Nadkins: Grooming Innovation or Marketing Ploy?

We here at EDGE can cover some pretty unusual products. Test-tube penises? Yup. "Intimate deodorants" for men? Absolutely. G-spot amplification surgery? Yes, it is a thing.

So when Nadkins, a brand of sanitary wipes made exclusively for men, appeared in the marketplace, it really didn't cause too much of a stir, though the product name gave us a chuckle and eye roll around the office.

But we were skeptical nonetheless: not for the novelty, but for the need.

Getting to the Bottom

It is not unheard of for a standing product to be rebranded or even renamed in order to appeal to broader or simply different demographic (Google's impetus began as a search engine project titled "BackRub" - seriously.) In this age of such surreptitious marketing, we had to ask ourselves: are Nadkins, heralded as "Male Jewels Refresher Towelettes," really all that different from other wipes already on the market?

As it turns out, yes. And no.

"Wet naps, the wipes that you use to wash your hands, do have harsh antibacterial agents in them, like benzalkonium chloride," Dr. Tsippora Shainhouse (MD, FAAD), tells EDGE. "This can be irritating to the genital area, and it is not necessary to use disinfectants in that area."

Nerve for nerve, the hands are far more sensitive than a man's junk, but the skin of the crotch, genitals, inner thighs, and intergluteal cleft (the "butt crack") is not nearly as tough, and more readily responds to abrasion and irritants. Shainhouse notes that many of the fragrances so pleasing on hand naps can set off reactions if used elsewhere.

On the other hand, Joe Caccamo, the creator Nadkins, is quick to point out the inclusion of soothing agents such as aloe vera, Allantoin, and Vitamin E, perfect for the man-parts. Users experience a "cooling and refreshing feeling without any irritation," while at the same time removing dead skin that is often a cause of irritation in what is already a high-friction area.

However, continues Shainhouse, "Wipes are now being marketed to men to be used after bowel movements, to prevent 'skidmarks,' and to feel clean. Guys can also use them on their body after the gym, if they have no time to shower. They are the same as the diaper wipes that you use on babies."

Nadkins fills a niche in an increasingly interested market by packaging the product with a simple, azure-blue design that's more butch than a herd of smiling babies in a field of wildflowers. In other words, it pays to know your audience.

Behind the Magic

"Let's face it, when a man is uncomfortable down there, he is generally uncomfortable all over, making for a miserable day," Caccamo said in a press release.

And he makes it comfortable in more ways than one. Coming in discreet, pocket-sized packets of 10 per carton, Nadkins are made of a sturdy cloth material (i.e., no shredding during wiping), and along with soothing agents, contain six antiseptics to kill bacteria, viruses, fungi, and all things stinky. If the skin is already irritated, the addition of colloidal oatmeal in Caccamo's formula can, in part, help to relieve itching and reduce inflammation. A man's southern territories are left clean, and with a light citrus-mint fragrance, one made for the region in which it is used, that does not overdo it.

So when a boy's boys needs a little mid-day refresher, or right before a date braves an adventure into the nether regions, Nadkins - as legit a product as any - has you covered.