interior of the pad remains dry the same surface of the pad is then sprayed with a 1 suspension of unneutralized carbopol 940 a cross linked acrylic acid polymer having an equivalent weight of 76 per free acid hydrogen ion and an average molecular weight of about 4 000 000 at the rate of about 45 cc per sq meter the carbopol suspension is a free flowing liquid as applied but sets up as a stiff gel upon contact with the previously sprayed sodium hydroxide to prevent penetration of the carbopol spray into the interior of the pad the moisture then dissipates or the pad is dried in moderate heat about 90 u00b0 c resulting in the formation of a thin skin which stabilizes the pad without substantially reducing its original bulk and loft and without substantially reducing its original absorptive capacity the thus stabilized pad is assembled with a fibrous facing layer on the side opposite the dried gel layer and with a water impervious plastic film layer adjacent the dried gel layer and adhered to the dried gel layer by parallel glue lines spaced about 17 mm apart the fibrous facing layer and the water impervious plastic film layer are co extensive and somewhat larger in dimension than the stabilized pad being attached to each other by glue lines in the marginal areas in the manner of mesek et al u s pat no 3 612 055.