So, mid-last year I invested in a menstrual cup and it has been one of my absolute best finds!! It seriously has revolutionized my life! And I feel that it could be a solution to both environmental and health issues. Here is why…
With the whole world in a plastic frenzy, as our planet is gradually suffocated by this toxic substance, used absolutely everywhere, everyday by everyone!! We’ve spoken and done something about reducing the use of straws, cups, glitter and even microbeads in exfoliation scrubs, but why hasn’t anyone thrown the light on women’s sanitary products? Do you even know that your disposable sanitary wear is contributing to the plastic problem!? Do you know that the average sanitary pad can contain up to 4 plastic bags? Plastic, that CANNOT be recycled. And with plastic in the media almost daily I don’t feel like I need to elaborate on the toxicity of this harmful product.
And some applicator tampons ( Tampax to name one) have plastic applicators!! How?! Why?! With the current ecological climate, plastic is an absolute no, no! And seriously, who’s going to pop their used applicators into the recycling?? Oh, excuse me while I rinse my applicator and pop it back into my bag to dispose of later.
Seriously!!! Why the unnecessary plastic!!???
So now that you know about the plastic part, here’s the chemical part.
Most commercial, store-bought tampons and pads are laced with chemicals in the form of bleach (yes!! these products are not naturally white), adhesive, polyethylene (PET) and many others linked to hormone disruption, cancer, birth defects and infertility. If the tampons you are using are not made with organic cotton chances are it’s been made with GMO cotton full of pesticides. All these chemicals being absorbed into your bloodstream by your most delicate and permeable organ, your skin! And because sanitary wear is considered a medical product they don’t need to list all these baddies! So you won’t see this list on the back of the box.
The average woman will use between 12,000 to 24,000 sanitary products in her lifetime, depending on her cycle etc. That’s a lot of exposure to nasties and a whole lot of extra UNRECYCLABLE plastic waste that will end up in either landfills or in the ocean!!
The plastic situation is dire, we have to do what we can to make a difference. It’s killing our planet!
So why isn’t everyone using the menstrual cup? Perhaps it’s because far too little people are talking about it?
After finding out all of the above I was adamant to find a more healthy alternative to the commercial store-bought sanitary products. And finally, I have found it.
I was a little reluctant at first as it seemed a tad tricky and a little too good to be true but after reading one good review after another I decided to do a little online shop around. This is where I came across the Mooncup (R575.00) at Faithful to Nature. I scrolled through the reviews on the various other product options they had available and opted to go for the latter which had the best reviews.
I have been using mine for almost a year now and must admit it was a little tricky to get the hang of at first and I did experience some leakage etc at the beginning but once I got it, it seriously was a life changer! So if you don’t quite get it in the beginning, don’t give up, keep trying!
Some of the reasons why I love my Mooncup:
- Saves money! It will last up to 10 years.
- Environmentally friendly.
- Aids in better personal hygiene.
- Ideal for overnight use.
- Made of non-toxic silicone/rubber, so no chemicals.
- It’s comfortable. So comfortable you may actually forget you’re on your period.
- It could be a solution for those without access to sanitary ware. These are what we should be donating to people in need instead of commercial sanitary products.
Tips:
- When buying your cup. Make sure you get the right size.
- Make sure to sanitize the product. Basically, pop it into some boiling water for a bit and you’re done. You can still get Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS) when using this product if not changed often enough or not cleaned thoroughly.
The Mooncup is by far my favorite purchase of 2017 and gets 5 stars from me! I hope that you found this post helpful! Please shout if you have any questions and I’d love to hear feedback.
xoxo
