In this day and age, you’ve probably heard of disposable underwear, but one thing that sets Patricia Kayanga’s feminine product collection apart is the material she uses: Bamboo.
Her product, Ohhs, is biodegradable and eco-friendly. She is one of the few Black women in the feminine products space.
A Good Works Brand
Kayanga takes her feminine products further by using them to help those in need. With every pair sold, she donates one to domestic violence shelters. As underwear is the second most requested item in homeless shelters, Kayanga saw this as an opportunity to help the people who need it the most.
“Some individuals only sometimes have access to feminine products,” Kayanga told RollingOut. “For example, people that are in domestic shelters are running away from a challenging situation. Many women need quality underwear, but it’s only sometimes available. We have a product that can serve that need and is more convenient. Our goal, honestly, is to scale across the nation. You should have access to it, no matter the circumstances.”
Innovation Born from Necessity
Kayanga is a first-generation immigrant from Uganda. And it was her mother who inspired Ohhs.
“I came here under unfortunate circumstances but was blessed to know a better life. I wouldn’t have been here if it wasn’t for the sacrifices of my mother following the murder of my father. Beyond giving me the training and education to be the woman I am today, my mother is the brain behind the business idea of Ohhs,” Kayanga told Voyage ATL.
She continued, “After complaining about the many expensive underwear I ruined because of my unpredictable cycle; my mother encouraged me to create something I could dispose of. I started to dream and created biodegradable disposable underwear made from bamboo and non-woven fabric.”
Part of what sets Kayanga’s design apart is its components, which are crafted from bamboo and non-woven fabric. The tissue-like material has a dry baby wipe feel, which helps make the underwear comfortable.
“We chose bamboo for various reasons,” Kayanga told EINPresswire.com. “It is one of the most eco-friendly crops in the world because it requires zero irrigation for growth and creates a beautiful silky textured fabric. Honestly, our underwear feels so soft you almost forget you have them on, and we stand by that.”
Ohhs is known for being highly absorbent, soft, breathable, odor resistant, sweat-absorbent, and hypoallergenic. It’s antimicrobial, so it’ll also keep you feeling fresh. Ohhs can be purchased on its website for $15.99 per four-pack.
Kayanga’s goal is to make a global impact and change the way people think and interact with the world.
“As we think about Earth Day, it’s not a one-day thing but an all-year something,” she said. “It’s a conscious state of mind we must be aware of. We are so mindful of what we’re doing as people worldwide [of] we want to leave our future children, grandchildren, and later on.”
