• More than four out of ten Romanian women had adverse reactions to the use of absorbent pads or tampons
• More than half say symptoms have disappeared after switching to organic cotton products
• Enroush estimates a turnover of 20 million lei at the end of this year

6 out of 10 women do not check the ingredients list when buying absorbent pads or tampons, but 70% are aware of the possible presence of toxic substances such as arsenic, lead, dioxin or plastic according to a study by Enroush, company specialized in organic intimate care products, on a nationally relevant sample of 534 respondents aged up to 45 years.

„We promote a healthy lifestyle, in which intimate hygiene plays an essential role. Our study indicates a significant need in Romania to increase awareness of the impact of each consumption choice on health. Reading the ingredient list and opting for clean-label products becomes crucial. We notice that once this information reaches young women and ladies who use intimate hygiene products, the openness to these healthy choices increases considerably,” said Viorela Lucescu, Marketing and Expansion Director, Enroush.

In this context, 43% of respondents admit that they had adverse reactions when using absorbent pads or conventional tampons. At the same time, 53% of those who used organic cotton menstrual products say that a first effect is the disappearance of allergies or irritations.

Other benefits reported by those who switched to organic cotton menstrual products included the disappearance of spotting (18%), reduced intensity of menstrual cramps (8.8%) and regulation of menstrual flow (7.6%).

Over three quarters would try organic cotton pads and tampons

Currently, 77.7% of Romanian women would try 100% organic cotton absorbent pads and tampons, instead of conventional ones. According to the results of the survey, 52% of respondents already occasionally use organic cotton products.

Among the elements that would trigger changing menstrual products and switching to organic are information about health benefits (35.2%), offers or free samples (28.54%), information about possible harmful substances in conventional products (24.85% ) and recommendations from friends or family (8.44%).

Four out of ten female respondents consider price as the determining factor in the decision to change products, followed by availability in stores (33.56%), availability of information (18.26%) and loyalty to a certain brand (5.64%).

Preference for pads versus other types of menstrual care products

When asked which menstrual products they use, 71.87% of respondents opt for absorbent pads, followed by tampons (23.41%), menstrual cups (3.29%), and other types of products (1.44%).

Brand is the main selection criterion for absorbents among the public (46.57%), followed by price (26.86%), ingredients (17.71%), and recommendations (8.86%).

Metodology

The study conducted by Enroush was conducted on a nationally relevant sample of 534 female respondents, aged up to 45 years. 83.85% of them reside in the urban environment, and, as regions of the country, 48.76% live in Muntenia, 32.61% in Transylvania, 14.91% in Moldova and 3.73% in Dobrogea. 44.58% of respondents have incomes over 4,000 lei, 18.58% between 2,000 and 3,000 lei, 16.72% between 3,000 and 4,000 lei, 10.53% have no income of their own, and 9.6% have incomes lower than 2,000 lei. 77.6% of employed respondents work in the private sector, 18.04% in the state sector, and 4.31% in non-profit organizations.

About Enroush

Enroush, a company with accelerated growth in the Romanian market, specializes in organic intimate care products. Founded six years ago by a Romanian entrepreneur, the company recorded a turnover of 9.2 million lei in 2023, with an estimate of 20 million lei for 2024. Enroush is active on the Romanian market, as well as in Austria , Serbia and the United Arab Emirates.

Market leader in Romania in the segment of organic personal care products, Enroush is present in major retail chains, such as Carrefour hypermarkets, Farmacia Tei, Bebe Tei, Catena, Dr. Max, and OMV gas stations. Enroush products are available on shopping apps such as Sezamo, Freshful and Bold Market, and at over 50 online retailers. They can also be purchased from the company's website. 

*This is a Press release.