Organic period care brand TOTM is marking its 10th year with the launch of Compact Applicator Tampons featuring trademarked safety technology.
Available from today (22 June) via Waitrose, the new product features CottonLock 360° – a patented safety veil made from 100% organic cotton. It wraps the tampon core entirely, preventing residual fibres from remaining in the body after removal. “TOTM is the only period care brand in the UK to use the technology in a compact applicator format”, the brand said.
Compact Applicator Tampons comes in 15 Regular and 14 Super (rsp: £4.50). The applicator is made from more than 95% bio-based material derived from sugarcane and is free from BPA and phthalates. The tampon itself contains no fragrances, dyes, viscose or rayon, and has been clinically tested as non-irritating.
The launch is in response to a Kantar study that in April found 70% of tampon users had made the switch to an alternative brand due to safety concerns. The research also found 58% of sanitary protection shoppers use products that are ethical or eco-friendly.
Compact Applicator Tampons’ debut comes alongside a revamp of TOTM’s pad range – its “most substantial update since the brand was founded in 2016”, according to TOTM. The pads have moved from individual biopolymer film wrapping and a cardboard outer box to fully recyclable FSC-certified paper. The change has cut packaging weight by 82%, from 25.4g to 4.5g. The number of pads per pack has increased by one or two across all five lines.
“Ten years ago, TOTM launched with the belief that period care could be safer, and more honest about what it contains. The Compact Applicator Tampon is the fullest expression of that,” said Vic Fytche-Crossman, the brand’s global health & education lead. “It is proof that period care can be safe, sustainable and comfortable all at once.”
The NPD arrives amid two official consultations examining whether additional safety measures are needed for period products. One comes as a direct response to a petition led by TOTM, which closed in March after surpassing 17,600 signatures to trigger a government response. Separately, the government is consulting on a new product safety framework for period products, set to close tomorrow (23 June).
TOTM was founded by Kate Herbert and St John Pearce-Burke. It launched as an online subscription service. It is now in Tesco, Waitrose and Ocado, and supplies more than 10,000 workplace sites through its Period Positive Workplace scheme.
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