Hygiene products such as diapers, tampons, pantyliners and the like are produced using body-compatible substances in the form of nanoparticles having surfaces that have been chemically and/or physically modified. The substances may be oxides, oxide hydrates, hydroxides, halogenides, phosphates, sulfides, nitrides or carbides of aluminum, silicon, alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, or secondary group elements. The surface modification may be carried out using organic compounds such as carboxylic acids, carboxylic acid derivatives, amino acids, hydroxycarboxylic acids, sugar acids, polyglycolic acids, ether carboxylic acids, alkyl halides, or silanes.