The typical menstrual products females are encouraged to use in our society today are not necessarily the most sustainable, healthy or safe to use. All sorts of chemicals, additives, pollutants can be found in tampons and pads (even dioxin – which is a carcinogen by the way!?). All of these things can leach into your body; and once in the landfill, into the environment – yikes. Personally, anything I wouldn’t want inside of me, I’m sure the Earth doesn’t want either!
I decided to make the switch to a menstrual cup a couple of years ago, and so far, I’ve had a great experience, and would never consider going back to tampons. I’ve noticed so many positive changes in my period by using a menstrual cup, like a lighter flow, shorter period, less cramping, and I’m also saving a ton of money. Yes, the initial cost of a menstrual cup may seem like a lot, but not having to spend any money on menstrual products for upwards of two years (depending on where and tear, the cup life itself) is such a relief. As a student, all those little costs really add up, and having one less monthly cost is incredibly helpful financially.
I personally use a Diva cup, but there are so many options available, what works for me, may not work for you. I have the Diva cup model 1, which is for women under 30 who have not had children. The diva cup can be found in many stores throughout Canada and online as well. I purchased mine in store for about $40.00. I typically would spend about $10.00 per month on tampons, so that $40.00 is such a small amount for years of use. I also decided to purchase reusable menstrual pads recently. These tend to be more expensive, however, I do like having the option of not always using my cup. And like the menstrual cup, if you take care of these products they can last for quite some time. I purchased natural organic reusable pads, as I wanted to be sure that there would no harmful chemicals and additives that could potentially harm my body. Stay tuned for a review on those!
I’ll be honest, sometimes periods suck, but they don’t have to. Changing products, and most importantly changing your mindset, can help make your period one less thing to stress about. Being positive and appreciating everything that your body is capable of doing, is important overall, and having a healthy, positive mindset about your period should go hand in hand with this. We (as females) are beautiful creatures, even when we bleed for a week. Consider trying a more eco-friendly menstrual product next month – you never know, you just may never go back!
Thanks for reading, as always questions and comments are welcome!
– Kelsey
Change to Sustain 