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| Product type | Pantiliners |
|---|---|
| Owner | Edgewell Personal Care |
| Country | United States |
| Introduced | 1976 |
| Markets | Worldwide |
| Previous owners | Johnson & Johnson (US only) |
| Website | www |
Carefree is an American brand of pantyliners (although originally the brand name belonged to tampons [1] ) from Johnson & Johnson. In the US, the Carefree brand was formerly marketed by McNeil-PPC and currently being marketed by Edgewell Personal Care (along with other US feminine hygiene brands from Johnson & Johnson). [2]
"Carefree" panty liner was introduced in 1976 [3] (trademark registered on May 27, 1976 [4] ) and by the end of the 70s captured more than half of the market. [3] It was promoted as a perfect solution for a "fresh-dressed woman" (tagline "For the fresh-dressed woman" has been developed by SSC&B advertising agency [5] ) for everyday use. [6]
In 1997, Carefree held a 10% market share in the USA sanitary protection market. [7]
In 2001, the black pantyliner Carefree Black was launched. [8]
In 2008, Carefree introduced its Ultra Protection line [9] which was discontinued sometime in 2012.
In 2012, the brand aired a controversial TV ad for Carefree Acti-Fresh pantyliners in New Zealand and Australia, mentioning the word "vagina". As soon as the ad appeared, the Advertising Standards Bureau received nine complaints. [10]
The Carefree product line contains the following:
A tampon is a menstrual product designed to absorb blood and vaginal secretions by insertion into the vagina during menstruation. Unlike a pad, it is placed internally, inside of the vaginal canal. Once inserted correctly, a tampon is held in place by the vagina and expands as it soaks up menstrual blood. However, in addition to menstrual blood, the tampon also absorbs the vagina's natural lubrication and bacteria, which can change the normal pH, increasing the risk of infections from the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus, which can lead to toxic shock syndrome (TSS). TSS is a rare but life-threatening infection that requires immediate medical attention.
A menstrual cup is a menstrual hygiene device which is inserted into the vagina during menstruation. Its purpose is to collect menstrual fluid. Menstrual cups are usually made of flexible medical grade silicone, latex, or a thermoplastic isomer. They are shaped like a bell with a stem or a ring. The stem is used for insertion and removal, and the bell-shaped cup seals against the vaginal wall just below the cervix and collects menstrual fluid. This is unlike tampons and menstrual pads, which absorb the fluid instead.
A menstrual pad, or simply a pad, is an absorbent item worn by women in their underwear when menstruating, bleeding after giving birth, recovering from gynecologic surgery, experiencing a miscarriage or abortion, or in any other situation where it is necessary to absorb a flow of blood from the vagina. A menstrual pad is a type of menstrual hygiene product that is worn externally, unlike tampons and menstrual cups, which are worn inside the vagina. Pads are generally changed by being stripped off the pants and panties, taking out the old pad, sticking the new one on the inside of the panties and pulling them back on. Pads are recommended to be changed every 3–4 hours to avoid certain bacteria that can fester in blood; this time also may differ depending on the kind worn, flow, and the time it is worn.
A pantyliner is an absorbent piece of material used for feminine hygiene. It is worn in the gusset of a woman's panties. Some uses include: absorbency for daily vaginal discharge, light menstrual flow, tampon and menstrual cup backup, spotting, post-intercourse discharge, and urinary incontinence. Panty liners can also help with girls who are having discharges and about to start their cycle. Pantyliners are related to sanitary napkins in their basic construction—but are usually much thinner and often narrower than pads. As a result, they absorb much less liquid than pads—making them ideal for light discharge and everyday cleanliness. They are generally unsuitable for the menstruation medium to heavy flow, which requires them to be changed more often.
Kotex is an American brand of menstrual hygiene products, which includes the Kotex maxi, thin and ultra thin pads, the Security tampons, and the Lightdays pantiliners. Most recently, the company has added U by Kotex to its line of menstrual hygiene products. Kotex is owned and managed by Kimberly-Clark, a consumer products corporation active in more than 80 countries.
Feminine hygiene products are personal care products used during menstruation, vaginal discharge, and other bodily functions related to the vulva and vagina. Products that are used during menstruation may also be called menstrual hygiene products, including menstrual pads, tampons, pantyliners, menstrual cups, menstrual sponges and period panties. Feminine hygiene products also include products meant to cleanse the vulva or vagina, such as douches, feminine wipes, and soap.
Playtex is an American brand name for undergarments, baby products, gloves, feminine hygiene products, and sunscreen. The brand began in 1947 when International Latex Corporation (ILC) created a division named Playtex to produce and sell latex products. Playtex was the first to advertise undergarments on national television in 1955, written by Howard Shavelson at Ogilvy and Mather, and the first to show a woman wearing only a bra from the waist up in a commercial in 1977. They developed space suits for the Apollo program.
Rely was a brand of superabsorbent tampons made by Procter & Gamble starting in 1975. The brand's advertising slogan was "It even absorbs the worry!", and claimed it could hold up longer than the leading tampon, because it was made differently. "Remember, They named it Rely" was the last line of most commercials.
Always is an American brand of menstrual hygiene products, including maxi pads, ultra thin pads, pantyliners, disposable underwear for night-time wear, and vaginal wipes. A sister concern of Procter & Gamble, it was first introduced in the United States in test markets in the spring of 1983, then nationally in May 1984. By the end of 1984, Always had also been introduced internationally in the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany, Pakistan and Africa.
Cloth menstrual pads are cloth pads worn in the underwear to collect menstrual fluid. They are a type of reusable menstrual hygiene product, and are an alternative to sanitary napkins or to menstrual cups. Because they can be reused, they are generally less expensive than disposable pads over time, and reduce the amount of waste produced.
Lil-lets is a brand providing feminine hygiene products that operates principally in the UK, Ireland and South Africa. Since 2000, the company has restructured through two management buyouts (MBO) to become a business crossing all sectors of the feminine hygiene market, including tampons, sanitary napkins, pantyliners and intimate care. They also do programmes for schools that teach young girls the changes that occur when they begin to menstruate.
Arbora & Ausonia was a company that dealt in the manufacturing and sale of absorbent products for the child and family hygiene, feminine hygiene and adult incontinence markets. It fully merged into Procter & Gamble in 2013.
Wemy Industries is a Nigerian company involved in manufacturing and distribution of hygiene products, within the Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) market in Nigeria. It was founded by Pastor Ademola Odunaiya and his wife, the late Dr. (Mrs.) Aderonke Odunaiya in 1978. It is notable for being the first manufacturer of baby diapers in Nigeria and West Africa. It commenced operation in 1981.
Judith Esser-Mittag, commonly known as Judith Esser, was a German gynecologist. Her extensive studies of the female anatomy helped her improve the digital-style tampon.
Depend is a brand of absorbent, disposable underwear and undergarments for people with urinary or fecal incontinence. It is a Kimberly-Clark brand, and positions its products as an alternative to typical adult diapers. Depend is the dominant brand of disposable incontinence garments in the United States with a 49.4 share of the market.
Bella is a brand of feminine hygiene products, including maxi pads, ultra thin pads, and female wipes. Bella is currently owned by Polish company Toruńskie Zakłady Materiałów Opatrunkowych.
o.b. is a brand of tampon, originally developed in Germany in 1950 and manufactured by Carl Hahn GmbH. It is now owned by Edgewell Personal Care. The product was named by the gynecologist Judith Esser-Mittag who also developed it. The initials o.b. are an abbreviation of the German phrase ohne Binde.
Tampon tax is a popular term used to call attention to tampons, and other feminine hygiene products, being subject to value-added tax (VAT) or sales tax, unlike the tax exemption status granted to other products considered basic necessities. Proponents of tax exemption argue that tampons, sanitary napkins, menstrual cups and comparable products constitute basic, unavoidable necessities for women, and any additional taxes constitute a pink tax.
Period underwear are absorbent garments designed to be worn during menstruation. Period underwear is designed like conventional underwear but it is made up of highly absorbent fabrics to soak up menstrual blood. Most commercially manufactured period underwear makes use of microfiber polyester fabric. It is recommended that period underwear should be changed every 8-12 hours to avoid leakage and infection.
Natracare is a British feminine hygiene brand that produces organic and plastic-free menstrual products, including tampons, sanitary pads and panty liners.
In the U.S., Johnson & Johnson recently extended its Carefree range to include Ultra Protection Liners, which the company claims are 10 times more absorbent than an ordinary liner, promising the protection of a pad combined with the comfort of a liner. Product innovation remains the key to maintaining consumer interest in panty liners, and, as is the case in pads, manufacturers are likely to concentrate on developing more discreet products with increased absorbency, which are also suitable for everyday use.(accessed at The Free Library)
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