New National Standard for Sanitary Napkins: Strict Rules on Size & Materials to Phase Out Substandard Small ManufacturersFull English Translation Recently, the new national standard Sanitary Napkins (Pantyliners) (GB/T 8939-2025) has been officially promulgated. Compare：尺寸用料从严要求，不达标小厂面临淘汰
Full English Translation
Recently, the new national standard Sanitary Napkins (Pantyliners) (GB/T 8939-2025) has been officially promulgated.
Compared with the old standard, the new version directly addresses consumer concerns such as length, comfort, and safety.
It tightens requirements for total length deviation, unit mass deviation, pH value, formaldehyde content, and absorption rate.
It also adds new chemical safety indicators including plasticizers, heavy metals, and carcinogenic aromatic amine dyes, with many requirements aligned with standards for infant products.
Some analysts believe that a series of sanitary napkin quality scandals in recent years have exposed problems such as loose indicators in the old national standard.
Scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2027, the new standard will push manufacturers to increase R&D investment, reduce low-quality and low-price competition, and rectify industry irregularities such as false labeling and substandard products.
Some non-compliant small factories will face elimination.
Physical Performance: Anti‑Shrinkage & Strict Material Control
“Anti‑shrinkage” and “strict material control” — restricting length and weight deviations within a narrower range — is a major highlight of the new standard and a response to the concerns of female consumers.
In November 2024, multiple products from leading brands including Sofy, Kotex, Whisper, Ladycare, and Seven Dimensions were exposed by media for significant discrepancies between labeled length and actual cotton core length.
For example, Whisper Cloud Soft Cotton (No Cotton on Top) was labeled 284 mm, but measured only 226 mm;
Sofy Elastic Fit was labeled 230 mm, but measured only 190 mm.
In response to the “length shrinkage” issue, brands such as Beishute, ABC, Sofy, Kotex, and Seven Dimensions stated at the time that their products complied with the current national standard GB/T 8939-2018 and did not affect actual use.
Under GB/T 8939-2018, the total length deviation of sanitary napkins was allowed within ±4%.
However, many netizens considered the standard too loose and questioned why deviations only went “shorter” rather than “longer.”
Compared with the old standard, the new one tightens the total length deviation (for sanitary napkins and pantyliners) from ±4% to ≥ -2.0% (the lower deviation shall not exceed 2%), consistent with the draft standard.
The explanatory notes to the draft stated that this adjustment aims to “further protect consumer rights” and is based on three considerations:
first, deviations caused by material retraction due to tension release during production;
second, a 2% length deviation does not affect absorption performance;
third, potential deviations from measuring equipment and operators.
In addition, the revised standard does not add a core length deviation indicator.
According to the official explanation, the core is usually shorter than the total length mainly because rolled non-woven fabric and leak-proof film shrink naturally after cutting and packaging due to tension release.
Sealing margins must also be reserved at both ends to prevent core leakage and side leakage.
Furthermore, standards in Europe, the United States, Japan, and South Korea only regulate total length, not core length or its deviation.
Beyond reducing length deviation, the new standard adjusts adhesive peel strength, raises absorption speed requirements, adds rewet value, and replaces water absorption ratio with absorption ratio (using standard synthetic test solution instead of water),
all to better improve user comfort.
Xu Yaolin, General Manager of Fujian Bowei Media Co., Ltd., who has long followed the hygiene products industry, believes that the first highlight of the new standard is its focus on “anti-shrinkage and strict material control” in physical performance.
The loose length and weight tolerances in the old standard enabled some businesses to cut corners.
The new standard tightens these indicators and adopts precise measuring methods such as laser ranging to fundamentally eliminate false labeling.
In terms of usability, it directly targets pain points such as leakage, stickiness, shifting, and adhesive residue, which will significantly improve consumer experience.
Multiple Safety Indicators Aligned with Infant Standards
Compared with length shrinkage, consumers are more concerned about product safety.
The 2025 CCTV 3·15 Gala exposed the refurbishment and sale of discarded sanitary napkins, triggering widespread public anxiety.
In June of the same year, among 14 samples tested by an official institution, only one batch of Mianmima, a brand founded by top livestreamer Xinba, was free of thiourea — a category 3 carcinogen.
Long-standing concerns over “black cotton” and migratory fluorescent substances have also caused a trust crisis in the industry.
To address safety concerns, the new standard imposes stricter limits on pH and formaldehyde, and newly regulates phthalates (plasticizers), heavy metals, and carcinogenic aromatic amine dyes,
with many indicators aligned with infant product standards.
According to the official drafting notes, with adjustments in product demand and R&D, manufacturers have reduced superabsorbent polymer particles and begun using weakly acidic surfactants,
leading to an overall decline in the pH value of sanitary napkins on the market.
An analysis of more than 4,000 batches of commercial products showed that over 99.85% had a pH below 7.5.
Based on this statistical data, the new standard sets the pH range for sanitary napkins at 4.0–7.5, consistent with the national standard for infant diapers.
Formaldehyde is classified as a carcinogen and teratogen by the World Health Organization.
The national standard for infant diapers (GB 43631-2023 and related standards) limits formaldehyde to ≤ 6.0 mg/kg.
To protect female consumers, the new standard raises the formaldehyde limit for sanitary napkins from ≤ 75 mg/kg to ≤ 6.0 mg/kg.
Phthalates, widely used plastic additives, are of concern due to their endocrine-disrupting and reproductive toxicity.
The new standard adds limits for phthalates, referencing Green Product Evaluation — Paper and Paper Products (GB/T 35613-2024) and infant hygiene standards.
The total content of DBP, BBP, and DEHP must not exceed 0.1%.
Excessive exposure to lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury poses potential health risks.
Following infant hygiene, green product, and cosmetic safety standards, the new standard sets heavy metal limits:
lead ≤ 10 mg/kg, arsenic ≤ 2.0 mg/kg, cadmium ≤ 5.0 mg/kg, mercury ≤ 1.0 mg/kg.
Carcinogenic aromatic amine dyes are internationally recognized hazardous substances.
Germany banned such azo dyes in skin-contact consumer goods in 1994, and the EU included this ban in tissue paper eco-label standards in 2001.
China’s infant and green product standards also strictly restrict these dyes.
Based on scientific evidence and global regulations, the new standard limits carcinogenic aromatic amine dyes in sanitary napkins and pantyliners to ≤ 20 mg/kg to further protect female health.
Regarding the long-debated fluorescent brightener issue, the new standard changes the requirement for migratory fluorescent substances from “qualified” to “not detectable”.
No Official Ranking for Sanitary Napkin Safety Levels
Affected by safety incidents, many female consumers have turned to “medical‑grade” and “healthcare‑grade” sanitary napkins.
Unofficially, products have been ranked by strictness:
ordinary grade (national standard), disinfection grade (national standard), medical‑care grade (group standard), Class I medical device, and Class II medical device.
Among them, medical care pads and absorbent pads classified as Class II medical devices (with “registration certification”) require sterilization and set nondetectable limits for aerobic bacteria and migratory fluorescent substances,
and are regarded as having the highest safety level.
Similar products classified as Class I medical devices (with “filing certification”) do not require sterile provision.
Note: there is no official “medical sanitary napkin” category in medical device registration.
A type of Class II medical device — medical gynecological pad.
Although there is only a one-character difference between “medical‑care grade” and “medical grade”, medical‑care grade sanitary napkins are not medical devices.
Instead, they comply with the group standard T/NAHIEM 37‑2021 Medical‑Care Grade Sanitary Napkins (Pantyliners) issued by the National Health Industry Enterprise Management Association.
Beijing News noted that this group standard is not mandatory.
Many “medical‑care grade” sanitary napkins on the market actually follow the Sanitary Napkins (Pantyliners) standard, and only obtain an additional medical‑care grade product certification.
In the past, ordinary grade and disinfection grade sanitary napkins complied with two old national standards simultaneously:
Sanitary Napkins (Pantyliners) (GB/T 8939‑2018) and
Hygienic Requirements for Disposable Hygienic Products (GB 15979‑2002).
Compared with the old national standard, “medical‑care grade” sanitary napkins had stricter requirements in terms of total bacterial count, total fungal count, and formaldehyde content than ordinary grade products.
Now, with the implementation of the new national standard Hygienic Requirements for Disposable Hygienic Products (GB 15979‑2024) on July 1, 2025,
and the official release of the new Sanitary Napkins (Pantyliners) (GB/T 8939‑2025),
ordinary grade sanitary napkins — once regarded by consumers as having the lowest safety requirements —
now have stricter limits than the medical‑care grade group standard in indicators including total length deviation, unit mass deviation, absorption rate, pH value, and maximum formaldehyde limit.
Requirements for heavy metals, migratory fluorescent substances, and total content of phthalates (DBP, BBP, DEHP) are consistent with those in the medical‑care grade group standard.
Xu Yaolin told Beijing News that the ranking of sanitary napkin safety levels comes from marketing rhetoric and has no official basis.
The new national standard for sanitary napkins does not align with any marketing “grade”; its core purpose is to raise the bottom safety line for the civilian sanitary napkin market.
Medical‑grade hygiene products are Class II medical devices, focusing on sterility and biocompatibility for medical scenarios such as operating rooms, with a completely different positioning from civilian products.
The new national standard incorporates some high‑quality indicators from medical‑grade products into mandatory requirements, improving the safety level of ordinary products.
On the other hand, the new standard only sets the industry bottom line, allowing enterprises to carry out differentiated competition above this level.
“It should be made clear that the original medical‑care grade certification has been cancelled.
It was originally a voluntary group standard, not a legally defined grading system,” Xu Yaolin pointed out.
The concept of “medical‑care grade sanitary napkins” was first launched by a brand and then quickly followed widely across the industry.
Brands used the “medical‑care grade” marketing concept to seek differentiated advantages in the highly competitive sanitary napkin market.
These products are usually 30%–50% more expensive than ordinary sanitary napkins, and sometimes even more.
Certification bodies also saw this opportunity and launched their own “medical‑care grade” certification standards.
While some institutions are formal, many suffer from problems such as inconsistent certification standards and non‑transparent certification processes.
Faced with a variety of “medical‑care grade” certifications, consumers often cannot distinguish authenticity and can only make purchasing decisions based on price and labeling, which actually leads to market failure under information asymmetry.
Beijing News learned from industry insiders that
China Health Sanitation (Beijing) Certification Center, the main certification body for “medical‑care grade” sanitary napkins,
issued an announcement in August 2025 stating that,
in accordance with the State Administration for Market Regulation’s Announcement on Strengthening the Management of Certification Rules (Document No. 9 of 2025),
the center would terminate acceptance of applications for medical‑care grade health and safety certification, health and safety certification, and safe food certification services,
and launch a new series of “Special Care Product” certifications.
Products already using the “medical‑care grade” certification mark are granted a one‑year grace period from September 1, 2025 to August 31, 2026.
After the grace period expires, production and distribution of products bearing the “medical‑care grade” certification mark will no longer be permitted.
The new national standard Sanitary Napkins (Pantyliners) (GB/T 8939-2025) will be officially implemented on January 1, 2027.
Products produced in accordance with the old national standard before this date may continue to be sold.
During the transition period, are ordinary sanitary napkins on the market safe? Is it necessary to purchase medical-grade products?
From the perspective of sanitary napkin safety, Gu Xiaoxia, Head Nurse and Deputy Chief Nurse at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Zhongda Hospital Affiliated to Southeast University, stated in a previous media interview that for healthy women, there is no need to use medical-grade sanitary napkins, and ordinary-grade products are sufficient.
Clinically, medical-grade products are suitable for patients after abortion, childbirth, pregnancy-related bleeding disorders, gynecological surgery, as well as those with urinary or fecal incontinence who require long-term skin care.
During the revision of the Sanitary Napkins (Pantyliners) standard, the drafting team tested and verified 11 indicators of 304 sanitary napkin and pantiliner products, including Anerle, Beishute, Duoshurou, Fuyanjie, Kotex, Whisper, Ladycare, Laurier, Princess NICE, Seven Dimensions, Purcotton, October Crystal, Shulai, Sofy, TaYanshe, Freedom Point, and other brands.
The test results directly reflect the overall quality level of sanitary napkins and pantyliners.
Test results showed that among 263 tested sanitary napkins and pantyliners of various lengths, the largest number of samples — 112 products — had a deviation of “0”;
only 2 products had a minimum negative deviation of −5%.
Judged by the old standard requirement of ±4%, the pass rate of this verification was 99.2%.
Among 104 tested products, all met the revised unit mass deviation standard of ±10%.
About 98% of products controlled their deviation within ±6%, far exceeding standard requirements, demonstrating the maturity and stability of the industry’s overall production technology.
Absorption speed for 61.6% of samples (177 products) was concentrated between 10 and 30 seconds;
13 products had absorption speeds between 40 and 50 seconds, placing them in the critical range with a risk of non-compliance.
Rewet value test results showed that 33 out of 48 products exceeded 3.0 g and failed the new standard, while another 3 products ranged from 2.5 g to 3.0 g, at risk of non-compliance.
For absorption ratio, among 51 products, the highest was 12.9 times and the lowest 4.0 times;
2 additional products were near the lower limit specified by the standard and at risk of non-compliance.
About 80% of 206 samples had a pH value between 5.5 and 6.2, all meeting standard requirements.
In terms of safety indicators, among 205 tested products, migratory fluorescent substances were not detected in any sample.
Formaldehyde was detected in only one product at 14 mg/kg; the remaining 204 products showed no detectable formaldehyde.
Among 46 tested products, phthalates and decomposable carcinogenic aromatic amine dyes were not detected in any sample.
All verified samples met the standard requirements for lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury content.
Only two products had relatively high lead and arsenic levels, which still remained within safe limits.
According to Xu Yaolin, the current sanitary napkin market shows a polarization in quality:
leading brands exceed the old national standard, while small and medium-sized manufacturers have shortcomings, and overall quality still has room for improvement.
In 2024, the industry sampling pass rate reached 95%.
Leading brands maintain stable safety indicators with all core safety items compliant,
but some brands struggle with inconsistent size deviations and rewet values.
Small workshops still engage in illegal practices such as using refurbished materials and false efficacy labeling,
with some products barely meeting the minimum requirements of the old standard.
Future industry improvement will focus on three areas:
first, insufficient performance consistency and large experience differences within the same category;
second, low-quality production capacity among small and medium-sized manufacturers that will be phased out by the new standard;
third, excessive emphasis on marketing concepts over quality by some brands, requiring rectification of misleading marketing practices.
In his view, the introduction of the new Sanitary Napkins (Pantyliners) standard is closely related to the high number of public controversies surrounding sanitary napkins in recent years.
These incidents exposed the looseness of the old standard and regulatory gaps.
The new standard achieves an upgrade from “basic usability” to “high quality + safety”,
and will rectify industry irregularities such as false labeling and substandard products.
It is estimated that 30% of non-compliant small factories will be eliminated.
According to statistics from the Household Paper Professional Committee of the China Paper Association,
the market size of sanitary napkins and pantyliners in China reached approximately 58.98 billion yuan in 2024,
a slight increase from 2023 but with significantly slowed growth, indicating that the category has entered a relatively mature market stage.
The drafting team believes that the revised Sanitary Napkins (Pantyliners) standard features more comprehensive technical requirements,
covering raw materials, physical properties, chemical safety indicators, and hygiene requirements.
Most indicators — including hygiene, formaldehyde, and heavy metals — are stricter than standards in other countries and regions.
Economically, implementation of the new standard will encourage enterprises to increase R&D investment,
promote innovation in production technology and materials, and enhance product added value,
while regulating market order and reducing low-quality, low-price competition.
Socially, stricter quality standards will effectively protect women’s health during menstruation,
reduce health risks caused by poor product quality, and improve consumer satisfaction.