South Korean FemTech brand Inertia enters U.S. period care market with plant-based pad technology
Replacing synthetic materials commonly used
South Korean FemTech company Inertia is entering the U.S. menstrual care market with a new range of disposable pads designed to replace the synthetic materials commonly used in absorbent cores.
Founded in 2021 by female scientists from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), the company says it set out to redesign disposable period products from the inside out. While many pads marketed as “organic” focus on cotton topsheets, most still rely on synthetic superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) inside the product — materials that have dominated the category for decades.
Inertia’s Prism Pads use a patented cellulose-based absorbent material called LABOCELL™, designed as a plant-derived alternative to conventional synthetic cores. The pads combine an organic cotton topsheet with the bio-based absorbent core and a sugarcane-derived backsheet, and are made without chlorine, fragrance or dyes.
“In a category that has relied on the same internal materials for decades, we believed innovation had to begin at the core,” said Hyoyi Kim, founder and chief executive of Inertia.
“Women are asking more questions about what is inside their products, not just what is on the surface.”
The company says the materials have been tested against dermatological safety standards and certified as 82% biobased under the USDA Certified Biobased Product program. The pads have also been assessed under European industrial compostability standards.
Inertia has sold more than 10 million pads in South Korea, where the products rank among the top-selling feminine care items at major health and beauty retailer Olive Young. The U.S. launch marks the company’s first international expansion, with products initially available online and via Amazon.
The move comes as consumer demand for non-toxic and lower-plastic period products continues to grow, with startups and established brands alike competing to develop alternatives to conventional disposable pads. While reusable products such as menstrual cups and period underwear have expanded rapidly, disposable pads remain one of the most widely used menstrual products globally, making materials innovation a key focus for manufacturers.
Prism Pads are available in regular and heavy absorbency options, priced from $7.99 for an 18-pack.