To be utterly brassed off to open new Aways to find they are SCENTED!

[Oldisthenewblack]

I seem to recall another thread about this not long ago - maybe it's still going, I don't know. Anyway - opened a new pack of Always an hour ago, my only pack, only to find they were SCENTED. There was NOTHING on the pack to indicate this and I am SO pissed off! Due to period pain I'm not up to going out again to buy more and will have to do the old fashioned thing tonight and use cloths. I have ONE unscented one left to see me through tomorrow morning.

I am so annoyed about this. I have a Twitter account that I've never used - am even thinking of utilising that to rant about this. Not sure how to go about it as not sure about Twitter.....

There's no way on earth I'm whacking that next to my fanjo.

Bastards.

[snorzzzzz]

Penny's just dropped - the ONLY time I've had BV was when I struggled through using the box of scented Always I'd bought by accident.

I like my foof to smell nice... when it smells like ME. Natural, CLEAN me. I don't smell bad when (horror!) I'm menstruating, and I can't see that anyone would unless they have BV or a (lack of) hygiene problem.

Yes, menstruation blood smells, but usually only if a person doesn't have basic personal hygiene or maybe has been unfortunate enough to not have the opportunity to change tampon/pad often enough.

I've come across only a handful of women that smell awful during their period and they've been women that have been strangers to personal hygiene in general (I used to work in gynaecological services).

If you're that paranoid about your personal smell during a menstruation, carry and use those Andrex-type washlets when you change. They're a lot kinder to skin than using highly fragranced products that are in contact with delicate skin for days at a time.

I really hope someone takes the manufacturers on. As a fragrance allergy sufferer I was mocked for years for objecting to air fresheners and candles. Now these products carry allergy warnings that I gleefully point out to the people who thought I was barking mad for making a fuss when visiting and finding those products being used.

[SoupDragon]

one said they were "paranoid" about smelling of period

The thing is, the scent makes it more obvious, not less. The only time I've thought "that woman has her period" is because I could smell Always.

[sheikhandbake]

lookback I remember your pain when I was in Oz, and until a few years ago it was nearly impossible to get applicator tampons, that was a shock when I arrived.

Thankfully the scented phenomenon hasn't made it to where I am in the Middle East yet and long may it continue. I accidentally picked up some scented liners during my last trip back home and they just had to get binned.

[LookBackInAnger]

soup precisely. Horrible contradiction.

sheikh, I know I should throw them out but it cost so much time and effort to get them here! Mind you, I've discovered Aldi tena liners are long and good for the job on less horrendous days. I just have to take a deep breath before buying them at a store nowhere near where I live

[BitchyComment]

I was sitting with my hands on my lap (with my jeans on) yesterday and when I raised my hand I caught a whiff of Always. That's really rank.

I'm off to boots today to find a replacement brand.

[LifeCrossRoad]

Always PR team can you hear us?

[Palomb]

I don't think they care. Most of the research team are probably men who think us women can't possibly know our own vaginas minds.

[CrotchetQuaverMinim]

I doubt they would look to MN for their research, even though they should! I wish we could get them to read these threads.

[PegsPigs]

Thanks to this thread I've just realised what's been causing my itchy fanjo

[SoupDragon]

So, I emailed them with a link to this thread....

Hi xxxxxx and thanks for your email to Always.

I appreciate you getting in touch to give us some feedback on our Always products, we love hearing from our customers. We always take consumer feedback into account when making changes or designing future products, so I'll be sure to share your comments on this with the rest of our team

I’m very sorry to hear that you’re not a fan of our scented pads. When we design our products, we do extensive research and consumer testing to create features that we think you will love. Women have told us during customer research that menstrual odour is one of the most important concerns when choosing sanitary protection products, so we have added scent to some of our pads to help mask the smell of odour. We know that preferences can vary from person to person, though, so again I really appreciate you taking the time to reach out.

With regards to our pads that do contain our Odour Neutralising Technology (formerly known as ActiPearls), this scent is not applied to the surface of the pad but is located deep inside the pad's core, so there is no direct contact with the skin. We have also conducted dermatological tests to confirm skin compatibility. Also, the scent will appear stronger when you first open the wrapper, but it will weaken with time.

If you prefer fragrance-free products, or have known allergies or sensitivity to fragrances, we do offer both scented and unscented varieties of pads and liners, such as our Always Twist and Flex Liners, our Always Silk Soft & Perfume Free Ultra and our Always Infinity ranges which are all completely scent free.

I hope I’ve been able to help, [name removed by MNHQ] and if you have any more questions, please don’t hesitate to get back in touch.

Kind regards,

[flanjabelle]

Soup dragon, that was a long winded way of saying "lalala, we are not listening. We will continue to try to make women paranoid about non existent odour issues because it makes us more money. Your fannies stink, buy our pot purri stinking pads or you will be a social pariah."

[GlassJar]

With their 'odour neutralising technology' bollocks, they make it sound like they make smells disappear.

Whereas clearly they don't, they make unpleasant smells APPEAR - in the style of a nasty floral air-freshener sprayed at your crotch.

[cleaty]

If pads really did neutralise any smell, than fine. They don't. They simply use very cheap perfume instead.

[yorkshapudding]

We have also conducted dermatological tests to confirm skin compatibility

So the many, many posters who have had horrendous itching after using their horrible products must be medical marvels then, eh? Seems unlikely. They have also completely failed to address the issue of their packaging not clearly stating whether or not the products are scented or not.

[GlassJar]

On another note, Always, I'm questioning your use of 'reach out' when really you mean 'emailed us with your feedback'. You've been inhaling the panty-pads, haven't you, own up!

[Bonywasawarriorwayayix]

I'm in Spain at the moment. It was sheer JOY to discover that the supermarket own brand ones are not scented unlike the shitty Always I brought with me. I must stock up on them before I go home .

[CordeliaFrost]

and our Always Infinity

Which are £3 a box and contain less pads in a pack than the 'perfumed' ones, so end up costing you more money, so yes we'd very much like it if you bought these instead.

[CigarsofthePharoahs]

Before Always started putting ActiPearls in, on my lighter days I used to be able to wear a pad till lunch time and then not change till the evening.
With actipearls I would notice it smelled bad after only a couple of hours and I needed to change more frequently for the smell, even though the pad was fine.
Hmmm....
Thankfully I'm on the pill with no weeks off now, but I walked past the Always products in Boots recently and it made my eyes water. Why would any sane woman want that next to her chuff?

[SoupDragon]

Soup dragon, that was a long winded way of saying "lalala, we are not listening

Isn't it just?!

Still, they did their research and most women preferred their vagina to smell like a car air freshener.

[Andylion]

When we design our products, we do extensive research and consumer testing to create features that we think you will love. Women have told us during customer research that menstrual odour is one of the most important concerns when choosing sanitary protection products, so we have added scent to some of our pads to help mask the smell of odour.

Yes, no doubt they ask a leading question: do you worry about menstrual odour? Who wouldn't have some concern? Most of us just use basic hygiene and our worries are gone.

When I first started menstruating, some pads were scented. My mum used to buy unscented ones and advised me to use, wait for it, underarm deodorant on the pad. I'd dutifully apply the Noxema roll-on I used and have to wait for it to dry on the pad. Then, at some point later on, it seemed like my entire body smelled like the Noxema roll-on. I switched to tampons within a year.

[Snoopadoop]

Before Always started putting ActiPearls in, on my lighter days I used to be able to wear a pad till lunch time and then not change till the evening.
With actipearls I would notice it smelled bad after only a couple of hours and I needed to change more frequently for the smell, even though the pad was fine.

Actually you may have a point here. I had never ever worried about the smell of menstrual blood or the smell of myself until I tried these pads. When I used these pads recently I noticed the odour on my first visit to the loo.

[emmaluvseeyore]

Having read this thread, I now suspect Always pads are responsible for the thrush and BV I've been suffering with on and off over the last couple of months. I haven't suffered like this in 15+ years (since I was a kid)! Due to a gynaecological issue, I can't use tampons or the mooncup at the moment, so I've just invested in some cloth reusable pads. I'm actually looking forward to my period this week so I can try them out!

Sadly where I live, the shops just don't stock a wide range of pads. I have Boots, Lloyds pharmacy, Tesco and Sainsbury's locally, but the branches are relatively small so they only stock a small range from each brand. I have been buying Tesco's own brand recently, purely because they are cheaper, but I hadn't thought to look at whether they were scented or not.

[ijustwannadance]

The issue with the 'dermatological tested to confirm skin compatibility' is they will be sticking them to someones arm or leg, not on a delicate, sensitive area.

I have allergies. I have no reaction to holding a scented pad in my hand, but holy fucking moly there would sure be fire in the hold if it went anywhere near my fanjo.

It's as bad as scented loo roll.

[GlassJar]

I was reminded of this thread just now as I walked in the front door and smelt what i thought at first was a whiff of perfumey stench that a visitor had left behind. But no, it was only the 'lavender' scented poo bags i had made the mistake of buying for the dog. Probably made in the same fragrant bowel of hell as the panty pads.