Procter & Gamble had just begun to expand their product lines into tampons while they were designing Rely tampons and wanted their product to stand out so that they could compete against more established competing products. They chose to eschew materials that were typically used in tampons in favor of using carboxymethylcellulose, a non-decomposing, edible chemical compound often used to thicken food products. The tampon's cup was composed of polyester and was designed to minimize the leakage of menstrual fluid, as it would adapt to the shape of the user's vagina.
