To think more women want unscented sanitary towels than scented ones?

[SinkGirl]

It comes up here often. And maybe there are some women who want scented towels (no judgement if you do!).

But I had to buy some pads in an emergency today and they were all scented. In the supermarket I have to hunt out the only ones that aren’t scented. It’s bad enough I can’t get Always Infinity anywhere any more but this is inexcusable - the scented ones literally burn my skin, I can’t be alone.

Who are these companies using for their focus groups? Surely women aren’t saying “yes, make all your towels scented please!”... are they?

So time for vote. If you had a choice and if all else was equal would you...
YANBU - prefer unscented pads
YABU - prefer scented pads

The scented thing is just part of a wider mysogyist culture which teaches women (and men) to loath their natural bodies.

Washable (and breathable) bamboo for me all the way now.

YANBU OP.

Are you reading this, Always and other sanitary towel providers?

I’ve yet to find a Bodyform Pad that can take my super heavy flow

I use their super night-time size (not the standard blue pack, it's bigger again) but it's not that great. I started using the Kotex ones after they were recommended on a similar thread. They are a bit old school huge, but they are pretty good actually. Superdrug stock them.

I also read on here (and elsewhere) that the perfumed pads somehow suck more blood out of you, so you end up being heavier if you use them? I find it a bit difficult to believe but on the other hand have found that my flow has been lighter when using the other towels. That said, it might have just been a lighter month.

Can I also recommend to all reading this thread that you also read Emma Barnett's book on periods? It's not too grim and has made me think.

I switched to reusables, only regretted not doing it sooner!

It wouldn’t even cross my mind that you can buy scented ones because society thinks I’m ‘unclean’ (some people really need to stop thinking so hard and taking offence so easily 🙄)

This really isn’t “thinking so hard” or “taking offence so easily”. Why else would scented sanitary towels be produced, if not to conceal the perceived smell? The effect on some women is inevitably that it makes them concerned about their smell when they wouldn’t have been before. If it doesn’t make you feel that way, that’s great - doesn’t mean it doesn’t make others feel that way.

Where are the scented men’s pants to conceal the whiff of ball sweat? Scented condoms to conceal the smell of semen?

periods, especially towards the end, can smell and whilst I know no one else can smell it, I can and I’d rather smell a clean fresh smell than period/discharge thank you

Do you honestly feel that it smells clean and fresh though? When I change a scented pad it just smells of blood plus a background whiff of nursing home.

Misogyny!!! Really??? 🙄🙄🙄 Maybe it’s about having a choice!

I’ve said repeatedly throughout that women should have a choice and if they want scented pads they should be able to buy them.

But the proportions on the vote have consistently been less than 10% of women would choose scented pads if they had a choice and yet in many places they’re the only option available. That’s not giving much choice to those who hate them or have reactions to them or would prefer unscented ones is it?

I'm missing the point of the post here but if you are so sensitive to disposable pads have you given cloth pads a thought or period underwear?

Reusables have wings, op.

TBH I think most people don't care either way and will buy whatever.

I used to like the scented pantyliners as a teenager, but I would deliberately seek out unscented now. And definitely not for pads.

@Dontsayyouloveme

Re what you say about some of us overthinking. It is interesting that you yourself use the words "clean fresh smell" to explain why you prefer scented pads. Your menstrual blood may well smell but it is what it is. Not dirty or unfresh. Maybe we are all picking up prevalent ideas without noticing?

Lillets pads are good. I used to buy those.

IamNOTmagic I agree, I care less about the the scent as the horrible plasticky feel that leaves a sweaty mess down there.

I use kotex night as I have a heavy flow. They are unscented which I prefer.

Things like kotex you find in a bargain bin occasionally on the corner of a pharmacy if u are lucky....

Superdrug and Savers sell them where I live.

I tried the Kotex black pack as an alternative to always maxi night when they had the great idea to make them scented, but I didn't find them very good unfortunately. I'm stuck with scented unless I find a good alternative.

YANBU. The only pads I can use now is the Kind ones, sold in Boots. I am probably unusually sensitive to scented pads but I’m clearly not the only one. Shops are missing a trick if they don’t stocks unscented options. Also public toilets only stock one pad and they are always scented ones!

Yanbu. Hate the smell and can't be good to have perfume so close to your private parts all day long

I bought reusable because of this, the scented ones were making me itch so badly that I would be sore for days. I bought aldi pads for a while but then they added scent too! Cloth pads are much better.

YANBU

It's a disgusting smell

They smell vile!
I had never smelt someone obviously on their period until they released scented pads, now I can tell just by walking past someone if they’re wearing them. They not only smell disgusting in themselves but seem to exaggerate the blood smell too.

I'm really surprised/shocked by this, all of the pads we have here in Australia are unscented... I think it would be harder to find any that are actually scented, although don't know why you would want to, yuck.

If men went around ‘excreting’ Semen all day for 5-7 days a month, every month, I’m sure they’d be grateful for the choice also! But they don’t!

Op, supermarkets and stores stock their shelves based on what sells. They don't do it based on focus groups. So if there were no unscented ones.then they have removed them as the sales weren't high enough to command them having space.

Polls on mumsnet isn't going to change that fact. Bottom line is shelves are stocked based on what has the highest demand.

How long till scented tampons

We’ve already crossed that rubicon, sadly. I’m fortunate in that the pill has made my periods so light that I haven’t had to buy tampons for years but I accidentally bought some scented ones a few years ago. The pong was horrendous. It all ties in with manufacturers (who, after all, have products to flog) wanting to make women paranoid about ‘female smells’ and thus being able to sell us the solution. See also: douches, wipes and goodness knows what else.

And yes, they do smell like car air fresheners. Lord knows what focus group said “Of course I want to shove the equivalent of a Magic Tree up my Flannery Anne” but I sure as hell don’t.

They not only smell disgusting in themselves but seem to exaggerate the blood smell too.

“Ah, so now you really DO smell! Can we interest you in a bottle of our new Fanjo Fresh wash, scented with rainbows and flowers? Only £9.99 a bottle!”

The only bonus to getting old is I don`t need them anymore.
But I would only use un-scented ones for hygiene reasons.

Unfortunately my attempts with cloth pads have failed badly (don’t absorb quickly enough and my skin is so damaged after years of heavy periods that the moisture and the friction literally rubs my skin off).

I'm stuck with scented unless I find a good alternative.

If you can find Always Infinity, try them - they’re more expensive but for me it means much less frequent changes and mostly not leaking through the night.