If you have heard of menstrual cups, but never thought of giving them a try – this post is for you. You might have seen the notices on the back of public toilet doors, but always thought that menstrual cups are too ‘icky’ or just for hippy types.
Actually, menstrual cups are becoming more popular. More women are choosing to ditch the tampons in favour of a cleaner, healthier alternative.
If you are on the fence about trying a menstrual cup, here’s some reasons why it’s a win-win for both you and the environment.
Benefits of using Menstrual Cups for You
Less chemicals in your body – Menstrual cups are made from medical grade silicon, you are protecting your body from the chemicals that enter your body from tampons. Tampon materials are often bleached or have been treated with chlorine, and the microscopic scrapes they make to your vaginal wall means that these chemicals can enter your bloodstream.
Save money – How much are you spending on tampons per month? What does that add up to over a year? Menstrual cups range in price, but average around £20. What’s more, they last for years. This can save you a significant amount of money.
Comfortable – Once inserted, you don’t even know you are wearing a menstrual cup.
Lasts longer – did you know that you don’t have to take your menstrual cup out for 12 hours? That means you can go about your day as if your period wasn’t even there.
Less leakage – When your tampon is full, you know about it. The good thing about menstrual cups is that they can hold a decent volume, meaning less awkward leaking.
Hygienic – using a menstrual cup keeps you feeling fresh and clean – no more tampon strings to deal with!
Feel as if your period is about to start? You can wear you menstrual cup before you see evidence of menstruation, so you don’t get caught out unexpectedly.
Menstrual cups don’t dry you out, whereas tampons absorb all the natural lubrication you have down there.
Benefits of Menstrual Cups for the Environment
Where do we start? There are so many environmental benefits of using a menstrual cup. Here are just a few…
9. Less waste – how many tampons get flushed down the toilet and end up in the ocean? By using a menstrual cup, you are not adding to that waste.
Tampons with plastic applicators contributes to landfill waste, unless you carry the used applicators around with you and put in the recycling.
10. Tampons are usually made from a mixture of cotton and rayon. Cotton is well-known for being a crop that has a negative effect on the environment. It takes many pesticides and fertilisers to grow, plus it is one of the thirstiest crops, meaning that water is often diverted from natural riverbeds and lakes in order to grow cotton. This can have a huge effect on the local environment and communities. If more women chose to use menstrual cups, it would lessen demand for tampons.
11. Tampons also contain plastics such as polyester, polyethylene, polypropylene. This means they are not biodegradable. While menstrual cup are made of silicone, it is not a single use plastic like what is contained in tampons.
What Menstrual Cup is the Best?
Women are all sorts of shapes and sizes, and there are a host of menstrual cups out there. Do your research and read the reviews. You can read the review I wrote about the of menstrual cup brand Mooncup here.
Another brand I have tried is Pixie Cup. This is slightly cheaper than Mooncup, and the bonus is that you get two sizes in a combination pack. That means you are more likely to get a great fit.
When you buy a Pixie Cup, they also donate one to a woman in need. In some developing countries, period products are not available or are expensive, so having a menstrual cup can make a real difference to the life of women.
Using a menstrual cup for the first few times does take a little getting used to, but over two or three cycles it will feel a familiar as using tampons or pads.
Using a menstrual cup is something that more women are turning to, because it makes sense. You can still do all the normal activities you would, such as swimming, yoga, running and more. Don’t stay stuck in the dark ages! Why not give it a try?
I love this!
I started using a menstrual cup a little while ago and I’m really gutted something like this wasn’t available 20 years ago, I could have saved so much money and I don’t even want to think about all the waste I’ve created from tampons and tampon applicators.