The horror of scented sanpro!

[AlpacaLypse]

Hi everyone, any chance of us starting a campaign to get manufacturers to clearly label when sanitary protection products are scented?

I know there are some women who prefer the scented product, but there seems to be many more who dislike it intensely, and indeed some who find these products irritate the skin.

At the moment, labelling seems to be very confusing, with euphemisms like 'odour control', and no ingredient list.

Currently the only way to be sure is to sniff the outside of the package, and even then if the shop is well ventilated and the plastic wrapping is thick, you may still get a nasty surprise when you get home. Not to mention peculiar looks from other people in the supermarket aisle!

Who's with me?

A couple of threads I already know about...

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/2670728-scented-sanitary-towels-just-why?msgid=61950383

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/2678330-AIBU-to-think-Always-dont-actually-employ-women-in-their-marketing-design-teams

[AlpacaLypse]

I now have to go out, but do please add a message if you support this!

[AgentProvocateur]

Me! I hate the scent (and the implication that women's fannies are smelly). And why advertise that you're having a period/wearing a liner? I can tell when my colleagues are using a scented pad.

[DramaAlpaca]

Me too. I hate the scent and they make me itch.

[LMGTFY]

Count me in. Stupid fanny itching shite that smells of cheap air freshener. Had to explain to ds the other day why I was sniffing the box in the supermarket.

[MilkTwoSugarsThanks]

I put this on the other thread, but I'll add it here too -

I think it's a fairly well known fact now that MNers actually don't represent the views of the public in general, so I guess the companies are working on the basis that in RL the majority of women either prefer it, or don't give a stuff either way.

[Batteriesallgone]

Totally support this. I hope Always and the like are losing a lot of ground to moon cups and other reusable sanitary products that don't rely on the idea of natural women's bodies being disgusting to make sales

[SomedayMyPrinceWillCome]

Count me in.
Perhaps Mumsnet HQ could take this on as a campaign?

[NeedACleverNN]

I'm in.

I don't have periods at the moment but my mirena is getting removed soon so will go back to them. I only use the always inficel stuff and touch wood so far, they haven't added a scent

It is NOT discreet to be scented. It makes it worse

[glenthebattleostrich]

I'm in.

I refuse to use their itch inducing shite as I don't want thrush nor for my fanjo to smell like my nanas sitting room.

[FeliciaJollygoodfellow]

I'm in.

[NeedACleverNN]

Hell even my dh is in! He can't stand it. Thinks it smells like cheap shitty perfume and complains that the house reek of them

[EnterFunnyNameHere]

I'm in

It needs to be totally crystal clear on the packaging which are scented and which aren't. By all means have scented ones if there is a market but I'm fed up of buying them by mistake and having a load of pointless extra chemicals rubbed on my fanjo.

[WomanActually]

I'm in too.

[Babysafari]

I would support this.

I don't want scented ones and agree is hard to tell without examining and sniffing the packet. Which I don't want to do.

[OlennasWimple]

I agree - not sure it needs to be a campaign, though. Couldn't MNHQ just approach the head of marketing at Always for a comment?

[ArmfulOfRoses]

I'm in!

I've wondered if they're in cahoots with canesten to up sales or something.

And yy to there clearly being a market for them, which is fine, just make it clear on the packaging ffs!

[TheWanderingUterus]

I hate them. I used Always from the age of 12 and was happy until they added something to the pads that made me itch terribly. I now use Lil-Lets and Sainsburys own which have no added scent.

Was also surprised when I realised I could smell other women wearing them, it is a very distinctive scent and quite unpleasant. The opposite of discreet periods surely?

[PatronIcingBardStarred]

Hell yes, I was thinking about this the other day.

It's positively enraging to think someone has decided that the scent of cheap air freshener or toilet cleaner is preferable to naturally no odor. It's just playing on paranoia that people may smell something.

Do any brands do no scented ones at all? I'm fed up of getting caught out when I buy them and can't use a mooncup after having DC.

[LuckySantangelo1]

I'm in. It's revolting. It's bad enough they are insinuating that women's bodies are so malodorous that they have to be covered up by perfume but the way the scents are so cheap and nasty makes it worse!

In France they sell scented Loo rolls. Just awful!

[littlebrownbag]

Count me in for a campaign to clearly label them "scented" and "unscented".

As I said on the other thread they seem to use the same scent as cat litter, which is a double insult. I don't want to walk around the office leaving wafts of smell associated with cat shit.

Period blood and healthy vaginal fluids do not smell, whereas these liners and pads DO smell when damp as the moisture seems to activate the "odour control". And then every woman with a working nose in your vicinity knows you're using them. The opposite of discreet!

[PatronIcingBardStarred]

Cross posts, will try Sainsbury's!

[LokisUnderpants]

Me too. It's awful. I've thrown away full boxes when I realised I bought the wrong ( scented) ones. They're vile.

[NeedACleverNN]

Oh god. Scented toilet roll. Had that once. Picked it up by mistake and the entire house reeked of it. Couldn't get rid of it quick enough. I think we ended up chucking it away and getting something new as it was that bad

[moggle]

Yes I wish they would label them clearly - I find no probs working out whether a particular pack has wings or not, and how thick and long it is, why can't they just add 'scented' or 'unscented'? Seems a bit crazy to have a campaign for it though, has anyone emailed Always or another brand about it?

[DPotter]

I'm in