to their culture and available resources. In Europe and North America, the most common practice until the early 20th century involved the use of “rags,” which were pieces of woven fabric or flannel that were washed and reused. These cloth pads were often folded and placed inside undergarments, or secured with rudimentary belts. The lack of a dependable fastening method meant these reusable items were prone to shifting, which limited mobility. Though some early commercial attempts at disposable pads existed in the late 19th century, such as Lister’s Towels in 1896, they were expensive and still required a sanitary belt for attachment. Most women continued to rely on the economical method of washing and reusing their own cloths.
The Enabling Technology
The technological catalyst for the modern disposable pad emerged from the military and medical sectors during World War I. Researchers at Kimberly-Clark developed Cellucotton, a material made from processed wood pulp. This creped wadding was found to be five times more absorbent than traditional cotton and significantly cheaper to produce. The company initially trademarked Cellucotton to sell to the American military for use as surgical dressings and bandages on the battlefield. Nurses working in field hospitals recognized the material’s potential beyond its intended medical purpose. They began repurposing the surplus Cellucotton bandages as makeshift, disposable menstrual pads, noting their effectiveness compared to reusable cloth.
The First Commercially Available Pad
The discovery by battlefield nurses led Kimberly-Clark to repurpose its surplus Cellucotton for the consumer market. The product, named Kotex, was launched in the United States in 1920, answering the need for an absorbent, inexpensive item that could be thrown away after a single use. The Kotex pad was an oblong block of Cellucotton wrapped in fine gauze, initially hand-produced and sold in drug and department stores. The company faced challenges due to the social stigma surrounding menstruation. To facilitate sales and preserve discretion, Kotex was often sold by allowing women to place money into a box on the counter and take a package themselves, avoiding the need to speak to a clerk. This discreet merchandising strategy helped the product gain acceptance, and advertisements began appearing in publications like the Ladies’ Home Journal by 1921.
Early Adoption and Design Evolution
Following its launch, the disposable pad’s design quickly began to evolve as it gained wider acceptance. The initial Kotex pads, like their commercial predecessors, required the use of a sanitary belt, a garment with clips at the front and back to hold the pad in place. This belted system was often unwieldy and prone to slippage. The increased popularity of disposable options led to improvements in comfort and absorbency throughout the 1920s and 1930s. Manufacturers worked to make the pads less bulky and more effective. While the belted design remained the standard for decades, the most significant advancement came in the early 1970s with the introduction of the self-adhesive strip. This innovation eliminated the need for the sanitary belt, allowing the pad to stick directly to the underwear, marking the final major design change toward the modern, belt-free pad.