Menstrual hygiene products have evolved significantly, moving from reusable cloths and natural materials to the modern, disposable items known today. For thousands of years, people managed their cycles using whatever was available, including softened papyrus in ancient Egypt and wool in Rome. This long tradition of internal and external management eventually led to the development of the modern tampon with an applicator. This design revolutionized personal care, transforming the experience of managing a period.
The Original Concept and Inventor
The inventor responsible for the modern tampon design was Dr. Earle Haas, a physician practicing in Denver, Colorado. Dr. Haas sought an alternative to the bulky and uncomfortable external pads commonly used in the early 20th century. He was inspired after a friend mentioned using a small sponge internally, prompting him to consider an engineered solution.
Haas filed his patent for a “catamenial device” on November 19, 1931, which became the blueprint for the applicator tampon. His innovation was the compressed, cylindrical cotton core attached to a string for easy removal. The design incorporated an external applicator to allow for hygienic insertion without the user having to touch the product directly.
Commercialization and the Founding of Tampax
Dr. Haas struggled to gain interest from major manufacturers, including Johnson & Johnson. This lack of commercial success led him to sell his patent and the trademarked name “Tampax” in 1933. The buyer was Gertrude Tenderich, a German-born businesswoman operating in Denver.
Tenderich purchased the rights for a reported $32,000 and founded the Tampax company. She became the company’s first president and began initial production herself, utilizing a sewing machine and Haas’s compression device from her home. Tenderich faced the challenge of manufacturing and marketing an internal product that faced significant social and cultural resistance in the 1930s. Through her efforts, the applicator tampon was successfully scaled for mass production and began appearing on store shelves around 1936.
Why Cardboard? The Applicator Design
The material chosen for the applicator focused on functionality and manufacturing efficiency. Dr. Haas’s original design utilized two concentric tubes made from paperboard, which offered an advantage over more costly materials. This cardboard construction facilitated the “tube-within-a-tube” plunger mechanism, allowing the user to push the cotton plug out of the outer tube and into place.
Cardboard was inexpensive and could be rapidly mass-produced, supporting the goal of a disposable product. It also ensured the entire delivery system was fully disposable. While modern applicators often use plastic for a smoother feel, the original cardboard design provided the necessary rigidity and disposability for the first widely available applicator tampon.