Built out of frustration toward the chemicals in traditional menstrual products, three women joined forces to create a "by Gen Z, for Gen Z" approach to period care.
Gen Z women spending $368 annually on beauty and 82% said they would switch to a natural product if they found one with results comparable to a non-natural product, according to In Cosmetics.
Viv is aiming to offer that natural product. Unlike traditional menstrual companies, Viv uses organic bamboo fiber, corn fiber and a biodegradable plastic in the creation of all of their pads and liners.
Its newest products are tampons made with organic cotton and plant-based applicators. “The tampons are a little bit more of a sustainable alternative to people who are not ready to use a cup or a reusable option,” founder Katie Diasti said.
Viv’s reusable menstrual cups are made out of a dark-colored silicon to prevent staining and maintain reusability.
When creating Viv, Diasti sought to steer away from traditional forms of marketing and home in on the niche of Gen Z women because she “found all of these issues around how brands were speaking to women and thriving off our insecurities,” Diasti said.
The Viv team is small with three full-time members including Diasti, along with CFO Catherine Mak and CMO Izzy Sarrafzadeh.
Diasti steered away from plastic as she created her products because one traditional pad equals four plastic bags. Even toxic-free brands failed to be eco-conscious in that sense, according to Diasti.
Viv is primarily sold to customers through direct online purchase. Flexible subscription services are available as well that renew every three-ten weeks.
A recent study reported that “the global natural feminine care market is valued at $1138.6 million as of 2020 and is expected to reach $1731.4 million by the end of 2026.”
Large competitors in this market alongside Viv are LOLA, The Honest Company and Honey Pot, among others.
Each company in the natural feminine care market takes a different approach. Some focus on sustainable products by using less plastic, others focus on a no-chemical approach and some infuse natural herbs in their products.
While Viv's products are scattered across a few Boston stores, the goal is to create the least amount of waste possible which means not overproducing products.
Diasti founded Viv during her senior year at Boston College. Impressed by the political response of brands during the 2016 election, Diasti said she was “was obsessed with mission-driven brands and wanted to start one.”
After doing three accelerators since its launch, Viv has gained $500,000 in funding from "angel investors" and SSC Venture Partners.
The accelerators “aided my leadership abilities a lot and taught me entrepreneurship by providing me with mentors who connected us to investors,” Diasti said.
