Making Hygiene Fun – Healthy Habits for the Next Generation

Welcome to the Essity Newsletter – a monthly article where we’ll turn the spotlight on a trending topic in hygiene and health, and highlight our top stories from the previous month. Don’t forget to subscribe so that you won’t miss the latest edition! 

Today's children and adolescents shape the future of our society and how we evolve for generations to come. The habits formed during these first years help set the tone for routines and practices for life. At Essity, we are committed to creating positive change related to hygiene and health for all ages. But how do we ensure healthy habits from an early age? We aim to provide healthy mindsets and hygienic routines established as early as possible by infusing them with a playful touch. 

Hands are the primary point of contact for our bodies, they serve as the main interface with the world around us. Therefore regular hand washing acts as a simple yet powerful measure to maintain personal hygiene, promote health, and prevent the transmission of diseases. 

The Dirty Hands initiative by Essity, in collaboration with Red Cross Spain, created a song, activities and resources to make this task more enjoyable and memorable for little ones. Or, for those with access to a tablet, Tork designed Ella’s Handwashing Adventure app where child-friendly characters and scenarios engage kids in hand hygiene. Through play and educational entertainment, children are helping to stop the spread of illness and infection at the source - their hands. 

Handwashing can prevent 1 in 3 diarrhea-related illnesses and 1 in 5 respiratory infections, such as the cold or flu.   

During hospitalization, play is proven to be of high therapeutic value for children’s physical and emotional well-being and recovery. We believe that all children deserve to be seen beyond the challenges of their illnesses. As part of the Little Heroes initiative, Essity’s Libero brand has collaborated with The Foundation for the Astrid Lindgren Children's Hospital to help facilitate playtime during a time that is far from fun and games. 

30 minutes of play therapy every day seemed to help avoid an increase in anxiety levels during [children’s] hospitalization. 

Puberty can stir up an array of physical and emotional shifts, each unique to the individual experiencing them. For those with a uterus, those changes often include the first menstrual cycle. 44% of women feel uncomfortable talking about menstruation with their male relatives. To break this pattern, we partnered with our leading feminine care brand in Mexico, Saba, to develop V-Land, a digital game which empowers teenagers and parents to learn about and normalize menstruation. Again, by means of play and education. 

“We developed the idea with the objective of initiating an innovative project that will help educate, while you play.” – Mariana Salguero, Marketing Manager of feminine care brand Saba® by Essity 

When minor injuries occur, you need treatment that is reliable and fast. For 120 years medical practitioners and families around the world have placed their trust in the high quality Leukoplast wound care solutions. The kids' plasters are water and dirt repellent and offer a range of bandaids, in hero, eco or animal. Helping children and teenagers establish healthy habits, mindsets and conversations enables us all to enjoy a more hygienic, inclusive and fulfilled life. Join us as we continue breaking barriers to well-being.

May 2023 Highlights

In case you missed it, here are some of the top posts and news from Essity last month:

JOBST ‘unsynchronized’ campaign 

Our compression therapy solutions brand, #JOBST, launched a disruptive bold campaign to challenge the stigma around lipedema, lymphedema, and venous conditions. 'Unsynchronized' highlights the parallels between the freedom felt when swimming and how JOBST compression products can reduce the weight of physical, emotional, and societal discomfort. This barrier-breaking initiative encourages lipedema, lymphedema, and venous communities to #DefyGravity, and show the world that no condition should hinder people from pursuing their passion. Discover the inspiring stories of the fearless individuals from the campaign here.

Menstrual Hygiene Day 

We highlighted the significance of Menstrual Hygiene Day, celebrated annually on May 28th. This is a necessary step to accelerate breaking the taboo and raising awareness of the challenges regarding access to menstrual products, education, and period-friendly sanitation facilities. A large share of our offering consists of innovative menstrual solutions including sustainable reusable alternatives from our leading brands Modibodi, Knix, TENA professionals, Libresse, and TOM Organic. 

The Biggest International Menopause Insight Study  

Menopause affects each woman differently, with varying symptoms and experiences. Research helps develop personalized approaches to healthcare and provide knowledge to millions of women worldwide. Our brand Issviva is an innovative global e-commerce platform that provides educational material, products and solutions for women+ during the various stages of menopause. On May 24th we launched the biggest international menopause study involving 16,000 women in 11 countries about their personal experiences and knowledge of this significant life stage. Access the study insights here.

International Nurses Day  

We celebrated #InternationalNursesDay on May 12th to honor the contributions of nurses worldwide, and show nurses everywhere that we see them, respect them, and value them. Our brand #TENA has an educational and best practice advice page dedicated to supporting nurses with guidance and tips to ease their daily tasks and challenges. Learn more here.

Business Coalition for a Global Plastics Treaty 

Essity is one of 100+ leading businesses, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), and financial institutions aligned behind the Business Coalition for a Global Plastics Treaty’s policy recommendations. The treaty brings together business from across the plastics value chain such as WWF International and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, to support the development of an ambitious and effective global treaty to end plastic pollution. The Second Session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution (INC-2), was held in Paris between 29th May and 2nd June. Learn more about the objectives of this coalition here.