WHY SWITCH TO A MENSTRUAL CUP?

Tired of spending your money on expensive tampons and panty liners? Heard about bleached rayon which is found in almost all tampons – a material that possibly creates harmful toxins? Too busy to change your panty liner every couple of hours? If you can relate to these inconveniences then a menstrual cup is perfect for you.

To start this guide, we have a few key reasons why investing in a menstrual cup is a good idea. Menstrual cups provide staggering cost savings over tampons and pads, since you can reuse them time and time again. The environment also benefits as it means less landfill waste and fewer trees are sacrificed to make the packaging designed to lure you in. Using a cup is better for your body as it maintains your vaginal pH, ensuring that beneficial bacteria stays in tact. In contrast, tampons absorb all of your vaginal fluid along with your menstruation which may disrupt the delicate bacterial balance. You can also keep the cup in for up to 12 hours before emptying, this saves some precious minutes considering you must change tampons every four to eight hours depending on your flow. The menstrual cup creates a seal in your vagina, which avoids any leaking that inevitably occurs when using a tampon.

Swapping to a menstrual cup is the most liberating thing you can do, you will no longer dread the looming date of your period, fear wearing a white bikini on holiday, or continue to take your pill to delay that week for another month… The cup will change the relationship that you have with your period and increase your connection with your monthly cycle, pretty soon you will have no qualms with sticking your fingers up your vagina to empty at the end of the day. Freedom from the tyranny of menstruation is nothing short of empowering!

Using a cup is simple and becomes easier as you get more comfortable with the process. Always start by washing your hands, then fold and gently insert into your vagina, tilting back towards the base of your spine. You can leave the cup in for up to twelve hours, then simply pull the cup down by the base, empty, wash and re-insert. At the end of your period, just boil the cup in a pot of boiling water for five to ten minutes, leave to draw and place in a breathable drawstring cotton pouch until next month.

We headed to the Menstrual Cup Site to help us create a list of the top cups available on the market…

For Beginners – Lunette Cup Size 1

For Teenagers – Blossom Cup Small

For Low Cervix – FemmyCycle Low-Cervix

For Heavy Flow – Diva Cup (any size)

For Active Women – Intimina Lily Cup

Snap one of these up and go with your flow!

Images courtesy of La Femme and Pravayama.