Sanitary Napkin Innovation Reshapes China's CN¥ 16B Market

Executive Summary#

China's sanitary napkin market reached CN¥ 16.06 billion in January to October 2024, growing 29.9% YoY^[1], and much of that growth came from products that set themselves apart through functional claims such as probiotic additives and sterilisation-grade hygiene. Sterilization-grade concepts reached CN¥ 710 million at +500%^[1]. This analysis examines how ingredient innovation, the role of content commerce and consumer reviews are shaping China's fastest-growing hygiene category.

Newer Brands Compete on Functional Innovation#

Several newer brands have built their offer around a specific functional benefit, and their product strategies show what the category was rewarding in 2024. freemore has built its range around probiotic-enhanced products and lightweight positioning, TaoTaoYangMian offers a disinfection-grade pure cotton proposition, and TaYanShe has developed its Hidden BLUE product line.

We believe the market is rewarding functional innovation that consumers can see and name. We also believe that brands which state a specific health, safety or comfort benefit, supported by an ingredient or technology claim, are in a stronger position to grow faster than the market as a whole.

Content Commerce Reaches Younger Consumers#

Content commerce has become an important channel for the category, and on a leading content-led marketplace sanitary napkin sales reached CN¥ 652 million in October 2024. We believe this reflects how effectively short-video content and live commerce reach younger consumers when they are combined with competitive pricing.

Sterilization and Probiotics Lead the Innovation Wave#

Innovation in the category is concentrated on hygiene safety standards, functional ingredients and convenience features, and products that combine more than one of these are growing well ahead of the category average. Sterilization-grade products alone reached CN¥ 710 million at +500%, which we read as post-pandemic demand for clinical hygiene standards.

Consumer Reviews#

Our analysis of consumer reviews puts the market's average negative review rate at 12.5%. Across the category, consumers' complaints concentrated on odour and packaging, which we believe gives brands a clear indication of where product and packaging improvements would be noticed.

Period Underwear Emerges as a New Format#

Alongside ingredient innovation, format innovation is also changing the category. Period underwear (pants-shaped sanitary products) achieved 36.4% sales growth domestically, while social media discussion of the format grew 166.2%. This suggests strong consumer interest that is extending the category beyond traditional strip pads.

Period underwear mentions grew 166% YoY while traditional pads still dominate at 69.6% share

*Source: Moojing Market Intelligence; MoListening*

Key Takeaways#

• China's sanitary napkin market reached CN¥ 16.06 billion with 29.9% YoY growth, making it the fastest-growing hygiene category
• Newer brands such as freemore, TaoTaoYangMian and TaYanShe have built their ranges around functional innovation, from probiotic-enhanced pads to disinfection-grade pure cotton
• Sterilization-grade products reached CN¥ 710 million at +500% growth, reflecting post-pandemic demand for clinical hygiene standards
• Consumer reviews put the market's average negative rate at 12.5%, with complaints concentrated on odour and packaging
• Period underwear achieved 36.4% domestic sales growth while social media discussion grew 166.2%, which points to a lasting shift beyond traditional pads

About the Data#

This analysis draws on Moojing Market Intelligence data covering January to October 2024, supplemented by consumer sentiment analysis from MoListening across major Chinese e-commerce and social platforms. Moojing analyses brand and category performance across major Chinese e-commerce platforms. For full methodology and additional insights, see the complete Disposable Hygiene Products whitepaper.