From Baby Rice Cereal to Sanitary Pads: Why I Switched After 15 Years
2026-08-28
I didn't start in feminine hygiene. For fifteen years, I sold baby rice cereal in Hunan and built a network of mom-and-baby store owners. It was a stable business, but it had a ceiling: babies only eat rice cereal for a few months. Growth eventually flatlines.
In 2016, everything changed. At a trade fair I met a feminine hygiene team from a strong Guangdong factory that had been manufacturing for well-known domestic brands. The quality was proven. But I hesitated — a man who sold baby food, selling sanitary pads?
The person who pushed me over the edge was my wife. I took samples home. Her feedback was direct: "This actually works. You should do it." She was the most trusted product tester I could ask for.
The business case was just as clear. Menstrual products are a high-frequency necessity. The market is large and recurring. And I already knew hundreds of store owners who understood female consumers better than anyone. The product was right, the supply chain was solid, and the channel relationships were already there.
So I wrote the check and became one of the early co-founders of the brand.
The road since then has not been straight. I tried social commerce, micro-commerce, and lost tuition along the way. But I have never regretted the move.
From a bowl of rice cereal to a single sanitary pad, the two products look unrelated. They are not. The core is the same: understand the people you serve, then put the best thing you can make into their hands. That is the work. Six years later, it is still the work.
What this means if you are building a brand
If you are looking for a sanitary pad OEM or feminine hygiene manufacturer, the same logic applies. The factory you choose should not just offer a low quote. It should understand who will actually use the product — and have the production discipline to deliver that consistently.
At Nafei, that is how we approach OEM sanitary pads, menstrual pants, and panty liners. We run the line, but we also run the thinking behind the line. If you are sourcing in China, here is a guide to what actually matters when you visit a factory: How to Verify a Feminine Hygiene Factory's Certificates.
Turn this guide into an OEM brief
Share your product direction, target market, packaging idea and sample questions. Nafei can help translate the buying guide into a practical RFQ discussion.
- Product type: period pants, sanitary pads or mixed OEM project
- Target country, channel and buyer positioning
- Size range, material preference and sample review focus
- Private label artwork, pack count and estimated quantity
