Safety and Purity in Personal Hygiene Products

Expertise and dedication - Key enablers to meet ever increasing demands on product safety and purity

Over the last few decades there have been remarkable developments in the personal care products sector - the performance, efficiency and quality of the products have been constantly improved. At the same time, driven by global consumer trends, society‘s awareness of pure, safe and sustainable ingredients has grown

What is inside a diaper?

Consumers have a strong need for transparent and safe production processes and products which they can rely on in all situations. According to a recent publication of Mintel, 59% of parents state that “safe for sensitive skin” is the most important product characteristic while buying diapers.

To meet these needs, we offer adhesive solutions that are designed to provide maximum safety and purity on top of an excellent performance.

The potential sources of Substances of Interest (SoI) in personal hygiene products are endless:

  • Material and raw material selection
  • Production process
  • Production and handling equipment
  • Packaging process and materials
  • Application / assembly method, process, equipment

To control the presence of SoIs, understanding the source, knowing how to limit them, and implementing a program to reduce their presence is key for everyone in production and supply chain.

Safety for baby diapers, feminine care and incontinence products

Product safety in terms of direct exposure to the user is of utmost importance at Henkel and something we handle with highest priority. We have been running a comprehensive program for many years, striving to constantly improve in product safety and purity for baby diapers, feminine care and adult incontinence products To do so we believe in following key enabling components:

Be selective: Conscious selection of raw materials and partners

By being very careful and conscious in choosing the best-of-the-best you can deliver a result standing out – this is exactly what we are striving for.

We run an active validation program of our raw materials being part of the adhesive formulations and we are never prepared to compromise on quality.

The same is true for our pool of suppliers, where we seek to cooperate with partners to jointly drive towards products of a higher degree of purity. Be it via an optimized production process, or the choice of chemical backbone and composition of the raw materials. We believe in being conscious and selective, partnering up with other industry stakeholders with a similar understanding and approach towards the topic of product safety and purity as we have.

Be curious: Portfolio assessment and optimization

Just as the toddlers are developing day-by-day and daring to challenge themselves and their environment, we strive to continuously improve by staying curious and question ourselves and the industry.

Our product development department is working continuously on assessing and optimizing our portfolio, not only in terms of performance, but also product safety and purity. Based on the current regulatory framework, we are running a dedicated testing program of our portfolio with a clear strategy on how to assure and prove adherence with current standards. Simultaneously we are also involved in shaping the standards of tomorrow to ensure we are moving towards regulations that are serving consumers in the most relevant and efficient way.

Furthermore, our technical experts are looking into new, innovative routes to identify new opportunities for even better solutions. Our latest innovation, TECHNOMELT ADVANCE, is a tailormade polyolefin adhesive and a brilliant example of such a new and innovative concept. TECHNOMELT ADVANCE is developed together with one of our suppliers to fulfill the special needs of the Personal Hygiene Industry. We see this innovation bringing a step-change with remarkably low levels both of chemical odor as well as SoI.

We have also developed a new range, designed and tested to fulfill the demanding requirements of the medical industry. We group those products under the MED range which includes products both for production of masks and medical wears as well as adult incontinence products classified as medical devices.

We are testing our products in-house as well as externally at industry recognized laboratories, using the latest analytical test methods and equipment. While doing so we are paying a lot of attention to the correct choice of analytical method and sample preparation. A falsely chosen analytical method or sample preparation might lead to miss-leading results. Hence, being able to define a relevant setting for a test as well as putting a test result into perspective is key to draw correct conclusions.

Be knowledgeable: Expertise and leadership are key to be ahead of the change

To run a professional program in the area of product safety, a fundamental and comprehensive expertise and knowledge is crucial. The knowledge needs to cover the fields of chemical components and formulations, personal hygiene product components, product design and production process conditions and needs towards the final end product, analytical test methods and product safety assessment.

At Henkel our ambition is to be ahead of regulatory developments, markets and media. We are proud and happy to be able to put together a strong set of skills and team, to serve our customers and partners in the best possible way when it comes to product safety and purity. This team consists among other parties of:

  • Global and dedicated PD and PSRA teams
  • Corporate Analytics for testing of adhesives and end products based on expertise in analytical methods
  • Toxicology experts including skin sensitivity professionals
  • Global expertise in Food Safety – knowledge being leveraged in Product Safety of Personal Hygiene Products
  • ·An experienced and dedicated market and customer facing team consisting of Sales, TCS, Marketing and Business Development

The competence and capabilities we can bring together within Henkel is our super-power to be one step ahead and lead the development forward.

Rely on us for product safety & purity!


Consumers’ safety is the first priority. To assure it, you need reliable partners, living the same values. The more knowledgeable and competent the business ecosystem is, the stronger the position of each individual partner can be.

At Henkel we consider more than the adhesive solution. Our technical expertise is founded on a wide array of functions, working closely together to provide you with the best support, guidance and service. Additionally, we bundle our know-how from a diverse range of industries to create innovations that redefine hygiene.

Why do we do this? We want you to have 100% confidence when partnering with Henkel.

Give your customers the good feeling of having made the right decision. Your customers rely on you – you can rely on us.

White paper download

Henkel is committed to support the personal hygiene industry with adhesive solutions and expertise. Therefore, we have established a series of technical white papers. Download your white paper of interest via the form below and benefit from the knowledge of our experts.

Download

Contact Us

Please fill out the form below and we'll respond shortly.

There are some errors, please correct them below
What would you like to request?
This field is required
This field is required
This field is required
This field is required
This field is required
This field is invalid