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The market for adult incontinence products is booming. As aging is the leading cause of urinary incontinence, the rapidly aging population is the main growth driver for this market. In addition, other common conditions including childbirth, obesity, diabetes and other health factors can also increase the chances of urinary incontinence.

The market for adult incontinence products has grown with increasing awareness of various incontinence conditions and easier access to such products. Manufacturers are working to improve absorbency, odor control, skin-friendliness, and develop a range of new products that are close-fitting and breathable to meet consumer needs.

According to Euromonitor International (Euromonitor International), in the United States, the adult urinary incontinence retail market has a volume growth rate of about mid-single digits, and its value growth rate is as high as 11% due to inflation in 2022. During the 2022-2027 forecast period, the retail volume and value of the category is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6%.

Euromonitor's Liying Qian said: "Although aging is still the root cause of adult incontinence, increased awareness, reduced taboos, healthy and active lifestyles and rising incomes are also supporting the growth of such products."

According to Euromonitor, by 2022, the moderate/severe urinary incontinence segment, including moderate to severe urinary incontinence products, slightly outpaced the mild urinary incontinence segment in both volume and value, in part because inflation has consumers reallocate their spending in favor of products with higher cost-effectiveness ratios. "The growth of moderate/severe urinary incontinence products is also supported by a series of targeted innovations. These innovations have brought better performance, comfort and diversity to consumers with severe urinary incontinence. Compared with consumers with mild symptoms, they are often underserved." Qian explained.

She pointed out that from the perspective of product form, product characteristics related to performance, from the speed of absorption to dryness, odor control and breathability, these are still the primary considerations for adult incontinence consumers.

First Quality has focused on enhanced absorbency in its latest line of adult incontinence products. The new technology MaxSorb + Zone can keep the user's skin dry throughout the day, which is good for skin health. MaxSorb + Zone bladder control pad increases absorption speed by up to 50%.

"Keeping skin dry is extremely important when dealing with urinary incontinence, because too much moisture can cause skin irritation, discomfort and other problems," said Sima Delafraz, Chief Commercial Officer, First Quality. "Our Prevail Plus Ultimate Long daily pad for women is one of the first pads on the market to use this technology. Skin health is our focus, so we will continue to explore more opportunities to further expand this technology."

The Prevail Plus Ultimate Long daily pad has a soft surface layer that is 100 percent breathable, allowing air to circulate and heat to escape for maximum comfort and skin protection. Like all products, they have a full range of odor protection and can neutralize odors immediately throughout the day.

Based on demographic trends, First Quality expects the urinary incontinence category to continue to gain organic growth. Delafraz said: "We are also seeing more and more people open to these private label products. In the current economic climate, more and more consumers are reconsidering their choice of private label, including those who may have a fixed income. It's an opportunity for retailers to invest in their own incontinence brand and build consumer loyalty. Doing so means understanding consumers' lifestyles and preferences, and providing personalized products and experiences that meet these needs."
The main demands of consumers with severe urinary incontinence still include comprehensive prevention of leakage and odor. They also want products to be more close-fitting and to ensure that the products used are reliable.

Drylock company's recent innovations have focused on improving the consumer experience by offering the most intimate and thinnest products available today. Matt Koloseike, vice president of sales and marketing at Drylock Technologies, said: "They are thinner and more close-fitting while ensuring performance. This also reduces the packaging size, so the product takes up less space on the shelf and uses less plastic materials."

Consumers who love active lifestyles such as sports prefer products that are more close-fitting and flexible. Therefore, pants-type urinary incontinence products are becoming a popular choice.

"People are increasingly choosing an active lifestyle, which enhances the attractiveness of sports security and comfort features, such as adjustable fixed tape, fast drying, flexible movement, and a fit like fabric," Qian said. "Pant urinary incontinence products are as low-key as ordinary underwear. Although the price is relatively high, they are becoming more and more popular."

Attindas Hygiene Partners, a hygiene products company formerly affiliated with Domtar, recently launched a new disposable urinary incontinence product for adults. The new product can be hidden under clothing while providing 100 percent leak-free protection. It uses Maxi Comfort ultrasonic bonding technology and uses more flexible materials to suit all body types. The company says the product fits as well as regular underwear and provides protection day and night. The product has three colors for men and women to choose, soft and skin-friendly.

"Urinary incontinence should not prevent people from confidently doing what they like," said Jacqueline Trauring, senior marketing manager for global adult urinary incontinence at Attindas. "It's all about security, providing protection that makes you feel comfortable, and you Will forget it exists."

The latest product design is an extension of the ultrasonic bonding technology introduced in Attindas in Europe. In Europe, glue-free bonding technology has been proven to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, including carbon dioxide, thereby reducing environmental impact.

Incontinence Care Going Digital

In addition to improving the absorbent products they produce, brands and manufacturers are expanding their capabilities by developing digital solutions to improve incontinence care for consumers.

"The acceleration of digitalization is a key enabler in developing the next generation of products and solutions to meet consumer needs," said Helena Hansen, corporate communications media relations manager at Essity. "With an aging population, pressures on the health care system and rising expectations for sustainable utilization, we need new ways of thinking and using digital tools to reach their full potential. This may sound challenging, but in the past few years, digital infrastructure and digital maturity have improved significantly."

Esity has developed the Tena SmartCare family of digital solutions for incontinence management. The solution is a digital assessment solution for long-term care that enables personalized care, product use changes and toilet habits. She said: "The results are significant, reducing waste by 30% and carbon dioxide by 15%, 40% of users have optimized the absorption of incontinence products, and 44% have reduced leakage."

Esity also introduced the Tena SmartCare Replacement Indicator, a reusable sensor-based solution for professional caregivers caring for their relatives and long-term care at home. It lets caregivers know on their smartphones when it's time to change the absorbent product, reducing inspection and replacement time and allowing for more optimal use of the product.

Hansen explained: "This can lead to greater happiness and comfort, improved sleep at night, and a more dignified relationship with the caregiver, while also giving the caregiver relative peace of mind because they know their loved ones Get the best care; professional caregivers also increase efficiency, improve care, reduce workload, and reduce costs."

In a recent nursing-related clinical study, Tena SmartCare replacement indicators successfully reduced the number of manual inspections by 16% and leakage by 40%. Overall, the solution was considered very useful, with 89% agreeing with the "very good, would recommend to others" option.

At the same time, Orizon, a smart incontinence solution from absorbent hygiene product manufacturer Ontex, is also a good example, which can meet the needs of hospitals and nursing homes that traditional products cannot meet. The solution includes a printed sensor, a transmitter clipped to the diaper, and a mobile app. This combination can accurately determine the saturation level of the diaper and alert the caregiver when it may need to be replaced.

Maarten Verbanck, Ontex's global external communications manager, said: "Inflation and staff shortages are putting pressure on healthcare facilities. A smart incontinence solution helps improve the well-being of nursing home residents, giving them more comfort and freedom, better leakage protection and dignity. Orizon smart solutions can also increase the time of interpersonal interaction between staff and residents, and make the cost of incontinence care more transparent."

Find the right product

With so many options available today, incontinence product brands and manufacturers are doing their best to educate consumers about choosing the best products for their particular situation. Drylock's Koloseike said: "Some consumers put pads in their underwear to increase water absorption, but this will only cost more and the effect is not good. Instead, consumers should use products that are heavily incontinent, such as adult underwear or overnight underwear. We are also seeing consumers use feminine hygiene products to deal with mild incontinence, rather than mild incontinence products, which are specifically designed for incontinence and have better leakage prevention and odor control."

To help consumers choose the right products based on their needs and lifestyle, Drylock created a product guide. The company also shared the information on its social media pages.

Many women are turning to menstrual products to absorb bladder leaks. This may be because they are easier to obtain or are less embarrassing to buy, but this is problematic because this wrong choice is likely to disappoint them.

Education and awareness are key to meeting all these challenges. Alexandra Fennell, co-founder and co-CEO of Attn: Grace, said: "For decades, we have believed in the product on the shelf, or thought it was good enough, and that high-performance, cleaner alternatives were hard to imagine, or did not yet exist. Raising awareness of these issues and empowering women is central, and it is equally important to let people know that for many women, this condition is treatable or mitigated. We want women to feel confident enough to talk to their doctor and seek the best option for their care."

This article is from Nonwovens Industry Journal
Author: Tara Olivo

Source: Jung-International Nonwoven Industry Business