Nadia Ladak was in her final year of university when she came up with the concept for her lubricated tampon brand, Marlow.
Tasked with presenting a sturdy and innovative business plan to her entrepreneurship class, Ladak knew she wanted to address the problem of menstrual equity and accessibility.
“I remember professors telling us to find a problem that we’re passionate about solving,” Ladak told Now Toronto.
“We didn’t even realize that that is how most great businesses start,” she continued; but Marlow’s seeds were planted long before she landed on lubricated tampons.
Ladak grew up swimming competitively and tampons were always a necessity in her sport. However, she often struggled to use them and would end up skipping practices as a result. Having to use a tampon almost made her feel like she had to hit “pause on life,” she said.
When Ladak and her co-founders, Simone, Harit, and Kiara, who also happen to be each other’s long-time best friends, were developing Marlow, they noticed how much time and attention people were giving to skin and hair products. So, they jumped at the chance to maneuver menstrual and reproductive health under the wider “self-care” umbrella.
After graduation, Nadia and her co-founders fell into other jobs, but continued to work on their tampon products on the side. Eventually they quit the corporate world cold turkey and went all in on Marlow, the Toronto-based brand they’ve been full-time at for the past three years.
LUBRICATED TAMPONS AND HOW THEY WORK
Menstrual product accessibility is as topical as ever, in fact the federal government recently made it mandatory for all bathrooms in federal government buildings to stock menstrual products.
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To push for better and universal access to menstrual products, Marlow chose the educational route. It works closely with Moon Time Connections, a national Indigenous-led period equity group, and has partnered with over 100 high schools to teach students about menstruation in their health classes.
Marlow also collaborates regularly with The Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations (OFSAA) by providing menstrual products at sports competitions and in schools across the province.
Of course, Marlow’s unique selling point is the lubricated element of its product, which is designed to make insertion more comfortable and less daunting for people who are first-time tampon users, or repeatedly encounter difficulty due to dryness or vaginismus, for example.
The tampons are packaged with a pot of lubricant which users can employ when they please, Ladak explained.
“We really wanted to make it convenient and it [the lubricant] has a cross slit valve at the top so you can see once you dip it in it really makes it smoother and easier, and it perfectly coats the applicator,” she said.
“The reason we wanted to have it as a separate add on is to provide flexibility. A lot of people will use it throughout their cycle, but there are some people who only have dryness on the first and last days of their period,” Ladak continued.
The lubricant will usually last up to three months, but can vary depending on how much a person uses.
ARE THEY SAFE?
Tampons are regulated by Health Canada because they’re a class two medical device, so to ensure its products meet approved standards Marlow works closely with a team of gynecologists and pelvic physiotherapists.
“One of the things our gynecologist advisor recommended is to make the product glycerin free because that’s a common irritant for most people when it comes to lubricants. So, our product is glycerin-free, alcohol-free and fragrance-free,” Ladak explained.
Dr. Yolanda Kirkham, pediatric, adolescent, and adult gynecologist at Unity Health and University of Toronto assistant professor, told Now Toronto that Hyaluronic acid, water, and natural oils can be helpful moisturizers too.
“Lubricants free of preservatives, dyes, fragrances and irritants that can’t sting or cause a skin reaction are best. If you can’t pronounce it, you probably don’t need it!”
“You want to avoid anything irritating in and around the vaginal opening…less is more for the vagina,” Kirkham said.
Adding lubrication can certainly ease insertion and avoid discomfort, and trying to insert a tampon when you don’t have your period can also be helpful practice, Kirkham added.
REDUCING STIGMAS AROUND PERIODS
As well as being open to using a lubricated product, as a first step, Kirkham suggests “having a trustworthy peer or close relative [to] walk [you] through the process.”
As for the betterment of education around menstruation and vaginal health, Kirkham reiterated the importance of innovation and show and tell learning.
“It’s great for peers, parents, educators and health professionals to keep abreast of all the options we have for menstruators, young and older.” Kirkham also says our menstrual care needs to change over time and that having individualized options is crucial.
Ladak’s most notable takeaway while developing the Marlow product was how impactful open discussions can be in reducing stigma and a sense of social isolation.
“We realized just how many people could benefit from something like this, and it wasn’t just the product, but this overall movement and this conversation that we were creating,” Ladak explained.
Marlow has a dedicated community centered around the brand called the TMI club where it breaks down anything that’s typically considered TMI around periods or reproductive health.
“That really helped open up the conversation and made a lot of people feel seen when it came to this space,” Ladak concluded.
Marlow products can be purchased on a subscription basis via its website, and are also available in select stores.
