This section includes products such as tampons and douches. The text below provides some historical context and shows how we can use these products to explore aspects of American history, for example, cultural discomfort with menstruation. To skip the text and go directly to the objects, CLICK HERE
The Museum’s collection of feminine hygiene products is small and lacks examples of many common and important products. Before the late 1970s, feminine hygiene was not understood to be a subject warranting serious cultural and historical research, and feminine hygiene products were not prioritized for collection or preservation. This attitude mirrored Americans’ discomfort with the idea of women’s hygiene. This discomfort is especially apparent in our continued reliance on the euphemism “feminine hygiene,” a term which we often use to discuss products associated with menstruation, genital cleanliness, and contraception. Use of this euphemism allows us to avoid any direct reference to female anatomy.
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Lorate Douche Powder |
Feminine hygiene objects reflect this cultural discomfort. Sharra L. Vostral writes that these products assist “women in passing as healthy. They allow women to present themselves as non-menstruants.” Tampons, powders, douches and other similar products help us avoid personal or public awareness of a women’s menstruation. Advertisements for these products reassure women that no one will know that they are menstruating, that they are clean and inoffensive, and that they are free to live normally.
Despite our hesitance to focus on them, feminine hygiene products play a huge part in the daily health, well-being, and financial expenditures of American women. The global feminine hygiene industry is estimated to be worth $15 billion, and growing. Many women see these products not as a mere convenience, but as a necessity for performing their professional, social, and familial responsibilities. Yet, in the past few decades, concerns about the safety of feminine hygiene products, their effect on the environment, and the prohibitive cost or inaccessibility of the products for poorer women have emerged. These concerns have driven innovation within the feminine hygiene product market.
Before the advent of commercial feminine hygiene products, women used pieces of cloth to absorb menstrual fluids. They then washed and reused these cloths. Although Johnson & Johnson marketed a disposable sanitary napkin in 1896, it met with limited acceptance. However, surgical dressings developed during the First World War spurred innovation in commercial sanitary napkin designs, including products by Sfag-Na-Kins and Kotex.
Sfag-Na-Kins were developed from sphagnum moss, which can absorb more than 20 times its own dry weight in fluids and possesses antibacterial properties. The moss was grown in the Pacific Northwest, and Portland’s Sphagnum Moss Products Company processed the moss and wrapped it in a gauze covering. The packaging for Sfag-Na-Kins features a picture of an American Red Cross-capped “Sphagnum Moss Girl,” a reference to the product’s origin as a surgical dressing. Despite the product’s claims regarding its antibacterial action and greater absorbency than cotton, Sfag-Na-Kins do not appear to have been a success in the feminine hygiene market.
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A box of Sfag-Na-Kins with the Sphagnum Moss Girl | A Sfag-Na-Kin |
Kotex napkins, however, met with great success. Introduced in 1921, Kotex used the same cellucotton (a wood pulp product with the texture of cotton) enclosed within a gauze sheath that it had developed for wartime bandages. A substantial advertising campaign in women’s magazines garnered strong sales through pharmacies and mail-order catalogs. The success of Kotex jumpstarted the feminine hygiene product market.
Tampons were used in medical practice before they were introduced for menstruation. They were used to stop bleeding in deep wounds as well as to introduce medicines, including those with contraceptive properties, into the vagina. Several patents for menstrual tampons were filed in the late 1920s and early 1930s. However, the design that is usually cited as the first successfully marketed tampon originated with the patent filed in 1931 by E.C. Haas. This design, with its paper-tube applicator, became the Tampax tampon.
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Dr. Pierce's Medicated Tampons | Cashay Sanitary Puffs | Antiseptic Tampanades |
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Lydia E. Pinkham's Sanitative Wash |
Environmental and safety concerns about tampons and sanitary napkins have led to the promotion of alternative products on the market. The plastic applicators and synthetic materials used in tampons and napkins contribute to American landfills. Some consumers have worried that the chemicals used to make tampons leach into their bodies, and the rare but serious risk of toxic shock syndrome is especially associated with high absorbency and synthetic-material tampons. Alternative feminine hygiene technologies include custom-made reusable fabric napkins, sea sponge tampons, silicon cups, and underwear containing special absorbent and antibacterial fibers.
Douches, suppositories, creams, and spray deodorants are also represented within the Museum’s collection. Older product packaging often masked the product’s intended effect, which sometimes included contraception, with vague language stating only that the product was “for feminine hygiene.” The collection also contains examples of products that we now associate mostly with household disinfectants or oral care, such as Lysol and Lavoris, which were also advertised as vaginal douches.
Bibliography ~ see the Bibliography Section for a full list of the references used in the making if this Object Group. However, the Feminine Hygiene Products section relied on the following references:
Freidenfelds, Lara. The Modern Period: Menstruation in Twentieth-century America. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2009.
Johnson, Emma. “Can These Panties Disrupt a 15 Billion Feminine Hygiene Market?” Forbes. Accessed May 6, 2016. https://www.forbes.com/sites/emmajohnson/2015/05/28/can-these-panties-disrupt-a-15-billion-feminine-hygiene-market/#6ed1444d6b78
Stalheim, T., S. Ballance, B. E. Christensen, and P. E. Granum. “Sphagnan – a Pectin-like Polymer Isolated from Sphagnum Moss Can Inhibit the Growth of Some Typical Food Spoilage and Food Poisoning Bacteria by Lowering the pH.” Journal of Applied Microbiology 106, no. 3 (March 1, 2009): 967–76. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2672.2008.04057.x.
Vostral, Sharra L. “Rely and Toxic Shock Syndrome: A Technological Health Crisis.” The Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine 84, no. 4 (December 2011): 447–59.
Vostral, Sharra L. Under Wraps: A History of Menstrual Hygiene Technology. Lanham: Lexington Books, 2008.
Showing 1 to 24 of 105 items — page 1 of 5
Cashay Sanitary Puffs
Maroon and cream colored cardboard box containing tampons of cotton batting and gauze, each individually wrapped in transparent cellophane. Patent issued to Miriam E. Rabell, Number 1,941,717, filed August 9, 1933, Serial Number 684,320, issued January 2, 1934.
- Description
- Maroon and cream colored cardboard box containing tampons of cotton batting and gauze, each individually wrapped in transparent cellophane. Patent issued to Miriam E. Rabell, Number 1,941,717, filed August 9, 1933, Serial Number 684,320, issued January 2, 1934. Rabell holds several patents for menstrual tampons ("sanitary appliances") dating from 1934 to 1947.
- The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer are: "Cashay - the moden internal sanitary protection for the menstrual period. Cashay is hailed as the miracle invention. No wonder! It has at last freed women from discomfort, embarrassment and social-inactivity during their "difficult days". Cashay, worn internally, eliminates chafing bulging pads, hot binding belts, offensive tell-tale odors. Cashay brings the new freedom demanded by modern women!"
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1934
- patent date
- 1934-01-02
- maker
- Park and Tilford
- ID Number
- 1978.0883.212
- accession number
- 1978.0883
- catalog number
- 1978.0883.212
- patent number
- US1941717A
Fenizol
Currently not on view
- Location
- Currently not on view
- maker
- Texas Medico Pharmacal Laboratories
- ID Number
- 1979.1144.065
- accession number
- 1979.1144
- catalog number
- 1979.1144.065
Fenizol
Currently not on view
- Location
- Currently not on view
- maker
- Texas Medico Pharmacal Laboratories
- ID Number
- 1979.1144.066
- accession number
- 1979.1144
- catalog number
- 1979.1144.066
Norforms, Known to Physicians as "Vagiforms"
Currently not on view
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- after April, 1933
- trademark registration date (parahydrecin)
- 1933-08-15
- maker
- Norwich Pharmacal Company
- ID Number
- 1979.1144.141
- accession number
- 1979.1144
- catalog number
- 1979.1144.141
Certane Hygienic Douche Powder
In 1930, Rosemarie Lewis established the Certane Company to produce "feminine hygiene" products in Los Angeles, California.
- Description
- In 1930, Rosemarie Lewis established the Certane Company to produce "feminine hygiene" products in Los Angeles, California. "Feminine hygiene" was a code term used by marketers for women's contraceptive products at a time when dealing in these products was illegal in most of the U.S. Lewis's first products were antiseptic vaginal jellies and douche powders, but she soon added cervical caps, diaphragms, and vaginal suppositories (cones) to the Certane line. Lewis sold her products through drugstores and other retail outlets and mail-order. She was investigated by the Federal Trade Ccommission (FTC) in 1938 and charged with false and misleading advertising. She was charged again in 1942 by the U.S. Postal Service for conducting unlawful business (selling contraceptives) through the mail. By 1948, Rosemarie Lewis began doing business as the Vogarell Products Company, the maker name on this product. In the 1950's Vogarell added Lanacane skin ointment for acne and Hemex rectal ointment to the product line. Certane douche powder, vaginal jelly, and vaginal suppositories appear to have remained on the market through the 1960s, and Lewis continued to do business as Vogarell into the early 1980s.
- Reference: Tone, Andrea. Devices and Desires: A History of Contraceptives in America. New York: Hill and Wang, 2001.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- maker
- Vogarell Products Company
- ID Number
- 1979.1144.142
- accession number
- 1979.1144
- catalog number
- 1979.1144.142
Certane Medicated Douche Powder Packettes
In 1930, Rosemarie Lewis established the Certane Company to produce "feminine hygiene" products in Los Angeles, California.
- Description
- In 1930, Rosemarie Lewis established the Certane Company to produce "feminine hygiene" products in Los Angeles, California. "Feminine hygiene" was a code term used by marketers for women's contraceptive products at a time when dealing in these products was illegal in most of the U.S. Lewis's first products were antiseptic vaginal jellies and douche powders, but she soon added cervical caps, diaphragms, and vaginal suppositories (cones) to the Certane line. Lewis sold her products through drugstores and other retail outlets and mail-order. She was investigated by the Federal Trade Ccommission (FTC) in 1938 and charged with false and misleading advertising. She was charged again in 1942 by the U.S. Postal Service for conducting unlawful business (selling contraceptives) through the mail. By 1948, Rosemarie Lewis began doing business as the Vogarell Products Company, the maker name on this product. In the 1950's Vogarell added Lanacane skin ointment for acne and Hemex rectal ointment to the product line. Certane douche powder, vaginal jelly, and vaginal suppositories appear to have remained on the market through the 1960s, and Lewis continued to do business as Vogarell into the early 1980s.
- Reference: Tone, Andrea. Devices and Desires: A History of Contraceptives in America. New York: Hill and Wang, 2001.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- maker
- Vogarell Products Company
- ID Number
- 1979.1144.143
- accession number
- 1979.1144
- catalog number
- 1979.1144.143
Certane Hygienic Douche Powder
In 1930, Rosemarie Lewis established the Certane Company to produce "feminine hygiene" products in Los Angeles, California.
- Description
- In 1930, Rosemarie Lewis established the Certane Company to produce "feminine hygiene" products in Los Angeles, California. "Feminine hygiene" was a code term used by marketers for women's contraceptive products at a time when dealing in these products was illegal in most of the U.S. Lewis's first products were antiseptic vaginal jellies and douche powders, but she soon added cervical caps, diaphragms, and vaginal suppositories (cones) to the Certane line. Lewis sold her products through drugstores and other retail outlets and mail-order. She was investigated by the Federal Trade Ccommission (FTC) in 1938 and charged with false and misleading advertising. She was charged again in 1942 by the U.S. Postal Service for conducting unlawful business (selling contraceptives) through the mail. By 1948, Rosemarie Lewis began doing business as the Vogarell Products Company, the maker name on this product. In the 1950's Vogarell added Lanacane skin ointment for acne and Hemex rectal ointment to the product line. Certane douche powder, vaginal jelly, and vaginal suppositories appear to have remained on the market through the 1960s, and Lewis continued to do business as Vogarell into the early 1980s.
- Reference: Tone, Andrea. Devices and Desires: A History of Contraceptives in America. New York: Hill and Wang, 2001.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- maker
- Vogarell Products Company
- ID Number
- 1979.1144.144
- accession number
- 1979.1144
- catalog number
- 1979.1144.144
Certane Vaginal Jelly and Sample Packet of Certane Douche Powder
In 1930, Rosemarie Lewis established the Certane Company to produce "feminine hygiene" products in Los Angeles, California.
- Description
- In 1930, Rosemarie Lewis established the Certane Company to produce "feminine hygiene" products in Los Angeles, California. "Feminine hygiene" was a code term used by marketers for women's contraceptive products at a time when dealing in these products was illegal in most of the U.S. Lewis's first products were antiseptic vaginal jellies and douche powders, but she soon added cervical caps, diaphragms, and vaginal suppositories (cones) to the Certane line. Lewis sold her products through drugstores and other retail outlets and mail-order. She was investigated by the Federal Trade Ccommission (FTC) in 1938 and charged with false and misleading advertising. She was charged again in 1942 by the U.S. Postal Service for conducting unlawful business (selling contraceptives) through the mail. By 1948, Rosemarie Lewis began doing business as the Vogarell Products Company, the maker name on this product. In the 1950's Vogarell added Lanacane skin ointment for acne and Hemex rectal ointment to the product line. Certane douche powder, vaginal jelly, and vaginal suppositories appear to have remained on the market through the 1960s, and Lewis continued to do business as Vogarell into the early 1980s.
- Reference: Tone, Andrea. Devices and Desires: A History of Contraceptives in America. New York: Hill and Wang, 2001.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- maker
- Vogarell Products Company
- ID Number
- 1979.1144.146
- accession number
- 1979.1144
- catalog number
- 1979.1144.146
Certane Feminine Hygiene Vaginal Cones
Blue and white and silver-colored cardboard box with divided interior for holding 24 vaginal cones (suppositories). Box is empty. Certane vaginal cones contained phenylmercuric acetate, 0.05% and oxyquinoline sulphate.
- Description
- Blue and white and silver-colored cardboard box with divided interior for holding 24 vaginal cones (suppositories). Box is empty. Certane vaginal cones contained phenylmercuric acetate, 0.05% and oxyquinoline sulphate. Printed on box: "Must be kept cool to avoid melting." Information about the use of the cones is printed on the bottom of the box: "Convenient and quick to use. CERTANE Cones can be quickly inserted and pushed deeply into the vagina by the fingers. Their non-irritating base carrying the medical ingredients melts promptly in contact with body heat and moisture and after a little while spreads upon the vaginal membranes."
- In 1930, Rosemarie Lewis established the Certane Company to produce "feminine hygiene" products in Los Angeles, California. "Feminine hygiene" was a code term used by marketers for women's contraceptive products at a time when dealing in these products was illegal in most of the U.S. Lewis's first products were antiseptic vaginal jellies and douche powders, but she soon added cervical caps, diaphragms, and vaginal suppositories (cones) to the Certane line. Lewis sold her products through drugstores and other retail outlets and mail-order. She was investigated by the Federal Trade Ccommission (FTC) in 1938 and charged with false and misleading advertising. She was charged again in 1942 by the U.S. Postal Service for conducting unlawful business (selling contraceptives) through the mail. By 1948, Rosemarie Lewis began doing business as the Vogarell Products Company, the maker name on this product. In the 1950's Vogarell added Lanacane skin ointment for acne and Hemex rectal ointment to the product line. Certane douche powder, vaginal jelly, and vaginal suppositories appear to have remained on the market through the 1960s, and Lewis continued to do business as Vogarell into the early 1980s.
- Reference: Tone, Andrea. Devices and Desires: A History of Contraceptives in America. New York: Hill and Wang, 2001.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- maker
- Vogarell Products Company
- ID Number
- 1979.1144.282
- accession number
- 1979.1144
- catalog number
- 1979.1144.282
Certane Feminine Hygiene Vaginal Cones
Blue and white and silver-colored cardboard box with divided interior for holding 12 vaginal cones (suppositories). Box is empty. Certane vaginal cones contained phenylmercuric acetate, 0.05% and oxyquinoline sulphate.
- Description
- Blue and white and silver-colored cardboard box with divided interior for holding 12 vaginal cones (suppositories). Box is empty. Certane vaginal cones contained phenylmercuric acetate, 0.05% and oxyquinoline sulphate. Printed on box: "Must be kept cool to avoid melting." Information about the use of the cones is printed on the bottom of the box: "Convenient and quick to use. CERTANE Cones can be quickly inserted and pushed deeply into the vagina by the fingers. Their non-irritating base carrying the medical ingredients melts promptly in contact with body heat and moisture and after a little while spreads upon the vaginal membranes."
- In 1930, Rosemarie Lewis established the Certane Company to produce "feminine hygiene" products in Los Angeles, California. "Feminine hygiene" was a code term used by marketers for women's contraceptive products at a time when dealing in these products was illegal in most of the U.S. Lewis's first products were antiseptic vaginal jellies and douche powders, but she soon added cervical caps, diaphragms, and vaginal suppositories (cones) to the Certane line. Lewis sold her products through drugstores and other retail outlets and mail-order. She was investigated by the Federal Trade Ccommission (FTC) in 1938 and charged with false and misleading advertising. She was charged again in 1942 by the U.S. Postal Service for conducting unlawful business (selling contraceptives) through the mail. By 1948, Rosemarie Lewis began doing business as the Vogarell Products Company, the maker name on this product. In the 1950's Vogarell added Lanacane skin ointment for acne and Hemex rectal ointment to the product line. Certane douche powder, vaginal jelly, and vaginal suppositories appear to have remained on the market through the 1960s, and Lewis continued to do business as Vogarell into the early 1980s.
- Reference: Tone, Andrea. Devices and Desires: A History of Contraceptives in America. New York: Hill and Wang, 2001.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- maker
- Vogarell Products Company
- ID Number
- 1979.1144.283
- accession number
- 1979.1144
- catalog number
- 1979.1144.283
Dewitt's Hygienic Powder
The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer are:superficial burns; prickly heat; insect bites; sunburn; after shaving; vaginal doucheCurrently not on view
- Description
- The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer are:
- superficial burns; prickly heat; insect bites; sunburn; after shaving; vaginal douche
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- after 1906
- maker
- Frederick Stearns & Co.
- E. C. DeWitt and Company
- ID Number
- 1980.0698.071
- accession number
- 1980.0698
- catalog number
- 1980.0698.071
Massengill Powder, Sample
The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer are:Cleansing Douche for Hygenic Purposes after Menstruation and Coitus.
- Description
- The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer are:
- Cleansing Douche for Hygenic Purposes after Menstruation and Coitus. / Vaginal Douche: A pleasant nonirritating douche for routine hygenic purposes, use when needed.
- Gargle and Mouth Wash: For minor irritations of the mouth and throat. Use when needed.
- Foot Wash: As a refreshing bath for perspiring or itching feet. Use when needed.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1950-1960
- maker
- S. E. Massengill Company
- ID Number
- 1980.0698.146
- accession number
- 1980.0698
- catalog number
- 1980.0698.146
Inserfem Bluline
Currently not on view
- Location
- Currently not on view
- maker
- Blue Line Chemical Co.
- ID Number
- 1980.0698.148
- catalog number
- 1980.0698.148
- accession number
- 1980.0698
Veen Douche Powder
The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer are:A perfected Douche Powder especially prepared for irrigation of the vaginal tract.
- Description
- The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer are:
- A perfected Douche Powder especially prepared for irrigation of the vaginal tract. Its cleansing action is soothing to the mucous membranes.
- Directions: Dissolve a tablespoonful in a quart of moderately warm water. Jar cap measures one tablespoonful. Be sure the powder is well dissolved before use.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1940s
- maker
- Norwich Pharmacal Company
- ID Number
- 1980.0698.150
- accession number
- 1980.0698
- catalog number
- 1980.0698.150
Betadine Douche
Currently not on view
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1970s
- maker
- Purdue Frederick Company
- ID Number
- 1981.0760.005
- accession number
- 1981.0760
- catalog number
- 1981.0760.005
Betadine Douche
Currently not on view
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1970s
- maker
- Purdue Frederick Company
- ID Number
- 1981.0760.006
- accession number
- 1981.0760
- catalog number
- 1981.0760.006
Massengill Douche Powder
Currently not on view
- Location
- Currently not on view
- maker
- Beecham-Massengill Pharmaceuticals
- ID Number
- 1981.0760.033
- accession number
- 1981.0760
- catalog number
- 1981.0760.033
Trichotine Liquid Vaginal Cleanser
Currently not on view
- Location
- Currently not on view
- maker
- Reed & Carnrick Manufacturing Chemists
- ID Number
- 1981.0760.059
- accession number
- 1981.0760
- catalog number
- 1981.0760.059
Trichotine-D Disposable Douche
Currently not on view
- Location
- Currently not on view
- maker
- Reed & Carnrick Manufacturing Chemists
- ID Number
- 1981.0760.078
- accession number
- 1981.0760
- catalog number
- 1981.0760.078
Massengill Disposable Medicated Douche with Vagidine
Currently not on view
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1980
- maker
- Beecham Products
- ID Number
- 1982.0370.06
- accession number
- 1982.0370
- catalog number
- 1982.0370.06
Menstrual Sponge
Currently not on view
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1978 - 1979
- ID Number
- 1982.0531.076
- accession number
- 1982.0531
- catalog number
- 1982.0531.076
D'Orsay Personal Belt
Currently not on view
- Location
- Currently not on view
- maker
- D'Orsay
- ID Number
- 1983.0871.92
- accession number
- 1983.0871
- catalog number
- 1983.0871.92
Hy-Kup Menstrual Cup
One Hy-Kup menstrual cup in an blue and white cardboard box with cellophane wrapper. Each side of the box has the Hy-Kup brand name with a white cross below. A single word -- Scientific - Sanitary - Comfortable - Odorless -- appears on each of the four sides.
- Description
- One Hy-Kup menstrual cup in an blue and white cardboard box with cellophane wrapper. Each side of the box has the Hy-Kup brand name with a white cross below. A single word -- Scientific - Sanitary - Comfortable - Odorless -- appears on each of the four sides. Inscriptions on the bottom of the box include: "Price $2.00" and the phrase "Lasts for a Year."
- The Hy-Kup appears to have been first marketed in 1928. It was advertised as "scientifically correct, invented, tested and perfected for the modern woman," it "eliminates belts and pads, odor and chafing," and is "absolutely secure." Advertisements also claimed that the cup was endorsed by leading doctors and nurses. The company recruited women to serve as distributors for Hy-Kup in their communities. The cups sold for $2.00 each and were advertised to last for a year. Paul Allen Wilkey (died June, 29, 1974), of Indiana, was named as owner and distributor of Hy-Kup in his obituary.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1930s
- copyright date ("why you should use a hygienic menstrual cup" Hy-Kup distributors)
- 1928-01-29
- collection
- Reid Drugstore
- maker
- Hy-Kup Distrubutors
- ID Number
- 1984.0351.067
- accession number
- 1984.0351
- catalog number
- 1984.0351.067
Anna Health Sponges - Daintiness Marches On - Recommended By Doctors
Currently not on view
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1938 - 1939
- collection
- Reid Drugstore
- maker
- American Sponge and Chamois Company
- ID Number
- 1984.0351.308
- accession number
- 1984.0351
- catalog number
- 1984.0351.308
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