Bioactive Menstrual Care

Designed for the vaginal microbiome.

We are developing the future of tampons, guided by microbiome science and created to support the vaginal environment during menstruation, when the body is most vulnerable to disruption.

Thousands of women already on the founding waitlist Launching 2026
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We are developing the future of tampons, guided by microbiome science and created to support the vaginal environment during menstruation, when the body is most vulnerable to disruption.

Thousands of women already on the founding waitlist Launching 2026
Bioactive menstrual care · Microbiome science · GOTS certified organic tampons · Medical device standards · Patented coating technology · Developed by women · Launching 2026 · Bioactive menstrual care · Microbiome science · GOTS certified organic tampons · Medical device standards · Patented coating technology · Developed by women · Launching 2026 ·
The Problem

We've been ignoring one of the most powerful ecosystems in the female body

For nearly 100 years, menstrual products have remained largely unchanged - despite major advances in our understanding of women's biology and the microbiome. The vaginal microbiome represents one of the most influential microbial ecosystems in the female body, playing a central role in gynaecological health, vaginal immunity and long-term wellbeing. Yet most menstrual products were never designed with this biology in mind. They were designed for absorption, not for proactive vaginal health.

As a result, millions of women experience irritation, imbalance, discomfort and preventable infections that have been normalised for far too long.

We don't accept that.

During menstruation, the vaginal ecosystem becomes uniquely vulnerable

  • 01
    Vaginal pH rises The natural acidity of the environment shifts, reducing its protective properties.
  • 02
    Protective bacteria decline Lactobacilli populations decrease, shifting the microbiome toward a less protective state.
  • 03
    Sensitivity increases The vaginal environment becomes more reactive to external influences.
  • 04
    The microbiome is disrupted Iron-rich blood creates conditions in which opportunistic bacteria can thrive.
Bacterial vaginosis and thrush affect more than 1 in 3 women globally - and are most likely to develop around or after menstruation.
01

Biology-led

Every design decision is guided by what we know about the vaginal microbiome - not by what is cheapest to manufacture. We start with the science.

02

Medical device standard

Our products are being developed to medical device quality standards despite this not being legally required in the UK or EU. Women's health deserves that rigour.

03

Microbiome-first

At the core of our products is a patented, naturally derived coating - proven to support the vaginal microbiome.

tampons with a difference

100% GOTS certified organic. Coated with our patented technology.

Our tampons are developed to medical device quality standards - with safety, biocompatibility testing and a clinical trial led by Dr Phillip Hay, global expert in bacterial vaginosis.

GOTS Certified Organic Patented Coating Technology Medical Device Standard

Why we exist

Going further than the status quo.

Imagine a tampon designed to support your vaginal microbiome - naturally helping those prone to bacterial vaginosis or thrush. Conditions that affect more than 1 in 3 women globally. It's possible.

The vaginal microbiome is one of the most overlooked ecosystems in human health. Menstrual care still relies on legacy synthetic materials and unnecessary chemicals - not because they're optimal, but because they are cheap and there has been no meaningful innovative alternative. This has become the status quo.

At a minimum, products used internally should be non-toxic, well-considered and safe by design. We believe that should be the baseline, not the innovation.

The Daughters of Mars exists to go further. Guided by women's biology. Developed by women.

~100
Years without meaningful innovation in menstrual care
1 in 3
Women globally affected by bacterial vaginosis
100%
GOTS certified organic cotton with patented coating
The Daughters of Mars | The First Microbiome-Supporting Tampons
Lucy Hope
Meet the founder

Lucy Hope

Founder & CEO, The Daughters of Mars

Lucy's background is in textile innovation and functional materials - developing high-performance fibres and health-focused coatings at scale.

She founded The Daughters of Mars after uncovering a critical blind spot in menstrual care. Products worn internally for hours each month are not legally required to meet medical grade safety or biocompatibility standards. Menstruation is a biological window of change within the vaginal microbiome. Lucy saw the opportunity to transform menstrual products from passive absorbants into proactive tools for vaginal health.

The opportunity is not just safer period care. It is proactive vaginal health.

Scientific advisor Dr Phillip Hay Leading UK expert in bacterial vaginosis · Professor of Sexual Health, St George's, University of London
Meet Lucy →

"The ambition is bold with huge potential"

Innovate UK

Questions

Frequently asked.

Everything you need to know about The Daughters of Mars, our science, and when you can expect our products.

Most menstrual products haven't evolved alongside scientific understanding of the vaginal environment. The Daughters of Mars is developing next-generation tampons designed with women's biology in mind - using a patented coating clinically proven to support the vaginal microbiome and reduce infection risk. Our products are developed to medical device quality standards, using 100% GOTS certified organic cotton, with safety and biocompatibility testing and an upcoming clinical trial led by Dr Phillip Hay, global expert in bacterial vaginosis.
The vaginal microbiome is sensitive to changes in pH, particularly during menstruation. Our approach is to design products that work with these natural changes, not against them. At the core of our products is a proprietary, naturally derived coating designed to better support the vaginal environment - allowing women to proactively support their vaginal health during menstruation.
In ancient mythology, the Amazons were warrior women who called themselves the daughters of Mars, invoking the Roman god of war to project strength, authority and fearlessness. Their name was a declaration of power. Today, women's menstrual products still sit outside the margins of scientific research and commercial innovation. The Daughters of Mars represents women operating at the frontier - scientifically, culturally and biologically. This is not symbolic empowerment. It is embodied strength, backed by science.
Yes, the vaginal microbiome is naturally self-regulating in healthy conditions. However, menstruation is one of the most disruptive periods in the vaginal ecosystem. Functional menstrual products do not replace the body's natural defences - they are designed to support them, helping maintain protective conditions during this vulnerable window. We are not fixing the body. We are working with it, supporting its innate wisdom.
We are currently completing safety and biocompatibility testing to medical device standards alongside clinical evaluation, and are raising investment to bring our first products to market. Our first products are planned to launch in 2026. Join the founding waitlist to receive updates as we progress.
Founding Waitlist

Be part of the next era of menstrual care.

Join thousands of women already on our founding waitlist - receive research updates, development progress and early access when we launch in 2026.

Join the founding waitlist

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Launching 2026