If you see a kid polishing all the greens off their plate, you've got yourself a miracle child. Most kids (and adults too) hate eating those leafy greens but honestly, you know you can't avoid them because of all the nutrients they possess. In India, there are a vast variety of greens available, each of is which known to 'cure' a particular ailment. But while the leaves are utilised well for consumption, what happens to the stems? Obviously it goes to waste. Fashion Technology graduates Niveda R and Gowtham S, who studied at Kumaraguru College of Technology, Coimbatore, hated this fact and decided to find a way to repurpose the stems of such plants. And that motivation was all they needed to create their very own patented sanitary napkin product, Bliss.
Picking a specific plant to use in the manufacturing of these feminine hygiene products, the duo settled on kenaf fibres. While the leaves of the kenaf plant (Hibiscus cannabinus) are widely consumed in many regions of South India as the popular delicacy gongura, it is also a well-known substitute for jute - commonly called Deccan hemp or Java jute. "We use kenaf fibres, which are derived from the stem of the kenaf plant. The kenaf fibres are a good absorbent and have anti-microbial properties. After a deeper understanding of this quality, we decided to make sanitary napkins using kenaf as an alternative to commercial synthetic pads," says Niveda R who co-founded Bliss in September 2018.
As the pads are made with plant-based components, they are biodegradable and take only six to eight months to degrade, shares Niveda R. "The different layers are processed in a stockyard at Kavundampalayam, Coimbatore, by Gowtham and myself. Later, these are sent to manufacturing centres in Ahmedabad, Pune and Mumbai to produce the final product," explains the 24-year-old who insists that she cannot reveal anything about the rest of the components used as the product is patented. She also informs us that the pads are machine-made to avoid the risk of bacterial infection, which is a definite possibility in hand-made products.
Considering we're living in a time when youngsters are making the much-needed shift to cotton pads and menstrual cups in a bid to become eco-friendly, we wonder how they convince their customers to try out their new product, which they state is leak-proof with a natural herbal fragrance to ensure a blissful period. "It has been difficult to make people understand its use, but once they start using it, they are satisfied with the product and come back to us for more," says the confident entrepreneur, adding that the pads come in two sizes - Bliss XL (pack of 6 costs `59) and Bliss XXL (pack of 6 costs `79). Their product is eco-friendly to the extent that it even reflects in their packaging where they use paper boxes without any lamination. "Bliss pads do not have any plastic component. Thus, ensuring no skin allergies and rashes," concludes Niveda with a smile.
