The biocide-free antimicrobial material, Saniconcentrate™, created by Dutch start-up Parx Materials, makes the multi-award-winning DAME reusable tampon applicator safe to use. Throughout its lifetime, each applicator saves up to 12,000 disposable plastic applicators from landfill.
A sustainable alternative tampon applicator. Image Credit: Parx Materials
Saniconcentrate is a biocompatible plastic additive that, rather than killing bacteria using toxic biocides, prevents them from adhering to surfaces causing them to run through their usual lifecycle and die within hours. This ecological approach of dealing with germs offers a natural way to keep bacteria and viruses at bay, instead of just killing them and inducing resistance.
Saniconcentrate works by mimicking the physical characteristics of human skin. As it uses materials already found in the human body, it is biocompatible, safe and its applications are limitless — DAME’s sustainable tampon applicator is just one such application.
DAME co-founders Celia Pool and Alex Mills decided to design a convenient re-usable tampon applicator after research showed that 60 per cent of women prefer to use tampons with an applicator. Pool and Mills describe the DAME reusable applicator as a "period product for the 21st-century". The reusable, self-cleaning applicator was designed to offer women a more sustainable alternative to the currently disposable counterparts.
DAME grew from a successful Kickstarter project in 2017, raising funds from 2,251 backers, to an award-winning and world-wide recognised sanitary product. Parx Materials’ Saniconcentrate has been an integral part of the product from the start, making it safe and hygienic. The Saniconcentrate additive acts as a natural steriliser, helping the applicator to stay clean.
The reusable tampon applicator is made up of two sections and a protective lid and is designed to be used with non-applicator tampons. Unlike those already on the market, it's made from an antibacterial medical-grade material, so it can be used over and over again. The applicator will last a lifetime, not just a single use.
In 2020, Celia Pool of DAME was awarded the Bold Future Award by Veuve Clicquot for her outstanding contributions to the sustainable development of female products. The Bold Future Award celebrates women who have led with innovation to become pioneers in their industries.
“As it is non-toxic and biocide free, Saniconcentrate is ideal for applications where plastic comes into contact with the human body.” commented Michaël van der Jagt, CEO of Parx Materials. “Our technology is inert and intrinsic to the material. It doesn’t work by leaching silver or copper ions so it remains equally effective throughout its entire lifetime — helping DAME to create an applicator that is safe, sustainable and long-lasting.”