Products are constantly displayed on the shelves of a supermarket in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina (Photo taken on October 29, 2024).
Dado Ruvik | Reuters
Rising inflation and ever-changing tariff policies have driven up store prices over the past few years, putting pressure on consumers’ budgets.
An often overlooked example: menstrual products.
The average price of menstrual products, including sanitary pads and tampons, has increased nearly 40% since 2020, from about $5.37 to $7.43 per item, according to February data from Chicago-based market research firm Sarkana.
According to Circana, dollar sales of menstrual products rose nearly 30% over the same period.
But at the same time, sales of sanitary products (which broadly include napkins, tampons, liners, etc.) will decline by about 6% starting in 2022, with a gradual decline each year, according to data from NielsenIQ.
The data analytics firm noted that the average unit price of items across stores is rising, with the value of overall consumer packaged goods up 2.7% since the beginning of the year. These price increases have coincided with rising inflation, with the most recent February consumer price index showing an annual increase of 2.4%.
U.S. personal care product inflation rose dramatically, rising 22.1% in February from January 2020, according to the latest CPI data.
However, because menstrual products are a necessity for a large portion of the population, their cost may be hurting consumers.
“I think we’re at a point where consumers in general are having to make a choice between buying food for their families or buying prescriptions,” said Sarah Bloyd, partner at consulting firm Clarkston Consulting. “Some of the things we would normally define as necessities, people are finding alternatives or doing away with them.”
Mr. Broyd said the gap between rising prices and declining sales suggests consumers may be looking for alternatives out of necessity.
Menstrual products aren’t just affected by inflation either. The United States collected just $42 million in 2020 through tariffs on sanitary products, including cotton, but $115 million in 2025, according to government data.
According to the World Bank, the United States imported the majority of its menstrual products in 2024 from Canada, China and Mexico. President Donald Trump has imposed varying levels of tariffs on all three countries over the past year.
These additional costs are on top of the so-called “pink tax,” which is a sales tax imposed on menstrual products in some states. According to 2025 data from Statista, the highest sales tax on menstrual products is 7% in Tennessee, Mississippi, and Indiana. Products that are considered “medical devices” are often exempt from sales tax.
“Subscription service for becoming a woman”
For 30-year-old Daphna Diamant, the soaring prices of sanitary products are noticeable at the checkout counter and are a drag on her monthly expenses.
The New York resident said she’s noticed, especially over the past year, that her regular pack of about 18 tampons has increased in price to about $25.
“It’s crazy, and as a woman, I feel like I have to pay $50 sometimes every few months,” Diamant told CNBC. “And for some, it puts a huge strain on their income.”
Diamant said she’s especially frustrated because it’s not a monthly expense she can’t live without. She often buys vintage store brands from retailers such as: CVS and walgreensStill, she said she’s still shocked by the sticker price.
“Being a woman still feels like a subscription service,” Diamant told CNBC. “You have to pay money every month to get pregnant.”
Even large companies are feeling the effects. procter and gambleAlways, the parent company of sanitary products brand Always, announced in July that it would raise the prices of its personal care and household products by 25% due to the impact of $1 billion in annual tariffs. The company says Always products are manufactured at facilities in Maine, Utah and Canada.
P&G declined to comment for this story.
kimberly clarkThe maker of the sanitary products brand Cortex said in an April earnings call that it had incurred a total cost of $300 million from tariffs, more than half of which was related to tariffs on China. The company did not respond to CNBC’s request for comment.
Broyd, a partner at Clarkston Consulting, said menstrual products are experiencing a “triple whammy” of rising raw material prices, inflation across the energy and supply chain, and cross-border friction from tariffs.
“If you think about plastics and pulp and some of the key ingredients in sanitary products, they’re probably being imported from overseas and are subject to even more tariffs,” Broyd said.
He added that these tariffs are in addition to higher taxes on other women’s products that have already been the subject of Congress’s Pink Tariff Study Act, which Democrats introduced last year to determine whether the U.S. tariff system is “regressive” or “gender biased.”
As prices continue to rise, Broyd said companies will continue to reevaluate their portfolios and may sell feminine care to focus on higher-margin businesses. In November, Edgewell Personal Care sold its feminine care business to a Swedish company for $340 million.
“More niche, startup-type brands are starting to appear in stores. … That’s the biggest growth,” Broyd said. “Those who have the flexibility to buy more organic or trusted products will spend a premium on that price. But other consumers who don’t have that discretionary income will likely lower the price and go private label or buy no brand.”
The rise of reusables
Dearman said she and her friends are experimenting with period underwear instead of disposable products to streamline spending.
More and more people are experimenting with reusable expired products, primarily because they are environmentally friendly and inexpensive.
Large manufacturers often rely on brand loyalty for their products and could be hurt if consumers turn to alternatives.
“If you’re in femcare, you’re going to use Kotex for 40 years. If you’re in Depend, you’re going to use Depend for 40 years, right?” Kimberly-Clark CEO Michael Hsu said on an earnings call in November. “There’s a long-term frequency. It’s a big expense for consumers, so they want to have an ongoing relationship with us.”
Saart, a reusable menstrual product company that offers cups, discs, underwear and more, said it estimates that 16 to 20 percent of U.S. consumers, primarily young consumers, have tried or used a reusable menstrual product.
“Affordability is huge,” CEO Cherie Hoeger told CNBC. “If you look at our product, a cup or disc can last for 10 years, but our product price range is just $30. … You can save up to $1,800 over the life of that cup or disc, and that’s the lowest amount.”
Founded in 2018, Saalt reached eight-figure revenues in its third year in business, Hoeger said. Although the company did not disclose financial details, he said that demand has increased every year since its launch.
Among Gen Z, price is the number one reason to switch to reusable products, Hoeger said.
“They typically have some affinity for sustainability and climate change, but it’s never their primary concern,” Hoger says.
The rise of reusable products may be contributing to the decline in sales of disposable products over the past few years. This is also consistent with recent research showing that tampons can contain lead and other harmful ingredients. The Food and Drug Administration investigated the presence of metals and determined there was no danger.
Riding on that momentum, other companies like Knix, MeLuna, and Flex have entered the reusables space, gaining market share as consumers look for alternatives.
“Affordability is at the core, that’s the fundamental issue,” Hoger said. “If these vintage items are not affordable, there are real economic consequences for women.”
