A recent study from Virginia Tech discussing the merits of blood-coagulation-based menstrual products has made the mainstream headlines, and a new Indian startup, Papaya, couldn’t be more excited about it.
Coagulation of blood is a natural process that stops bleeding whenever a person gets a cut or a scrape, but menstrual blood is special and needs a little nudge in order to coagulate.
Papaya made its first blood-coagulating menstrual pad in August of 2023 and is now launching this first-of-its-kind product publicly.
Papaya is a women-led company. The product was developed by the founder and CEO, Shagun Maheshwari, and product design is headed by Shreya Shah. Marketing and community are led by Tanya Desai and Tvishi Mongia.
Ick-free!
“Blood coagulation makes the pad super dry and leak proof. It ensures that you don’t feel icky when wearing it for longer durations. In addition to being just more comfortable, coagulation also helps us avoid plastic altogether. Most pads on the market have a super-absorbent core made of plastic (even if the top sheet is natural), since plastic is much better at absorbing than natural fiber cores. There have been many amazing efforts at making a completely natural-fiber based pad, they often don’t work for heavy flow or don’t feel as dry.
With its new pad, Papaya just changed that. “Even without the Health and Environmental benefits, this pad just vicerally feels better against your skin” says Shagun, and adds “Oh, and it is also fully compostable”.
Leave no Trace!
Papaya’s pads are compostable in industrial composting settings but also degradable in regular landfills where there isn’t enough oxygen for composting – and since there’s no plastic in them, they don’t leave behind persistent microplastics of forever chemicals. “We understand that most waste ends up in a landfills, so designed them with this in mind”
Their most recent data shows 77% degradation in landfill conditions in 150 days. Even in plain soil burial, the pads break down!
The pads are available to buy on their website (www.papayain.com) as well as Amazon India.
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