TIRED OF TAMPONS? How and Why I chose a Menstrual Cup – from Juliet at The Great Eco Journey

I must confess that changing to a menstrual cup was something that took me a little while to get my head around. While I was eagerly giving up single-use plastic bottles and bags, setting up my compost and switching to a bamboo toothbrush, changing to a menstrual cup remained on the back-burner. I was interested, I was mulling it over, but I just wasn’t quite there yet. There was something holding me back, something a bit, well…. ICKY about it, and something a bit, well… BIG about it.

But everything changed after a chat with a friend who had been using a menstrual cup for around six months and absolutely RAVED about it! She said it was one of the best changes she had ever made, not just for the environment, but for her body and her lifestyle. It was the final push I needed. And now that I’d mustered the courage to change, I was EXCITED! I started researching straight away, comparing alternative materials, reputations of menstrual cup brands and the support and advice systems they had in place. There are a number of menstrual cups to choose from in New Zealand; pastel-pink ones, bell-shaped ones, pointy ones, plastic ones, tall, short, bent, soft or rigid.

But I eventually landed upon one that ticked all boxes: the Mooncup®.

So, I figured out which size was right for me (very straightforward – there are two sizes and, being a woman in my 30s who has had three children, it was very clear which one was right for me!) and I placed my order. I had given birth to my daughter about six months prior, and I was geekily excited waiting for my period to come back so I could use my Mooncup!

Now we are all different, and I can’t tell you what’s best for your body. But I can tell you why I chose the Mooncup menstrual cup, and how it’s worked out…

Mooncup® is the original silicone menstrual cup

First and foremost, Mooncup are the OG of menstrual cups. They have been around since 2002 (that’s 20 years!), when menstrual cups were unheard of, and ‘sustainable’ and ‘periods’ were two words that just didn’t go together. They have paved the way for waste-free periods.  The Mooncup has now been used by millions of women all over the world. For me, that gave me a feeling of security. Knowing that even though this was new for me, the product that I was choosing was well-and-truly tried and tested, and loved by so many.

Mooncup is an ethical business, owned and run by women

I could also immediately see that Mooncup were the kind of business I like to support. Designed and owned by women, Mooncup is an employee-owned business that supports charities and non-profits.  They are all about taking the shame and inequality out of periods. To date, over 20,000 women have received a free Mooncup through the period-equality projects that they have participated in.

The Mooncup® is better for you and for our planet

I also really liked the fact that the Mooncup is plastic-free. I don’t particularly like having plastic in my home, so why on earth would I want to put it in my body! The Mooncup is made from soft, medical-grade silicone (it was the world’s first silicone cup). It’s also latex-free, hypoallergenic and contains no dyes, perfumes, BPA, phthalates, bleaches or toxins. While I did find the brightly coloured cups from other brands cute, the Mooncup seemed like a far more natural and sensible option to me!

The Mooncup customer service is the best there is

My final reason for choosing a Mooncup, but perhaps the most important to me, was the ongoing support that they offer. Not only do they have a money-back guarantee, but they also have trained medical advisors available to offer you individual support.  I benefited from this support in the first couple of months of using my Mooncup, so I can vouch for the fact that it was prompt, completely personalised and extremely helpful.

So, I took the plunge!  That was nearly three years ago now, and after a couple of goes at getting it right (with guidance from the Mooncup advisors), I haven’t looked back. In fact, changing to a Mooncup has been one of the most rewarding eco-swaps I’ve made.

When I first took my Mooncup out of its box, I must confess, I wondered how (un)comfortable it was going to be… but I can hand-on-heart tell you that once in correctly, you cannot feel it. It holds up to three times as much as a regular tampon and can stay in for up to 8 hours. Once I’ve finished with it for the month, I just sterilise it and pop it in its little carry case in my handbag, so I never get caught short.  I initially made the change to a Mooncup for environmental reasons, but I love it for much more than that. It is super-convenient for a busy mum. It saves me money (they pay for themselves in 6-8 months and after that, you’re saving every month), and I also get a great sense of satisfaction walking straight past the shelves of period products in the supermarket!

Simply put, the Mooncup is better for me, better for the planet and better for my pocket. Period.

If you have any questions or are unsure about using a Mooncup, you can get in touch with the team at Oh Natural or contact the Mooncup team at advice@mooncup.co.uk, they’d love to help you out!

Shop Mooncup at Oh Natural

I love that, as part of my job, I get to share about incredible, sustainable businesses and brands. This post is written in collaboration with Mooncup and Oh Natural. I only work with businesses that I use, trust and love. The words and opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Juliet is the founder of The Great Eco Journey.  You can follow along with her & her family’s journey on Instagram & Facebook and for some more great reasons to switch to using Mooncup menstrual cups and other great eco living tips!

Note – Juliet has had her Mooncup for so long (they last for years and years!) and still has the older branded bag so the last image shows the old bag. The newer version is in the first two pictures and you can see it in more detail on our website here.