Reusable Sanitary Wear Review: Mooncup

By Mel Newton

Although originally invented in the 1930’s the popularity of menstrual cups has grown exponentially in the last decade, so it was only right that for this month’s blog I finally gave them a go. From what I’d heard from speaking to various people, most that have a menstrual cup absolutely love them. My advice to people interested in trying them is they had to be willing to get up close and personal with themselves and were more likely to get on with them if they had previously got on with tampons. Mooncup themselves recommend it takes at least 3 cycles to get used to a Mooncup.

As someone that had never got on with tampons, I have to say I was pretty scared to try a menstrual cup. But I was willing to take one for the team as I couldn’t do a thorough review of reusable sanitary products without giving them a try. I felt that it was only right to start with Mooncup as they are one of the market leaders when it comes to menstrual cups.

Cycle 1 – Well, my first time using it was an experience! First things first, safe, and effective use of a menstrual cup includes sterilising it, following the instructions on the packet I left it fully emerged in boiling water for 7 minutes, then I removed it from the boiling water with some tongs. This is where chaos ensued. Unsure what to do with it next – I didn’t want to put it on the counter and risk contaminating it, but it was too wet to put in the bag, so my brain thought “I know I’ll shake it” at which point I promptly dropped it on the floor and had to start all over again. Great start. I later discovered you can buy small menstrual cup sterilising machines online for around £20, and I can honestly say this vastly improved my experience with the cup so I would definitely recommend using one if you’re not completely comfortable with sterilising things.

Next it was time to insert the cup and next in the series of stupid things Mel does, I learned the hard way why you shouldn’t use a menstrual cup if you have false nails on. Not only can it cause injury to your delicate areas, you can damage the cup itself and honestly it made it 10 times more difficult to get the cup in an out. So, at this point I gave up and decided to try again next cycle.

Cycle 2 – With steriliser in hand and false nails removed this cycle was much easier. I was able to get much more comfortable inserting and removing the cup, I was even able to remove and reinsert whilst out and about with family which I was pretty proud of. By the end of this cycle, I was really beginning to find my feet with the cup and could see why so many people love them.

Cycle 3 – This cycle was much more of a challenge; I don’t know what changed or what I was doing wrong but I just could not get it to sit comfortably and eventually gave up and went back to using pads.

My overall opinion of the Mooncup was pretty high, I can really see the benefits to using one, not only does it make everything less messy, I found I was able to get on with my day without having to check on things. Another benefit of the Mooncup as that due to decreased mess it can be used for non-penetrative sex, so if you’re someone whose libido is high during your period but you don’t want the mess of period sex, this is a great product. (Please note, menstrual cups MUST be removed before engaging in penetrative sex and are not a suitable form of contraceptive).

Other important things to note, menstrual cups do come with a slight risk of Toxic Shock Syndrome, meaning they shouldn’t be left in for too long without cleaning and should be properly sterilised at the beginning and end of your period (please see manufacturer instructions on this). Additionally, you should seek medical advice before using one if you have an IUD or copper coil as this can cause your coil to move and become ineffective.

Essentially, Mooncup’s can take a lot of trial and error to get used to, but once you’ve gotten used to it can be a great, mess-free way to manage your flow.

Star Rating

Affordability 4/5

Ease of Clean 3/5

Convenience 3/5

Eco Friendly Design 3/5

Comfort 5/5 (when fitted correctly – if it’s not sitting right I found it can cause cramps and chaffing which was not fun at all!)

I hope this month’s blog has been informative. Is there a reusable sanitary product you want us to try? Message us via the contact form or via social media with your suggestions.

 
Disclaimer - This blog is the opinion of Mel Newton based on her own personal experiences with products listed and does not necessarily reflect the views of The SuPer Project or Tiger Community Enterprise CIC. We hope through this series to encourage open and honest conversations around menstruation and sanitary wear. This is not an advertisement and we have no affiliation with Mooncup or its associated brands.