Innovation in design continues to drive performance of diapers and other hygiene items as manufacturers seek to use fewer materials and increase comfort and performance without driving up price points. Improvements in design can be attributed to new technology in the many components that make up absorbent products and coordinating between these elements can be challenging. In addition to offering performance benefits, they also must prove they can work with existing materials and machinery. Despite this, new technologies continue to be created to improve the wearer experience in hygiene.

Earlier this year, Procter & Gamble upgraded Pampers Premium Protection baby diapers in the U.K. to feature an innovative DermaComfort Layer that instantly pulls wetness and mess away from the skin and locks it securely inside the diaper, so babies’ delicate skin remains dry and protected from irritants. The ultra-soft materials help the skin to breathe and provide comfort and the Stop & Protect pocket helps to prevent leaks from escaping at the back.

Improving fit and comfort was Ontex’s goal when the Belgium-based company incorporated the Dreamshield 360° innovation into its newest baby care products. Products featuring Dreamshield 360° technology—designed with a unique pee and poo back barrier and a 360 degree fit for all-around protection and comfort—have demonstrated superior performance in multiple consumer panels versus competitor products. Consumers have expressed their preference for Dreamshield 360º, particularly related to absorption capacity, absence of leaks, dryness and fit. In a recent French study, 65% of consumers considered absorption capacity in baby products to be extremely important, while 55% emphasized the need to keep skin dry, and 62% rated comfort as a crucial factor. Dreamshield 360º excelled in panels against competitors in all these areas, making it a trusted choice among both parents and retailers.

The new range of baby pants features triple leakage barriers and continues to use Ontex’s patented SeconDRY technology, ensuring all-around anti-leak fit and ultimate dryness.

Ontex saw strong growth in its baby pants sales last year and this trend continues in 2024. The rollout of this latest technology has started in Europe with room for expansion to other regions. The production follows the demand of retailers across Europe, who saw the results of Dreamshield 360º in the German consumer panel and see how their consumers shift to baby pants over traditional diapers, both in Europe and North America.

Laurent Nielly, Ontex Europe president, states: “Consumers no longer see baby pants as a training tool, but a quality product that makes their everyday lives easier, day and night. The Dreamshield 360° innovation puts our retail partners in a position to supply the next generation baby pants consumers want: baby pants that offer superior protection and comfort including at night and are a great option for active babies.”

Ontex has also incorporated Stop&Lock Anti-Leak technology in its baby care brands. This technology offers front and back barriers in newborn and mini sizes of Ontex’s baby diapers. This technology was initially introduced in selected baby diapers in North America and later through a major European retailer. Along with leg barriers, Stop&Lock Anti-Leak technology provides 360-degree leakage protection to contain ’poo explosions,’ a common issue with newborns fed on breastmilk or formula.

“I am proud that we are making everyday life easier for parents with technology that is helpful and affordable at the same time,“ Annick De Poorter, chief innovation & sustainability officer at Ontex, comments. “I am confident our retail partners will appreciate this, which brings us closer to our strategic vision to be their leading partner across Europe and North America.”

As these multinational retailers continue to offer design upgrades to their baby diapers, innovation continues to be seen behind the scenes among the suppliers of adhesives, films, superabsorbents, fasteners and core materials.

Henkel Adhesives Promote Sustainability

Henkel is at the forefront of promoting sustainability in the hygiene industry by providing innovative adhesive solutions that support sustainable product design, efficient manufacturing and waste reduction. Key contributions include sustainable product solutions like bio-based adhesives featuring significant renewable raw material content, new adhesive formats and technologies which reduce energy consumption, enable application at lower temperatures and enhance safety and empowering manufacturers to optimize end-of-life considerations by supporting e.g. industrial compostability.

“As a leading supplier of adhesives for hygiene products, Henkel has observed significant evolution in hygiene product design in recent years, driven by changing consumer needs, sustainability goals, and advances in material science,” says Ricardo Serrano, head of key account management, Henkel Nonwovens Adhesives EIMEA. “These changes have required unprecedented collaboration across the supply chain, as component suppliers and manufacturers align to deliver innovative and sustainable solutions.”

The result of this collaboration has been changes in material choices, the development of lightweight designs or products that are recyclable or compostable. Amidst this, companies are responding to consumer demand for improved performance, especially in terms of enhanced absorption, breathability, comfort and fit.

Henkel is uniquely positioned to lead the evolution of hygiene product design through end-to-end expertise, R&D investments and strong partnerships along the value chain to address challenges collaboratively from product design concept to production. The company’s Easyflow adhesive solution is an innovative approach designed for the hygiene market, particularly in manufacturing absorbent hygiene products such as diapers, sanitary napkins and adult incontinence products. This adhesive solution emphasizes efficiency, sustainability, and user convenience, addressing challenges faced by manufacturers in adhesive application processes.

According to the company, Easyflow sets a new standard in process performance and efficiency by offering auto-feeding system to keep production moving, melt-on-demand capabilities derived from patented product form and a closed system integration to prevent foreign materials pollution to enter hot melt tanks. To benefit product design and manufacturing, it reduces waste, lowers energy usage and improved worker safety.

With Technomelt DM ECO, Henkel has launched sustainability-focused grades for the first time to the European nonwovens market in 2023. The new range of direct bio-based adhesives for hygiene products construction enables elastics and positioning applications to be carried out with between 40 to 65% bio-based, non-fossil sources. In this way, Technomelt DM ECO makes more sustainable product designs possible, while helping manufacturers to reduce the dependency on fossil-based raw materials and reducing their CO2 footprint. The adhesives range is compatible with renewable and standard substrates without compromising process efficiency.

Technomelt DM ECO empowers manufacturers to incorporate sustainable, thinner or breathable materials without compromising adhesive integrity, allowing for lighter, more comfortable products.

“Sustainability has become a critical factor in the design of hygiene products such as baby diapers, feminine care items and adult incontinence products. This shift is driven by consumer awareness, regulatory pressures, and corporate responsibility,” Nele Gering, sustainability manager, Henkel Consumer Goods Adhesives Europe, adds.

Gottlieb Launches Hook Anywhere Technology

According to tapes supplier Gottlieb-Binder, the hygiene market is so strongly driven by costs that new technologies have to truly provide customers the complete vision of the features, benefits and ultimately commercial values to the customer in order to gain acceptance. Issues regarding new technologies for absorbent hygiene products such as baby diapers and incontinence products, include price (what is a potential consumer willing to pay) balanced with costs while managing brand/reputational risks.

The company has recently created a “hook anywhere” technology for hygiene items. This technology allows the hook to be embedded anywhere fastener allowing it to work effectively with extremely low basis weight engagement surfaces. What makes this concept even more interesting is the ripple effect it has on diaper design that is not strictly limited to a “grippier” or “higher confidence” fastener but also gives the product designers the ability to confidently promote downgauging of the nonwoven components (such as landing zone constructions), combined with the unique opportunity to even remove components completely (the bespoke landing zone itself and use the backsheet as the engagement surface). Now there is an example of a change in one part having the potential to directly alter the conventional structure of diapering product itself, while offering clear feedback to the price/cost/risk equation with the added benefit of a clear “more from less” practicality in such product’s sustainability position.


“This technology has taken Binder in a unique direction,” Isabel Hagelstein, marketing manager, says. “Where we once had an operational box for looking at fasteners for closure systems, now we are exploring out of that box as to how we can work with our convertors and customers to further challenge diaper performance vs. construction expectations.”

Commercial products using hook anywhere technology without a dedicated landing zone have been introduced into the market and consumers are responding favorably. Binder continues to use consumer feedback to evaluate and enhanced the technology and has plans to introduce adjacent technologies within the next 12 months.

“We look forward to seeing key brands and producers having the foresight to build a consortium of vendors, bringing together even multiple competing vendors, where progressive thinking suppliers representing every facet of the AHP construction explore what could be achieved in the most broadly viewed, integrated product design,” Hagelstein says.

Poligof Focuses on Diaper Premiumization

In recent years, the absorbent hygiene market has seen a number of changes, says Fabrizio D’Amico, commercial director of films supplier Poligof. The premiumization of baby diapers has increased manufacturers’ margins, benefitting from lower raw materials cost and diaper design optimization. This is a strategy mostly followed by premium brands to reacquire market shares lost in recent years, after Covid.

Additionally, increased penetration of private label versus premium brands continues to be driven by lower costs of the product and by the retailer’s strategy to attract consumers with underpriced products, creating clients’ loyalty. For raw materials suppliers, it means more flexibility in planning and deliveries.

Also driving marketshare growth is sustainability, especially for single use products. “Consumers – when buying a diaper or a sanitary napkin – must perceive it as green, and manufacturers must work on this aspect more than other FMCG manufacturers,” D’Amico adds. “Raw materials suppliers win tenders if their products have a low lifecycle analysis certified rating.”

Poligof continues to focus on the development  of ultra-soft backsheet laminates made from air through bonded nonwovens or other soft nonwoven substrates. These  create a “haptic experience” allowing the diaper to be holistically perceived as a soft and premium product for the best care of babies. The company’s smart backsheet with conductive/capacitive ink printing allows the production of smart adult (and baby) diapers, where wetness level are monitored to optimize diaper changes. It is a tool to reduce adult care NHS costs and a marketing driver for the baby diaper market.

Additionally, Poligof offers elastic-MD film for the waistbands of incontinence pants, ultrasonic, heat and hot melt sealable. This allows the diaper manufacturer to create an adult (and baby) pant having a waistband without threads, reducing skin irritation and having a cloth like appearance.

Another example of recent innovation is the Hookable breathable laminate for hook-to-backsheet applications, which allows a reduction in material usage. This reduction improves the sustainability profile of the final product, which is a concept Poligof has embraced.

“Sustainability in hygiene products is achieved according to different approaches: materials from renewable sources (identity preserved or mass-balance), compostable materials, mechanical or chemical recycling, ESG policies, etc.,” D’Amico adds. “Sustainability has become so important that the biggest diaper manufacturers have fixed carbon neutrality targets in the next five to 10 years. Selection of raw material suppliers is today based on CO2 emission factor of materials supplied; this has sometimes become more important than quality, service, and price itself.”

Soft N Dry Develops Tree-Free Core Technology

Soft N Dry Diapers Corp., a manufacturer tree-free disposable baby diapers, has made the ecoLiite Core, its advanced diaper core technology available to diaper OEMs. Designed to replace the company’s first-generation ecoFlex line, the new ecoLiite Core offers superior performance and sustainability for OEMs and retailer-owned brands, with a focus on compliance and reporting with the new EU Deforestation-Free Regulation (EUDR).

Utilizing advanced materials and innovative engineering, the new core enhances absorbency, durability and comfort while maintaining a 100% tree-free formulation. This ensures a reduced carbon footprint and greater cost efficiency for all market participants across the board compared to traditional tree fiber-based diaper cores.

“As we introduce ecoLiite Core to the market, we’re taking a crucial step in revolutionizing the disposable diaper industry towards profitability and sustainability,” says Matthew Keddy, CEO of Soft N Dry. “Our new ecoLiite Core technology not only meets the highest standards of performance and comfort but also addresses the global demand for eco-friendly baby care products. Additionally, ecoLiite Core equips OEM partners and retailers with robust Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) and sustainability reporting tools, enabling them to meet growing consumer expectations for transparency and ethical sourcing in the new tree-free diaper EUDR era.”

Soft N Dry’s ecoLiite Core is strategically positioned to meet these new demands. As a tree-free alternative, it offers a sustainable, high-performance solution that aligns perfectly with EUDR requirements. By integrating ecoLiite Core into their own products, manufacturers and retailer customers of Soft N Dry can ensure compliance with upcoming regulations, provide sufficient reporting, reduce their environmental impact and cater to the increasing market of eco-conscious consumers and the growing demand for change.

Technical Absorbents Targets Washable Absorbents

With growth in the market for reusable hygiene products outpacing growth of traditional applications, the marketplace for these materials continues to become more crowded with both industry newcomers and industry stalwarts looking to marry the world of textiles and disposables.

A key challenge for makers of washable absorbent products is maintaining absorbency. Superabsorbent fibers producer  Technical Absorbents has been at the forefront of developing superabsorbent washable fabric technology.
SAF washable fabrics provide the same high levels of absorbency as disposable fabrics but can be washed and re-used. Once in a final fabric construction, studies have indicated modest absorbency loss of 20% after 40 wash cycles. They typically range from 190 to 450gsm and are typically a blend of SAF and other synthetic fibers. Anti-microbial, flame retardant and anti-odor finishes can also be added during the manufacturing process.
Recently, Technical Absorbents achieved Oeko-Tex certification for its washable fabric technology.

TAL expects to introduce further innovation grades for washable products sometime next year. Once integrated within the final product, they provide elevated levels of absorption and retention so that the wearer can go about their daily life with confidence. 

Woolchemy Creates Wool-Based ADL Materials

A New Zealand-based company is applying the benefits of wool, such as odor control and dryness, to hygiene products. Woolchemy recently released a whitepaper assessing the performance of neweFlex, a proprietary, high performance acquisition and distribution layer (ADL) material in applications such as diapers, feminine hygiene products and incontinence items. Woolchemy developed and evaluated the wool-based ADL with support from an independent research institute specializing in nonwovens innovation. neweFlex was found to deliver notable performance improvements across the major applications for hygiene.

Diapers with integrated neweFlex ADL were subjected to thermal comfort assessments over multiple liquid insults and compared with a standard petroleum material-based diaper. Tests were conducted by a Michigan Public Research Laboratory where a baby heated manikin was employed in accordance with an adapted test standard ASTM F1291. The thermal comfort was assessed using multiple temperature and humidity sensors located in different places on a baby manikin. Diapers were repeatedly insulted with liquid (80 ml) in 120 minute intervals between insults, simulating diaper use over an extended period of time (8 hours in wet state). The main results across all four sensors and thermal camera data confirmed that diapers made with neweFlex were overall more stable and consistent in reducing temperature fluctuations between liquid insult periods compared to diapers made with petroleum-based ADL.

Woolchemy’s proprietary material is made from ethically sourced, traceable New Zealand wool, processed to meet stringent hygiene regulations. For the first time, the science of wool—proven in categories like clothing for odor control and thermal regulation—has been successfully translated and applied to consumer needs for disposable hygiene products where it offers a sustainable alternative.

“Woolchemy’s innovative approach to wool-based materials brings a refreshing and much-needed new alternative in the hygiene industry,” says John Poccia, principal of Poccia Consulting. “Their ADL technology stands out for its ability to deliver impressive moisture management, comfort, and unique benefits from wool-based materials, while providing a natural, biodegradable alternative to traditional synthetics.”

ZymoChem Offers Biodegradable SAP

ZymoChem, a biotech company dedicated to creating sustainable materials for everyday products, announced the launch of Bayse, the world’s first scalable, 100% bio-based, and biodegradable super absorbent polymer (SAP). This innovation is set to revolutionize the $145 billion global hygiene industry and pave the way for a more sustainable future.

Bayse is a drop-in replacement for traditional, fossil fuel-based SAPs, which are a key component in disposable, absorbent hygiene products such as infant diapers. Unlike petroleum-derived, polyacrylate counterparts, Bayse is made from renewable resources, maintains a lower carbon footprint, and is readily biodegradable, addressing the environmental concerns associated with the 300,000 diapers that enter landfills or are incinerated every minute.

“At ZymoChem, we are committed to accelerating the transition to a real-zero economy by developing bio-based materials for everyday products,” says Harshal Chokhawala, PhD, CEO and co-founder of ZymoChem. “With Bayse, we are tackling one of the world’s most wasteful items head-on, offering a sustainable solution that does not compromise on performance or affordability.”

ZymoChem’s proprietary technology platform enables the production of Bayse at a cost which is competitive with traditional SAPs, ensuring that sustainability can be achieved without a premium. Intent on creating a positive environmental impact and inspiring change across sectors, ZymoChem’s Bayse boasts additional applications in industries such as agriculture, cosmetics, and water treatment. The creation of microplastics from fossil-based petroleum SAP has been a concern for those industries, which Bayse addresses as a high-performance, microplastic-free alternative.

ZymoChem recently raised $21 million in Series A funding to accelerate the commercialization of Bayse.