Menstrual Cups: Why I Love My Lena Cup & You Will Too!
What’s up with the Menstrual Cup?
One thing I love to talk about is my menstrual cup! I know, I know – that sounds so weirdly private to a lot of people. BUT when I realized the sustainable wonder that is a menstrual cup – I knew I had to shout it from the mountain tops! I’ve been using my Lena Cup for about a year and a half now, and I will never go back to tampons! Keep reading to find out why!
Cost of menstrual cups vs tampons
I realize that an up front cost that is admittedly much higher than the cost of a regular pack of tampons might seem out of reach to a lot of people. But menstrual cups will save you SO MUCH MONEY in the long run.
Let’s do the math. A 36 Pack of Tampons will cost you around 8 dollars every purchase. Let’s say you have even a short period of 4 days and you’re changing it every 4 hours – that’s about 4 times a day. That’s roughly 16 tampons for one period. So you’re going to have to buy more every 2 months. 6 boxes (at least!) for around $48 a year.
My Lena cup costs $27 (and that’s without my $5 off discount code!). Menstrual cups can last up to 2 years (or even longer if you take care of them properly). So even on my lowest estimate, I’m saving half of what I would be spending on tampons for the year.
Comfort and ease
The comfort and ease are beyond what I would’ve ever dreamed possible. No more running to the bathroom with a tampon slipped up your sleeve, putting a quarter in the gas station bathroom to get a cardboard tampon, or asking someone if they happen to have extra. A menstrual cup can be put in and forgot about for 12 hours at a time!
I will say I’ve tried other cups than the Lena cup, and the Lena cup by far is the best. It doesn’t leak even if I’m working out or running around all day long (you can even swim in it!) I used to have to wear a thin pad because my tampons never did the job, and I was tired of throwing away my underwear. Now I have no leaks or spotting. I track my period, know when it’s coming, and insert it when I’m ready!
It is easy to insert (there are three different ways to do it that can fit your preference) and doesn’t feel like something that shouldn’t be there. In my experience, I always felt a tampon when I was wearing one. And the little string reminder that was always there (and that inevitably gets damp and gross) is now forever GONE! No odor. No mess. And just like a tampon, you can get different sizes to adjust to your flow. It makes having my period a freaking breeze!
health
If no one has told you yet, some commercial tampons may not be FDA regulated. They are categorized as medical devices, and because of that, they don’t have to list what is actually in them. Tampon/pad products could actually contain harmful chemicals or linings that may not be good for prolonged long-term use.
Lena cups are made from 100% US medical-grade silicone and medical-grade dyes. There are no chemical toxins and are BPA and latex-free. The Lena cup also helps you to maintain a healthy pH level so you can stay naturally moist and comfortable instead of drying yourself out like a lot of tampons do.
It makes me feel better knowing that something that is literally inside of me is safe and not going to harm my body.
Sustainability
The best part about a menstrual cup is that it keeps on giving. It gives you back your money, your freedom, and allows you to give back to the planet.
“In the United States alone, approximately 12 billion pads and 7 billion tampons are discarded each year.”
In episode 7 Hometown: Earth (5 Easy Plastic-Free Bathroom Swaps!), I mention that:
“Tampons are a single-use product, you use them and then throw them away. You’d think that the cardboard or plastic applicator could be recycled, but because they come in contact with bodily fluids – they aren’t. The wrappers that these come in also can’t be recycled. Another big issue is that these applicators and wrappers are being flushed down the toilet, causing major sewage issues.”
I’ve been out to my cities lagoon system, or where a lot of small towns process their cities toilet waste, and there are plastic tampon applicators washed up EVERYWHERE from being flushed down the toilet.
Tampons are made of cotton and fibers, meaning they are using up those raw materials to just be thrown into the trash. Menstrual pads are made up of 90% plastic. And the production of those raw materials is very energy-intensive. The lifecycle of these plastic products, including the fossil fuel emissions of plastic production, cause major damage to the environment.
Menstrual cups are made of silicone, and although silicone is not necessarily recyclable, it does degrade over time, which is better than just continuing to break down into microplastics. You can sign up and recycle your menstrual cup through Terracycle.
By using a menstrual cup you’re reducing your personal pollution, helping to protect your local sewer systems, and reducing the stress to the environment.
Are you team Menstrual cup?
Are you on team Menstrual cup yet? Hopefully, by now I have convinced you to be! I love being on the same team as badass, planet-loving menstruators! Let me know in the comments if you have any questions, or if you LOVE your menstrual cup! Oh, and don’t forget to use the code below for $5 off of your Lena Cup! 🙂
Receive $5 off a reusable menstrual cup from Lena Cup using discount code “LENA-HOMETOWN-EARTH”
(discount reflected at checkout)
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