New P&G Survey Finds More Than 1 in 3 Girls Understand Skincare Better Than Their Period

Timed to Menstrual Hygiene Day, P&G’s Always® and Tampax® introduced “Flow With a Glow” with partner WASH United to expand access to modern menstrual health education.

CINCINATTI, May 28, 2026 — World Menstrual Hygiene Day —, Today’s girls are growing up fluent in skincare — from ingredients to routines— but many still approach menstruation with questions, nerves and uncertainty. Procter & Gamble, in partnership with WASH United, is addressing this period education gap as part of its decade long commitment to creating a more #PeriodFriendlyWorld. Always and Tampax today announced Flow With a Glow, a new menstrual health education concept designed to help girls feel confident, informed, and prepared for their period by reimagining period education through the familiar lens of skincare routines.

As part of the effort, P&G is supporting WASH United’s new platform, yes.period, an online educational hub with ready to use resources for parents, caregivers, and educators. New P&G global research1 reveals a clear disconnect in how girls (ages 11-17) learn about their bodies:

  • More than 1/3 of girls understand their skin better than their period.
  • Girls are 15% less likely to feel comfortable talking to their parents about periods than skincare.
  • More than half (56%) of girls say they don't feel prepared for managing their period because they feel awkward asking questions or talking about periods.

Why Period Education Still Lags

The gap in menstrual health education is not about lack of curiosity—it’s driven by limited access, persistent stigma, and lack of normalized, everyday conversation.

While today’s generation of girls is growing up with unprecedented access to information, not all topics are treated equally. Areas like skincare and self-care have become highly visible, routine, and openly discussed, while menstrual health remains less consistently addressed—often introduced too late, too briefly, or in ways that feel clinical rather than relatable.

Key barriers to period preparedness include2:

  • Limited access to trusted, age-appropriate education: Many girls are not introduced to menstrual health until shortly before or even after their first period, leaving little time to build understanding or confidence.
  • Ongoing social stigma around open conversation: Despite progress, periods are still often treated as private or uncomfortable topics, making it harder for girls to ask questions, seek guidance, or learn from shared experiences.
  • Inconsistent guidance across environments: Education can vary widely between schools, households, and communities, leading to uneven knowledge and preparedness among girls of the same age.
  • 1Sample of 7,000 girls aged 11-17 years old and 7,000 moms/female caregivers from the UK, USA, South Africa, France, UAE, China, Saudi Arabia, and India
  • 2WASH United. Advocacy and education for a period friendly world. https://www.wash-united.org/

“Without consistent, relatable education, many girls approach their period feeling unprepared,” said Ana Carolina Ruiz, P&G Feminine Care Global Communications Director. “For those of us serving the lives of girls and women, that is more than an insight — it is a responsibility. That is why this work matters so much, especially on Menstrual Hygiene Day. Through our partnership with WASH United, the expansion of yes.period, and the launch of Flow With a Glow from Always and Tampax, we hope to help girls build the knowledge, confidence, and support they need to feel more informed and prepared.”

What Is “Flow With a Glow”?

Flow With a Glow is an idea created by P&G reframing menstrual health and period education as a natural, learnable part of self-care. We know girls today are knowledgeable about skin care because access to information is readily available, and conversations are normalized. However, period education is lagging, and this initiative is spotlighting the imbalance.

yes.period: A New Hub For Period Education

WASH United has just launched yes.period. The yes.period platform offers a wide range of proven ready-to-use materials for group-based period education anyone can use to provide young girls with accurate and age-appropriate education about menstruation. All materials are unbranded and entirely free of charge.

The yes.period Platform:

  • Is an online platform with easy to implement materials for period education for girls, boys and caregivers
  • Offers materials in 34 different regional and language versions

The initiative is designed to:

  • Ensure that girls have the knowledge, confidence and support they need when they get their first period and beyond
  • Normalize conversations around menstrual health, including with boys and caregivers

“For too long, period education has been too little and too late. Girls deserve timely, age-appropriate period education that not only transfers knowledge, but also strengthens their confidence and provides them with the support they need in this critical moment of their lives,” said Thorsten Kiefer, Co-founder and CEO of WASH United.

“With yes.period and Flow With a Glow, we’re meeting girls where they already are—bringing menstrual health into everyday self care and helping parents, caregivers and educators start confident, stigma free conversations.”

A Long-Standing Commitment to a #PeriodFriendlyWorld

P&G Feminine Care is a proud partner of WASH United for more than a decade, helping to create a more #PeriodFriendlyWorld. Through Always and Tampax, P&G continues to advance:

  • Period education and awareness
  • Access to menstrual health and hygiene resources
  • Confidence and wellbeing for girls

Why Menstrual Education Matters Now

Flow With a Glow takes a different approach to period education, normalizing menstrual health as an ongoing, everyday part of self-care. By closing the gap between skincare knowledge and period education, the initiative helps girls move through their first period and beyond with confidence, clarity, and support.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is “Flow With a Glow”?
Flow With a Glow is a concept from Procter & Gamble’s Always and Tampax brands designed specifically to help girls feel confident and prepared beyond their first period by applying the familiarity of skincare routines to menstrual health education.

How does Flow with a Glow help close the period education gap?
The initiative makes period education more relatable by using the language and familiarity that other self-care categories like skincare apply—helping girls move from uncertainty to confidence through clear, age-appropriate information.

What is yes.period?
yes.period is an online platform that offers a wide range of proven ready-to-use materials for group-based period education anyone can access to provide young girls with accurate and age-appropriate education about menstruation. All materials are unbranded and entirely free of charge. Materials are available in 34 different regional and language versions for girls, boys and caregivers.

Who are the materials available on yes.period designed for?
The materials available on yes.period are designed for educators, parents, caregivers, and community leaders - anyone who wants to play a role in teaching and supporting girls as they learn about their periods. The materials are extremely easy to implement and have been widely used for peer-to-peer education, e.g. by girl scouts and girl guides.

Why is menstrual health education important?
Menstrual health education helps girls feel confident, prepared, and supported during their first period and beyond. It improves wellbeing, reduces stigma, and helps ensure girls can fully participate in school and daily life.

ABOUT P&G
P&G serves consumers around the world with one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Always®, Ambi Pur®, Ariel®, Bounty®, Charmin®, Crest®, Dawn®, Downy®, Fairy®, Febreze®, Gain®, Gillette®, Head & Shoulders®, Lenor®, Olay®, Oral-B®, Pampers®, Pantene®, SK-II®, Tide®, Vicks®, and Whisper®. The P&G community includes operations in approximately 70 countries worldwide. Please visit https://www.pg.com for the latest news and information about P&G and its brands. For other P&G news, visit us at https://www.pg.com/news.

ABOUT ALWAYS
Always®, the world's leader in period protection, offers a wide range of period care pads, liners and underwear designed to fit different body types, period flows and preferences. The Always line of period products includes Always Infinity™ Flexfoam, Always Ultra Thin, Always Maxi, Always Radiant, Always ZZZ and Always Liners. Always is on a mission to help stop the drop in confidence girls experience at puberty. For over 40 years, Always has been empowering girls globally, bringing superior period protection and period education to millions of puberty-aged girls. Please visit www.always.com for more information.

ABOUT TAMPAX
Procter & Gamble's leading tampon brand, Tampax, exists to help women and girls better manage their periods through superior internal period protection and medically accurate period education. With more than 80 years of period protection expertise, Tampax meets a variety of needs with a product lineup that includes Tampax Pearl, Tampax Radiant, Tampax Pocket Radiant and Tampax Starter Kit. Only Tampax tampons offer a LeakGuard™ Braid and five absorbency sizes to help provide leak-free periods.

ABOUT WASH UNITED
WASH United is a Berlin-based non-profit founded in 2011. Over the years, WASH United has shifted its focus from water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) to menstrual health and hygiene (MHH) to help address the persisting menstruation-related challenges 500 million women and girls around the world face every month. WASH United is the initiator of Menstrual Hygiene Day, the global campaign for a #PeriodFriendlyWorld

Media Contact
Amanda Brown
Senior Communications Manager, North America Feminine Care
[email protected]

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