It took an accident and months of physical therapy for stockbroker Leigh Carcel to discover a new vocation: becoming an entrepreneur/advocate of plastic-free leakproof underwear.
After quitting from a foreign bank, Leigh traveled to Sydney in 2019 to visit relatives and friends. One day, she fell down a long flight of steps in a friend’s house and shattered the topmost part of the lumber spine, which nearly severed her spinal cord.
After emergency surgery, the doctor told her that the injuries could cause paraplegia, numbness in the legs, and loss of bladder control. The ensuing reconstructive surgery included titanium bars on the back. With her savings and some help from her father, Leigh recovered after a three-month hospital confinement. After seven months of three-hour rehabs five days a week, she became active again.
In her rehab sessions, Leigh frequently experienced mild incontinence. Initially, she tried adult bulky diapers. When she switched to leakproof underwear for her menstrual period and incontinence, Leigh could finally wear shorts and not worry about a bulge.
“I thought the product was wonderful, but the Philippines didn’t have access to it,” she says.
Ecoflow looks and feels like underwear, only more secure
While in Sydney, she started developing leakproof underwear for the Philippine market.
The business capital was culled from her savings. “My bank job was investing in start-ups. This time, I wanted to invest in myself, too,” says Leigh.
She worked with a fabric engineer to develop leakproof underwear that was going the way of sustainability. She wanted to produce in the Philippines, but there were no factories to make her product and Philippine textile agencies were not helpful in recommending or sourcing materials.
“I asked the fabric engineer to find the best material for the design. We have been outsourcing the manufacturing in China,” she says.
Leigh designed the styles, the packaging, and the marketing. Ecoflow is the first Filipino leakproof underwear which looks and feels like regular underwear—only more functional. The undies are made in three variants—cotton, bamboo, and nylon—which are infused with spandex to make the underwear durable, comfortable, and resistant to perspiration. The gusset uses multiple layers of absorbent fabric, instead of plastics, to prevent leaks and discomfort.
Stylish and reliable, the leakproof is apt for women of different ages.
“When you have your period, you want something snug and basic. I designed Ecoflow not only as underwear for menstruation, incontinence, and excessive sweating, but for everyday use,” she says. For P850 a piece, it’s washable and reusable and can last four years, says the entrepreneur, stressing its sustainability.
Leigh admits that as a start-up, she can’t be purely sustainable. “Recycled nylon must be bought in bulk. We don’t have that capacity yet,” she explains.
Leigh promoted Ecoflow among her family, friends, and followers. Still, she says it will take time for people to accept it.
“I first talked about it to the investment community. We often exchange ideas on feasibility. I was told that Ecoflow would cater to a niche market,” she says. “There are over 30 million menstruating women in the Philippines. That’s not a niche market. Eighty percent of them experience leaks and stains in one cycle. Incontinence is common, too.”
For now Ecoflow is sold online. Next year, Leigh is taking another step by selling it in specialty boutiques.
(Available at www.goecoflow.com, Lazada, and Shopee)
