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Sasa Hong Kong – Sanitary Napkins From Asia
Feminine Hygiene treasures from Hong Kong to Canada!
So here it is everyone, after a very long wait for a delivery promotion to be offered through Sasa (Hong Kong) I finally bit the bullet and bought from sanitary napkins that are usually only offered in Asia!
For those who are also interested, it just so happens that they extended the offer and only for 2 more days (expires Jun 13) – Sasa is offering worldwide shipping for free on all purchases over $19USD. My order came to 20.50 which is pretty damn good 😆 For those who don’t want to navigate through the site, you can directly make your way to the feminine hygiene category. Of course the site company doesn’t ONLY sell feminine hygiene products so I would recommend you browse the rest of the site to see if there are things that suits your needs. After all, normally with shipping nearing $20 on a single order (unless you break the $100 free shipping mark), it’s really a good promotion whether or not you decide to buy some feminine hygiene products through them! This will particularly appeal to Canadians as we seem to have a tough time getting a hold of international products whereas in the US they have some really nice import-product sites which only ship to the continental US.
In this order, I made the following purchases:
2x Laurier Safety Guard Slim Night 30cm (8 piece)
1x Laurier Super Guard Heavy Night 34cm (8 piece)
1x CENTER-IN FUWA FUWA TYPE Napkins with Wings (Night) (11 piece)
1x Laurier Safety Guard Slim Wing 22.5cm (20 piece)
I have already done some preliminary testing on the products, but I definitely waiting for some of my girl’s periods to come around, that way they can do further and more detailed menstrual testing! The first one I tested definitely didn’t make it onto my “love it” scale unfortunately. However, I won’t spoil the fun of saying which one it was that didn’t make the cut, but rather, release reviews slowly and as time permits.
You may notice my lack of updates, but seriously, I don’t like it either. Adult life is not really fun 🙂 Luckily, my girls will be more available as summer as arrived and they will be on break or at least on a lighter (haha) course load… or well, at least for the ones who are still attending school… for the ones who are like me and working, it makes no difference!
The great thing about products from Asia is they tend to fall under 4 categories instead of 3 that are offered regularly in Canada.
Canada:
– Pantiliner
– Ultra thin
– Maxi
Asia:
– Pantiliner
– Ultra thin (Day-Use)
– Slim (Day/Night-Use)
– Maxi (Day/Night-Use)
Most of the ones I have ordered in this shipment fall under the “slim” category… where it’s not paper-like thinness, nor is it the full bulk of what we consider to be ‘maxi’ here.
So this post is just a nice little teaser… how long I’ll be teasing for 😛 I don’t really know… but at least for anyone else who’s interesting in putting in their own order will be happy to know they have a few more days to take advantage of this fabulous shipping offer. Otherwise, you can sit (really) tight and await my next review for one of these lucky products! I have to admit, the shipping speed was pretty good (I just went with the regular service, not the expedited) and I luckily didn’t get nailed at customs for any additional fees (since they would only be allowed to charge PST portion of the HST duty due to all my items being classified as feminine hygiene products) since they probably would only get a few dollars for all the paperwork involved. It only took about a full business week to get to me, from Hong Kong to Canada, ON.
Stayfree Coupon – Save $2 on Regular Priced Stayfree Product
I know for a while, Stayfree stopped offering a $2 off coupon on their products since December 31, 2011…. however, I’m happy to report that they’re offering it again until May 31, 2012!
For those who use Stayfree products regularly, this will help keep your loyalty (unless you’ve stocked up at Shoppers Drug Mart whenever they’re on for $1.99) and for those who don’t use or haven’t used Stayfree products before, here is your chance! Here’s a snippet of the information provided on their COUPON OFFER main page:
Whether you’re busy raising your new family, working out at the gym, rushing around the office, or just out for a night on the town with friends, the wide range of STAYFREE® products are designed to protect you no matter where the day may lead.
STAYFREE® Cottony Dry Cover Ultra Thin Pads help you stay free from:
• Leakage – STAYFREE® has a Leak Protection Ring to help block leaks in all directions providing maximum protection against embarrassing leakage.
• Wetness – An Anti-leak core effectively uses fast-absorbing technology to help lock wetness in quickly for added protection against leaks. Helping to keep you feeling drier all day long.
• Discomfort –STAYFREE® has a new ultra-soft Cottony Dry Cover to provide maximum comfort.
• Odour – Double-odour protection not only actively prevents embarrassing odours but neutralizes them as well so you can stay confident no matter where your day takes you.
With so much research and engineering behind STAYFREE® products, it’s the ideal solution for all your feminine hygiene product needs at a price that fits your budget.
In fact, we’re so sure you’ll love STAYFREE® products that we’re going to give you $2.00 off on any STAYFREE® Product so you can experience for yourself just how great STAYFREE® is.
Since it may be against their marketing rules to take a snapshot of their coupon, I will link you there instead. Please find the following “Save $2 on any Regular Priced Stayfree Product” coupon! I have to reiterate once more about the following conditions as stipulated: “Limit one coupon per purchase and per person, and may not be combined with any other offer. Offer only valid on regular-priced STAYFREE® products.” I would consider buying Stayfree products using this coupon if their regular price is upward of $4.50 or so. When you use the coupon, that would bring it down to about $2.50 per pack which is pretty good for standard pricing. I might be inclined to pay $3 ($5 with $2 coupon off) if you’re greatly in need of the product as well. This particular coupon is only applicable in Canada at retailers which accept printable coupons. So far, I’ve found most large chains to be fairly accepting of them, though I have heard about some stores giving hassles (guess I’m lucky I live in a smaller city where there is less fraud/abuse) in more populated urban centres.
Now print out this coupon and get to a Stayfree-selling store near you!!
When Even the Best of Guys Needs Help
This will be a short post, but I recall a commercial that reminded me of a particular retailer when I was in Hong Kong. A mass merchandiser drugstore similar to North Americas equivalent of Shoppers Drug Mart or Rexall provided a very unique service which might help with guys who may feel that purchasing feminine hygiene products for his partner or a female family member is a daunting task. As mentioned in the subject of this entry, even the guys with the best intentions may be completely confused by all the choices of feminine hygiene products when standing in the aisle. Sometimes, it isn’t even the guy who’s embarrassed, but I’ve found that men in the feminine hygiene aisle seem to cause embarrassment or an aura of awkwardness even for the ladies. Even for the guys who are not afraid of wandering down the aisle and making the purchase, mistakes are bound to be made resulting in a very disgruntled female in your life (or worse, females)
In Hong Kong, at least one retailer has managed to provide somewhat of a solution for this. A household’s female member could actually call ahead of the time to the store to make arrangements with a list of purchases to be made. Within a reasonable amount of the time (and the efficiency in Hong Kong is impeccable), the products are already packed and ready to go for pickup. If there are sensitive items as part of the shopping list, the retailer will usually put all the purchases in paper-like bag, or you can always request one at no extra charge. When purchases include things like feminine hygiene products, condoms or pharmaceutical items, they’re pretty diligent about making sure that these purchases can’t be viewed ‘from the outside’. One might say this is “backwards thinking” and especially to be something promoted on my site, but let’s face it, not every guy will ever feel comfortable or buy these items accurately. Therefore if there is a foolproof way of ensuring the right items are purchased, here it is!
The retailer has a bunch of funny and cute commercials, with a guy who’s been asked to make purchases because his girlfriend’s “best friend has arrived”. He confidently says he can take care of it because he knows he can rely on this retailer to ensure the right products are purchased and that they are discretely handled when he arrives to pick them up. I know this might raise a few concerns are it’s contrary to my hopes we can make feminine hygiene purchases just as if were buying fruit, but sometimes you can’t change everything and everyone. At least this will provide a more reliable method of a girl to ask her male friend/family to get something for them if they’re unable to go to the store themselves.
After this is all said and done, this service is available to all customers, not just female ones… however, for the sake of the topic of the blog, I rest my case. I’m sure a guy could ask his partner or female family member to pick something hemorrhoid cream or wart remover and it’d be perfectly valid to have these items prepacked and ready to leave the store! Other than this service, the next most discrete way at getting the right items is delivery services, which also seem to be rare in North America (or rather, at a reasonable price), but speed of getting these products would be a concern if the leak is already pooling up 🙄 I wonder if retailers here will begin providing such services or whether it would be as popular here as it is in Asia…
DON’T TOUCH That Feminine Hygiene!
So the title is probably bit more “umpf” than the entry that’s to follow… I told Bebe this morning the story and she got a kick out if it – she even gave me one of those really mischievous smirks (which are damn rare) so I thought I’d share with the world if it’s enough to amuse her. For those who are not aware, Shoppers Drug Mart, had Sunday & Monday sale for Stayfree Pads, Carefree Liners or O.B. Tampons for $1.99 (up to a limit of 4 I believe). By the time most people read this, the sale would already be long over, lest places that have time-difference or you’re willing to scrounge a 24-hour one.
Anyways, yesterday night I went with my mom to SDM to buy some eggs and milk, the typical “household fridge necessities” and then as we were lining up for the cash, I noticed one of those “bargain bins” where it listed that any items contained within were either $1 or $2. I started to sift through them and then I picked up a box of the new “Kleenex Cool Touch” tissue. I had ordered some samples in the mail so thought I’d just point it out to my mom that these were the ones I was talking about. She started getting all wound up about it and was like (hard to explain the actual reaction), “What?!! Why are you touching that box? Stop playing with feminine hygiene products! Are you buying it for bebe? If not, put the box down.” Obviously this is a translation since my mom was freaking out at me in Cantonese. I was like, “Umm… what are you talking about? This is tissue.” The funny thing though is when I picked it up, I had already known it was tissue, but when she began to freak out on me, for just a moment, I actually doubted myself whether I actually DID pick up a box of feminine hygiene products (because since I do buy them), but then I double checked and realized I picked up just a tissue box. My mom starts mumbling because I proved her wrong and she got all wound up about nothing.
Now to be honest, the box DOES look rather like a pad or tampon box, but I think she should’ve actually looked closer before raising hell about it. Trust me, it wasn’t just a simple thing she said, I could tell by the tone, loudness and speediness of her voice that she was wondering why I’d be buying feminine hygiene products, but luckily even if I was, now that I have bebe, I can at least put it on her tab and say I’m buying for her 😆 Here’s a picture of the Kleenex Brand – Cool Touch tissue:
Kleenex: Cool Touch (Facial Tissue)
I was slightly annoyed that she’d get all worked up over that, whether it was feminine hygiene or not, but conservative Asian moms will always be, conservative Asian moms.
On another note, today I had to travel to 5 SDM’s to get the pads and liners which bebe wanted (yes, they are actually for her this time 😛 – not for my girls to test). She wanted 3 packs and I managed to find 2 at one of the initial stores. Finally I went to one by my house, in a “smaller” and “less populated” area of town where luckily the shelves were still very much intact. The other 3 stores ran completely out-of-stock, just for the kind she likes… seems rather popular I guess. It seemed like there was every other Stayfree pad available, all except our fav as there was a huge hole in the shelf where they were placed, bummer… and at this price, it hasn’t happened in like 4 months so time to stock up while we can! I even went to SDM with one of my female coworkers so that was rather fun. She did want to buy some O.B. tampons, but she didn’t really have a place to hide them as she forgot her purse and her car was driven by her husband today. I suppose if she really wanted to, there are tons of places to hide them until the end-of-the-day, but she also had preference towards the U by Kotex tampons so even at such an attractive price for O.B. she still couldn’t take the dive.
Well I accomplished a lot today anyways, got 3 packs of Stayfree pads and 1 pack of Carefree liners to stock up bebe’s pad drawer! Counting down the days already to my sweetie’s period already 🙂 Just wish she had shorter cycles, lol!
Locating Sanitary Napkins from Asia for Newcomers
Just this recent summer, I met up with a childhood friend who has returned to Canada. With her mom, she came and settled in the GTA to complete her high school education and hopefully pursue higher-education upon graduation. I spent several weekends with her, helping her get acquainted with her surroundings and to my surprize, she’s doing quite well. Her aptitude in English is superb, so communication here is not an issue for her. Plus, let’s face it – if you live in the GTA, you could probably get by without knowing English, Cantonese or Mandarin would do fine. She even told me that based on school statistics, 95% of her school is Asian and 80% of those are Chinese, accounting for very little language-barrier while at school, other than the need to listen and communicate in English for lessons and class.
But anyways, onto the main point of the story is that for newcomers from Hong Kong or other parts of Asia, it’s a shocker to have to deal with completely different feminine hygiene options. You may think, “Holy, such a big deal over having to buy local pads and tampons?” – but it really is, because feminine hygiene options are integral to peace-of-mind and well-being for most women on a monthly basis. Although I have known this friend for a long time, she had moved back to Hong Kong for many years, therefore, we have not had the close-contact that most of my girls do. With that in mind, she also was unaware of my openness towards menstruation and shopping for feminine hygiene. After breaking the ice a few times of hanging out, we went shopping and I could tell she was keenly checking out the pad/tampon aisle out the corner of her eyes while we were picking up shampoo. It was a whole new world for her – with brands unknown to her or even for recognizable brands, the types, lengths, terminology – and how they work was all different. However, with a male presence, she dare not wander into the aisle. I casually mentioned, “Hey, let’s go down each aisle and we buy what you need” as I tried to encourage her to get products that were useful, regardless of what they were. She eyed the aisle at the end so I took charge and led the way, showing that I was totally ok with her shopping for pads and tampons. I casually wandered off to the side, as I think for a girl who doesn’t know me very well didn’t want me to look over her shoulder as she browsed. I didn’t want to express discomfort though, as I’m sure we all know I lack discomfort towards menstruation (lol) – but more out of respect for her comfort instead.
After a while, she wandered over to me and shyly said, “thank you” – it was cute and she’s a really nice girl. We’ve known each other for so long, but we rarely get to connect because of distance and because the age gap is rather large – 10 years to be exact. However, her hands and basket were empty because she didn’t know what the right things were to use. She asked me if there was anywhere she could buy pads found in Hong Kong and other than T&T (which has limited of choices available at outrageous prices like $10+) and a place in Mississauga, I didn’t have that many other options for her (and we were all the way out in Markham). I do know with the Asian population in the GTA and with so many Asian marts, there are bound to be places that sell them, but where can we find a place where stocking up won’t break the bank? She’s here as a student, so in the form of income, there’s no much… so she’s very good when it comes to spending wisely. We shopped around the area, looking for places that had pads from Asia to begin with, let alone good prices.
Finally, we fell upon a place called “Foody” – a well known (apparently) Chinese supermarket with an assortment of foods and household items, but also, sanitary pads from Asia! I’m not affiliated with Foody in any way, other than a happy customer for providing us with what we wanted at reasonable prices. The supermarket is located at:
豐泰超市Hwy 7 分店 (Foodymart Hwy 7 Branch)
5221 Hwy 7, Markham ON
Hwy 7 夾 McCowan 西南角 (Intersection of Hwy 7 and McCowan Southwest corner)
電話：905-305-9866 (Telephone Number)
I suppose when this “street view” shot was taken, that it wasn’t even built yet. However, it’s in the plaza across from Marksville Mall. Speaking of being in Markham lately, I really miss my ex… after a bit of a scheduling mishap, she’s gotten really pissed off at me (pissed off enough where she didn’t even reply to my birthday wishes to her) and it’s sad. I didn’t hold on to her in hopes I’d be able to win her back one day, but she was a really nice friend to have. I guess perhaps with some time and fate, we may cross-paths again later on in life – because we all know, the world is small. From what I heard, there’s never a “low-traffic” time at Foody, it’s ALWAYS busy… day or night, weekday or weekend. When I was at the parking lot there, it took me 10 minutes to find a spot and it was at like the farthest corner of the parking lot ever.
If you’re new to Canada, live in the GTA area and want to find napkins that you use “back at home” – you can probably find them here. I have to remind you that with any imported item, you can expect a higher cost (especially as compared to buying them local back at home), but it is at least within REASON.
Foodymart - Sanitary Napkins Shelf (Left)
You can get a variety of Laurier Night-Use pads for $7.99, ranging from 12-20 pieces each.
Sofy Body Fit for $4.99 which were completely sold out.
Whisper Day-Use pads for $5.99 for 22 + 2 (24 total) pieces.
Center-IN 25cm Day-Use pads for $7.99 double-packs of 20ea (40 total).
And of course local pads ranging from $3.99 to $5.99 by Always.
Foodymart - Sanitary Napkins Shelf (Right)
You can also get imported Stayfree and Kotex, as you can see, they’re very different than Canadian packaging for these pads but unfortunately the bright lighting caused the price tag to be unreadable and I couldn’t remember how much they were (and consequently, everything along the top shelf). There is also a 400-size (40cm) Elis Night-Use pad which sounds like it can absorb an entire period worth of flow!
Center-IN 21cm Day-Use pads for $7.99 double-packs of 28ea (56 total).
Center-IN 30cm Night-Use pads for $4.99 double-packs of 11ea (22 total).
Laurier Day-Use maxi pads for $4.99 for 32 (64 total) pieces.
You can click on the pictures for a larger view, but as it was taken with phone camera the resolution is not the best. Anyways, if you’ve been searching for a reasonably priced and assortment of Asian and non-Asian sanitary napkins, you can find them here! I’m sure once one of my girls come back from her trip, we’ll be hitting this place up to run some tests on them. For sure I already eyed a few that I know won’t let us down. Maybe if this recently-arrived friend of mine ever shows enough comfort, I’ll see how open she is about this! If you know of any more places, feel free to let me know! Better yet, if you have an online resource willing to sell to Canada and ship here at reasonable prices, DEFINITELY let me know! 🙂
Of course if this friend was close enough to me, I’d probably tease her that this would’ve never been a problem if she used a menstrual cup or cloth-pads, but I doubt I could pull saying that without making her feel all weird, lol… in time, in time 😆
O.B. Ultra Tampons in Canada – Returning Soon to a Store Near YOU!
Do you love O.B. Ultra Tampons?
For all you O.B. Ultra Absorbency tampon lovers out there, you’ll be happy to know that according to O.B.’s site that they’re trying to bring this product back to Canada! For those who recall the news of the O.B tampon shortage at the start of this year, they had some major shortages of these tampons and in particular, when they suddenly discontinued sale of their Ultra absorbency here in Canada. This was a huge concern to many women who use O.B. tampons because they offer such a high absorbency to go about their daily lives.
When you go to the O.B. Canada site, in a little overlay window they state:
The o.b.® Brand continues to work towards bringing o.b.® Ultra back to the market.
We are committed to listening to the needs of our consumers and keeping them apprised of our plans. Your patience is appreciated.
Now there seems to be some kind of media blackout on the reason why O.B. decided to pull the Ultra absorbency tampon off-the-shelves or at least, I haven’t been able to find much on it other than hearsay or rumours. Some say they violated tampon regulations in Canada for material composition or that they were just “too absorbent” and posed a greater risk of TSS. For all that matters though, conventional tampons all cause TSS so I don’t see why if that was the reason, they’d care so much as to pull it off the shelf. For the women who are afraid of TSS, maybe they should be considering other alternatives like pads or reusable products such as cups, sponges and cloth feminine hygiene options. If you’re using a product that knowingly could be damage, don’t bitch about it after or come down on the company for making a product that has such effects. Analogy: If you smoke cigarettes, don’t complain against the cigarette company that their product causes cancer.
But really, to put into perspective how serious that some women were against Johnson & Johnson for removing their O.B Ultra Tampons, there were lots of petitioning and boycotts in place. Ohhh, yes, these women are damn serious about their stance, such as:
On the side of smart marketing, some people also managed to sell Ultra absorbency O.B. tampons over eBay and other transaction-sites for $70-150 a box for the desperate women who were willing to pay such prices for their life-saving products. The worst part of all this was the fact J&J and McNeil declined to really give the public any information as to why it was discontinued. At least if they gave a plausible reason, it would make someone say, “Oh ya, that makes sense… well, ok…” rather than, “Nope, we’re just not selling it anymore.” Big companies like these DO have a right to control what they sell and their marketing tactics, BUT, they also have a corporate responsibility to their consumers. Can they pull a product off their shelf without “reporting” to the consumer? Sure. Should they? No.
Now on to the good stuff again with their “plan to return” their Ultra absorbency (or some kind of equivalency) tampons to the market, luckily, the “option” still shows up on their site so women can start praying and still have hope that something good will come of this. It’ll be nice for women to be able to buy these tampons for $3-7 again a box now, right?
Get ready to plug her up again 😆
Andie, one of our regular reader deserves credit for letting me know of this turn-up on this news!
Stayfree, Carefree & O.B – Save.ca (Mailed) Coupon & Stayfree Printable
Do You Love Stayfree Like I Do?
Buy 2 Save $5.00 Checkbox
If so, you’ll be happy to know that Stayfree not only has a printable coupon located @ http://stayfree.ca/sampling/en/coupon-print.asp — but also a “Save $5 when you buy two Stayfree, Carefree or O.B. Feminine Hygiene” and you can request it @ http://www.save.ca/livewellsavewell/choose_province (This offer available to Canadian provinces only). In the middle of the page you should see the box similar to the image as shown to the right of this text (hopefully they don’t randomly place the coupon on the site). I don’t know whether there are limits that SAVE.CA is offering before it closes off the offering, so get it while it lasts! Don’t forget though however, SAVE.CA coupons often have a much shorter expiry date than the printable version. Don’t waste a great coupon by having it sit in your drawer and if you’re not going to use the coupon, don’t order it so that someone else who NEEDS it can!
The great thing about Stayfree over the other 2 major pad/tampon company is that their coupon has been around for a long time and they continue to have a good standing reputation with retailers honouring the coupon. I’ve used the printable coupon many times off of the Stayfree site and not once have I been rejected by retailers. Mind you, I don’t go crazy like some abusers I hear about who bring in 20 coupons and hoard every package or box on the shelf, so it’s used responsibly. The other two companies only offer coupons sparingly and you tend not to get as deep of a discount from their coupons or offers. Although the printable coupon has restrictions on when you can use it, I think the restrictions are quite understandable and that the discount of $2 on any Regular-Priced Stayfree Product is a very generous offer! The printable coupon also lasts quite long and is extended by J&J each time the 6-month period (hehe) elaspses, the current coupon expiry date is: December 31, 2011.
According to Stayfree’s Coupon Offer…
Whether you’re busy raising your new family, working out at the gym, rushing around the office, or just out for a night on the town with friends, the wide range of STAYFREE® products are designed to protect you no matter where the day may lead.
STAYFREE® Cottony Dry Cover Ultra Thin Pads help you stay free from:
• Leakage – STAYFREE® has a Leak Protection Ring to help block leaks in all directions providing maximum protection against embarrassing leakage.
• Wetness – An Anti-leak core effectively uses fast-absorbing technology to help lock wetness in quickly for added protection against leaks. Helping to keep you feeling drier all day long.
• Discomfort –STAYFREE® has a new ultra-soft Cottony Dry Cover to provide maximum comfort.
• Odour – Double-odour protection not only actively prevents embarrassing odours but neutralizes them as well so you can stay confident no matter where your day takes you.
With so much research and engineering behind STAYFREE® products, it’s the ideal solution for all your feminine hygiene product needs at a price that fits your budget.
In fact, we’re so sure you’ll love STAYFREE® products that we’re going to give you $2.00 off on any STAYFREE® Product so you can experience for yourself just how great STAYFREE® is.
If you’ve never tried Stayfree products, the coupon is quite enticing! Heck, even the mailed-coupon by SAVE.CA might be a good way to test some new pads at minimal cost. If you’re interested in knowing more about the Stayfree products available in Canada, check out http://stayfree.ca/sampling/en/products.asp – although their site still hasn’t been updated to reflect the new Thermocontrol pads that have already replaced much of the “ultra thin” line of Stayfree pads. The other thing that makes Stayfree great other than the fact that they have enticing coupons is that their products are simply amazing! I’ve seen Stayfree grow a lot, from the days they had huge “Stayfree Prima” pads, all the way to today’s ultra thin Thermocontrol! While I have some small gripes about the fact they stopped offering separate “scented” and “unscented” products, I can’t deny that they still provide great comfort, absorbency and have a great reputation in my books.
Kotex Natural Balance – A Disguised Entry?
Hi Everyone,
Just wanted to provide a small update on a new pad that seems to be sliding its’ way onto Canadian (select stores) Walmart shelves. I just got note from one of my girls who mentioned she picked up a new Kotex line of pad and liners while visiting her local store in Ontario. The new line is supposedly deemed “Kotex Natural Balance” and while she didn’t have any detailed pictures to show me, she did manage to give me a sneak peek via webcam. I was excited to see that Kotex is planning to introduce (hopefully) a new series to North America. As I keep up-to-tabs on new products from the “big 3” pad companies, I didn’t see any notes on the Kotex site about them introducing this new series over, so this almost feels like they’re not ready to push the marketing yet, but decided to put some on the shelves, perhaps to see the reaction of buyers. My friend not only showed me the packaging, but even took one of the pads apart to show me what it looked like and really, I think Kotex is just trying to introduce a new product here, not that it is necessarily “new” worldwide. For instance, Kotex Natural has been around for sale for quite a few years in Hong Kong already and these two lines look very similar, so I have a feeling their pad design and technology is already present and just mimicking what’s available overseas.
The pad hosts a “green tinted” center and a very soft, cottony cover (based on my experiences with Kotex Natural in Hong Kong – not the new Kotex Natural Balance in Canada)
There honestly appears to be very little public information available other than this snapshot of a Trademark Issuance which looks pretty recent:
KOTEX NATURAL BALANCE
By: KIMBERLY-CLARK WORLDWIDE, INC. Tweet Logo Share on Facebook Feminine care products, namely, sanitary napkins, pantiliners and tampons
Perfect for these industries
Words that describe this logo
feminine care products sanitary napkins pantiliners tampons This is a brand page for the KOTEX NATURAL BALANCE trademark by KIMBERLY-CLARK WORLDWIDE, INC. in Neenah, WI, 54956. Write a review about a product or service associated with this KOTEX NATURAL BALANCE trademark. Or, contact the owner KIMBERLY-CLARK WORLDWIDE, INC. of the KOTEX NATURAL BALANCE trademark by filing a request to communicate with the Legal Correspondent for licensing, use, and/or questions related to the KOTEX NATURAL BALANCE trademark.On Tuesday, March 22, 2011, a U.S. federal trademark registration was filed for KOTEX NATURAL BALANCE by KIMBERLY-CLARK WORLDWIDE, INC., Neenah, WI 54956. The USPTO has given the KOTEX NATURAL BALANCE trademark serial number of 85273181. The current federal status of this trademark filing is NOTICE OF ALLOWANCE – ISSUED. The correspondent listed for KOTEX NATURAL BALANCE is AIMEE A. ZALESKI of KIMBERLY-CLARK WORLDWIDE, INC., 2300 WINCHESTER RD, NEENAH, WI 54956-9321 . The KOTEX NATURAL BALANCE trademark is filed in the category of Pharmaceutical Products . The description provided to the USPTO for KOTEX NATURAL BALANCE is Feminine care products, namely, sanitary napkins, pantiliners and tampons.
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The above information is quoted from: http://www.trademarkia.com/kotex-natural-balance-85273181.html –– I do not own it.
Since I can’t find any information on the Kotex Natural Balance, if it’s anything like the ones in HK, the whole basis of this line is to create an organic line of Kotex pads, usually with comfortable top-sheet, pH balanced lotion/herbal mask and an organically created fresh, non-pungent scent. This is not verified information so don’t go quoting me on it, nevertheless, I’m very excited at the opportunity to see a new line of pads (especially one brought over “from home”) in Canada! They may be introducing this just like they did with the U by Kotex… very silent, “leaked” (haha, what a great pun) a bit of information out on the internet and then waited for the hype to being before going on an explosive marketing campaign. Either that, or Walmart might just have some left-over stock somewhere that they decided to sell and discontinue. Certainly, that would make me sad 😛 The Kotex Natural’s which I tested were lovely, so if they do “go big” here, it might even put up some competition of organic-pad market and might also affect sales of their UbK line (but doesn’t really matter, the money from ANY of their products all fall into the same coffers anyways).
Do you have any big information on this product that you’d like to bring into the light? If so, feel free to post or comment or contact me!
Buying Pads/Tampons with Your Significant Other
After a hiatus due to a prolonged illness, I am not back in action! My next topic was inspired as I was purchasing some pads to test in Walmart, seeing the reactions of male significant others, and the discomfort that was expressed between couples down the feminine hygiene aisle. I tend to take my time in this aisle, so no doubt during the very busy “back to school” season, I saw both young and old couples alike, with the females vying for these items before heading off for school or as a regular stock-up. I’m not sure how to write this article using proper wording and being sensitive to those who have perhaps gone through sexual reassignment, hormonal injections, people who have chosen to live an alternate lifestyle or even lesbian couples (since they’d be both ‘comfortable’ with the idea of a menstrual period), so I’m just going to write this in my stance of what Canadian society defines to be a male-female relationship.
So as I’m browsing the typical feminine hygiene products, I see a lot of guys walking past me with really uneasy faces – some more obvious than others, but all seem to express common-ground with each other, “let’s get the hell out of here as soon as we can!” and you can tell, because the second they leave sight of that aisle, their posture corrects themselves, their faces are no longer flush-red and they resume normal motion speeds. Of course, there are the odd guy who wanders into that section who don’t even flinch and good for you, but whenever there are males in the aisle with their female partner or friend, you can tell there’s a large air of discomfort – perhaps for both the male and female! I would say in general, most of the people who purchase these items with their significant other is when they’re living common-law or married. I’ve asked my male and female friends whether their counterpart are willing to purchase pads/tampons with them and most of them said no, or said only in major emergencies would they even consider it. Suffice to say, these are exactly “statistically proven” figures, but simply through questioning people who I happen to know – which may very well differ from “credible numbers.” Case-in-point, I recently went with a coworker to Walmart during a sale for tampons and she bought them in my presence and I even carried it for her all through checkout. It was quite comfortable and because she recently found out about my “interests” in menstruation. She admitted though, that did she not know that I was, “not grossed out by periods” that she would’ve asked me to wait in the car or wouldn’t have even bought it when she was with me.
I remember when I bought pads with bebe for the first time, it was such a comfortable experience for us both… I suppose given that bebe has always known about my “interest” that it wasn’t exactly a shocker for her or that she wasn’t used to talking to me about it. We were standing in the aisle and we were openly discussing which pads I recommend and which ones she usually buys. When I was with my coworker, I didn’t give as much of my opinion, since she only knows a degree of my interest and since we definitely don’t share the same comfort-level over her period as bebe and I do, I didn’t want to be the one “giving her pointers” about which tampons I would recommend or whatnot.
So to the guys, how many of you would actually go with your partner to purchase feminine hygiene products and to the girls, how many of you would let your male partner accompany you to buy these products?
Naturally, guys may feel uncomfortable in this aisle because it’s foreign to them and perhaps a bit embarrassing. After all, guys would not be accustomed to going down this aisle since they have no need for these products, therefore being there is almost like being that one guy who walks into a girls-only school or something. Sometimes, when a guy walks into this aisle, he gets a lot of looks from the females too, although luckily I haven’t been a victim myself of those “disapproving-stares” walking in… perhaps I look natural, lol. Once the guy “detects” the discomfort from others in the air, he will often try to escape quickly, for instance, you’ll often see guys trying to push the cart away, glance at other “non feminine hygiene things”, play with items inside the cart or he’ll put pressure onto his female partner to hurry up so they can leave. This is unfair as well to the female since she needs time to look at her options and choices and after all, shopping should be a pleasure and enjoyment right? We should not be rushed to make decisions. Guys will often look disgruntled as well for being in the aisle and you can tell the sigh of relief they have once they exit the section. It’s a privilege and an opportunity for us guys to be able to join our female partners to buy these items. It shows that they have comfort and trust and also it’s an opportunity for us to learn about our partner/periods. Remember that the discomfort may actually be two-way and the more discomfort you show as a male partner, the more your female counterpart may feel embarrassed, pressured or upset. Most females are quite open to buying male items, so why should we as guys feel embarrassed to accompany our female partners to buy her products? Don’t forget that for some women, it’s hard for them even to buy these items for themselves, so we should not heighten their existing discomfort as it is.
For the females, how comfortable are you when you buy these products with your male significant other? Do you let him pressure you into buying things faster, ask him to go look at something else or do you just take your time despite his discomfort? I saw an older man, who was buying some pads with his wife and he kept on pointing his cart out the aisle. The second his wife turned around and dropped one of the packages in the cart and while she turned around to choose another, the guy was already half-bolting out the aisle. The woman had to yell after her husband and told him to wait because she was not done. The guy sighed in exasperation and turned around and now with the extra attention attracted towards him now, the situation became even more embarrassing as you could see the man’s face going red like a tomato. A female entered the aisle shortly later and was browsing some tampons. I assume her partner came in (not sure if it’s a boyfriend or husband), but he wandered over and stood there with her. This guy seemed a lot more comfortable, but the girl did not. She stopped browsing and kind of glanced around – and gave the guy a really disapproving look. It appeared he didn’t clue in and it was clear she couldn’t comfortably concentrate on looking at her products with the guy’s presence. She prodded the guy to go, but he said to her, “I’m done getting what I need, just waiting for you now” – but the girl still asked the guy to go elsewhere. It was just kind of unfortunate that she was not comfortable with him being there. One could argue maybe they’re not that close, but looking at their buggy, they definitely seemed like a “couple” based on some of the stuff they bought together. Therefore, when it comes to buying feminine hygiene items, discomfort can and does exist on both sides of the fence.
Let’s all try to make shopping for ANY item a comfortable experience and be reasonably inclusive of each other, especially if there’s a relationship involved. If this person will be or already is a “special someone” in your life, then buying feminine hygiene items together should not be alarming. Achieving equality should be for both genders, not just women. After all, it’s pretty typical for women to buy male underwear, but yet, when a guy goes to buy female panties, he is likely viewed as a creep, pervert and is generally frowned. When a female buys male underwear, people will assume it’s for her son, boyfriend or husband, but when a male buys it, people will probably think it’s for him to wear or masturbate in, but not that he’s simply buying it for his daughter, girlfriend or wife. When you show patience and comfort with your partner as you shop with him/her, it makes the experience so much better and is fair to everyone. If she patiently waits for you to pick your choice of condoms, why should you not patiently wait for her to choose the right product so she doesn’t bleed all over you? 😆
Stayfree Ultra-Thins with Thermocontrol Has Arrived In Canada!
You may have seen an entry I made a while ago, regarding that Stayfree Thermocontrol Pads may be arriving in Canada soon! It was just suspicion then or rather, not a clear indication that other than the overnight version of the ultra-thins would be switched, but now it’s becoming quite apparent that they’re squeezing their way into Canadian markets. Of course, the Canadian Stayfree site still does not show any representation of these new pads, but with that said, I’ve only noticed 2 of the many stores that I visit on a regular basis that has even begun stocking the new Thermocontrol pads. This may either be due to old stock that hasn’t been depleted yet, or, the store is not willing/does not offer the newer pads yet. Regardless, if you’re interested in seeing what potential differences of pads may be offered at some point locally, you can always visit the American Stayfree site, which shows the full line of Thermocontrol pads, ultra-thins and regular maxi sizes.
While the pads themselves have not changed in terms of the general look, rest assured the pad feels a lot cooler when worn and even when saturated, keeping the feeling of almost a “crisp wind” near your skin. This may be almost a very foreign feeling for some and rather unnatural due to it feeling cold despite it being between warm body parts and with menstrual flow upon it. One thing that is new to the ultra-thin line in Canada is that they’re also offering the super absorbency in an ultra-thin form, previously only available to the maxi series. What was weird though when I went to pick these up at Walmart is I noticed two things:
1) Only the ultra-thin pads were available with the Thermocontrol technology
2) The ultra-thin pads with Thermocontrol were only offered in the “bonus” packs, there were no ‘regular sized’ packages
In these pictures, I have a ruler stretched across the lengths and widths so that you can see the differences of sizing between the SUPER and OVERNIGHT ultra-thins. Rest assured, I am cautious of not exposing pads to germs, bacteria and humidity and thus, these pads that the ruler “contaminated” were not reused for testing purposes by any of my girls. I take sanitary conditions seriously, particularly when any exposure to these elements may affect the vaginal health of my girls and I certainly would not want that to happen! One thing that is hard to notice in the picture (I tried to use a different surface for the picture-taking, but didn’t work out so well) is that the wrappers have slight differences. The super version of the pad came in a white-coloured wrapper, while the overnight version of the pad actually came with a wrapper that is a very light lavender. The wrapper material has stayed mostly the same.
Since the qualities of the Stayfree pads are very similar, both maxis and ultra-thins (other than the obvious difference in size/thickness), I’ll leave you to read my previous review on the Stayfree pads “in general” and simply refer you to the changes that the Thermocontrol technology has brought as noted in the content of this entry.
Both of these packages were 5.97 each, which were on sale in “last sale week” at Walmart. I had a coupon that bebe gave me (since I had it sent to her house, hehe) that was expiring next week, so I really wanted to use it before it went to waste! Also, I’m excited about Stayfree Thermocontrol arriving in Canada not only for my girls and I, but for bebe, because this technology in the Stayfree products were already available to her back at home. To come to Canada where you can’t buy the same product sucks, so now that Thermocontrol pads have arrived, it’ll make her monthly period that much better. Speaking of which, it seems like I will be missing her period this month 😦 I am sad, but I will definitely continue doing my usual of getting her flowers each month to remind her how special she is to me and how much I care for her and want to be there for her 😛 The cashier rang my items through properly this time, only charging the GST (5%) portion of the HST implementation in Ontario for feminine hygiene products. The total came to $7.54 after the coupon and taxes, for 44 Stayfree Super Ultra-Thins w/ Thermocontrol and 40 Stayfree Overnight Ultra-Thins w/ Thermocontrol pads. These pads all together were only 8.97 cents each!! Looks like these pads will definitely keep many of my girls stocked-up for a while, especially when a few of them took-on this sale with me!
Poh Ching
MEN in Menstruation 