Dansaek, a startup undergarment company, is being acknowledged for developing specialized underwear for women in their periods to lessen the discomfort. Its main product, “Non-Saem” underwear, is Korea's first high-performance sanitary underwears that absorb vaginal secretions without additional pads.
At first, the CEO of Dansaek, Hwang Tae-eun, and her sister and co-founder Hwang Seo-yeon, came up with this item from their own experience using pre-existing menstrual pads.
“Both of us were used to using reusable menstrual pads because of our sensitive skin,” Hwang said. “Disposable pads may cause allergic reactions for those with sensitive skin like how it did to us. So, we decided to create an underwear with materials that cause less reaction and is healthier for every skin type. I felt the necessity to develop this product especially after I had my daughter. I didn’t want her to experience the same stress that I had to go through.”
To solve the problem of leaking in pre-existing sanitary panties, Non-Saem underwear went through special processing in the absorption layer and the crotch sideline. Hwang has also given weight to owning various patents to improve the product and give reliability.
“Currently we have six different patents related to the product’s features and functions,” Hwang said. “The function of our underwear earned its patent as our material absorbs the vaginal secretion quickly and lessens the dampness. We also developed an antibacterial function for those who are worried about the unavoidable scent.”
What is more notable are the models on the company’s website. The models are of different body types and age, and they are not abnormally accentuating their outer appearances.
“Our undergarments are made for the purpose of comfort,” Hwang explained. “We wanted to show that everyone, regardless of size and age, can be comfortable in our products. We wanted to show ordinary people using our products, not letting abnormal standards on women like other ads. Although those who actually use the products are ordinary people, many advertisements set abnormal standards on women.”
Taking a step forward, Dansaek not only aims to solve the physical discomfort of women but also problems within the society. Hwang wanted to eradicate the misconceptions against women and their physical phenomenon through the promotion of their products. Recently, she has started to notice some changes after running the company.
“I feel that a lot has changed these days,” Hwang said. “There has been calls from men who ask very detailed questions about our products so that they could give it to female members of their families or girlfriends as a gift. I think that although there are still some differences regarding the level of understanding, stigma towards our physical phenomenon is starting to improve.”
Dansaek is also planning on an underwear series to make the steps that women go through during their life more comfortable through their products. Currently, the company is working on functional underwear for teenagers, pregnant women, and middle-aged women that have urinary incontinence.
“We want to get closer to our customers and listen to their needs,” Hwang said. “To fulfill our goals, we are carrying out various campaign for women, including mothers, teenagers experiencing puberty, and those who are experiencing changes in their bodies as well as donations to single-parent families. We hope to get closer to women and hope to give women a better and more comfortable lifestyle.”