Hey, Seaster! Here Are 5 Reasons Why You Should Try Menstrual Cups
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Imagine you’re on a surf trip in your dream spot with your best buddies – boards are ready, your new Haikini pieces on your backpack, and your excitement is through the roof. But wait – you just got your period! What should you do?
(Left: Thalassa Cami Top | Thalassa Strappy Thong Bottoms. Right: Cordelia Cami Top | Cordelia Strappy Thong Bottoms)
Enter the Bulan Cup – a menstrual cup made with medical-grade silicone that is meant to collect, instead of absorbing blood.
It turns out, there’s more to the Bulan Cup than the comfort it can give you – it saves you tons of money. For five years, you won’t have to shop for pads and tampons any longer. More importantly, you won’t be clogging up landfills with icky single-use period products that take 500 to 800 years to decompose.
But we get it – trying out menstrual cups is intimidating especially when you’ve been using pads your entire life. Menstrual cups may seem like it’s so complicated to use and some may think it hurts, or it can get stuck inside your vagina.
Trying anything new is unnerving – we know! This is why in this blog post, we will have an open chat about how the Bulan Cup can change your periods for the better.
1. You can save money
When you have a menstrual cup, you only spend once. The money that you have previously used to buy a box of tampons every month can be used more wisely- like treating yourself with a bottle of wine or some chocolates!
Bulan Cup only costs USD$19 (PHP$940) so it’s like spending only USD$0.3 (PHP$15) per month on products for five years! All you have to do is take care of it and of course, wash and sanitise before and after use.
2. It will give you unparalleled comfort
(Left: Thalassa Cami Top | Thalassa Strappy Thong Bottoms. Right: Cordelia Cami Top | Cordelia Strappy Thong Bottoms)
Period freedom is not a myth! People who menstruate every month have accepted the fact that periods are uncomfortable, pricey, and can hinder us from doing our day-to-day activities - but the menstrual cup is the solution to that!
Now you can spend all day in your bikini without worrying about your tampon string showing. You can even sleep naked on your period without stressing about staining the sheets (we know how annoying it is to clean it)
3. It’s easier to insert than you think
When you first see your Bulan Cup, the first thing on your mind may be “How is that going to fit inside my vagina?” Trust us, it will.
There are different folds that you can use to insert it properly. We recommend the c-fold and the punch-down fold. When a menstrual cup is folded, it is as small as a tampon. And, when it is inserted right, you won’t even feel it is there!
You can swim, surf, and do any activity on your period without worrying about leakages. When used right, you won't even feel that it is there. No period will stop you from doing the activities you love again. Whether it is surfing, skating, swimming, biking or Netflix all day (without worrying about staining the sheets every couple of hours on heavy flow days), using the cup feels like you're not on your period at all!
4. You can wear it for up to 12 hours
When you look at your pad or tampon, you may think you’re losing a lot of blood, but did you know that one menstrual cup can hold 3 to 4 times the capacity of one daytime pad?
Because of this, it can give you leak-free and hassle-free protection for 12 hours! But of course, this still depends on your flow, if you know you have a heavy flow - best to take out your cup at the 8-hour mark just to be sure. Still, that is a long time of not having to think about leaks and changing pads, right?
5. Say goodbye to the danger of plastics (to you and to the planet)
We are all aware of the dangers of plastics to our oceans. As surfers and beachgoers, it is important to maintain the cleanliness of our sacred playground.
However, did you know that people who menstruate are more prone to the dangerous effects of plastic more than men?
Single-use pads and tampons are bleached and contain microplastics. These chemicals can transfer to our hormonal systems that can cause complications.
Single-use pads and tampons are not great for our planet as well. When you throw your pad or tampon away in the garbage bin, it doesn’t magically go away. It gets dumped in landfills where it will take hundreds of years to decompose. That means the first tampon and pad ever used is still on the earth today! Scary!
Let’s be realistic.
Don’t get us wrong, cups are a little tricky to use for beginners. There is a learning curve, so don’t give up if on your first try you experience some discomfort or leaks because getting used to it takes around one to three cycles – but we’re always here to guide you on your waste-free period journey. Once you get it right - you won’t go back to pads anymore and you will experience a hassle-free period every month!
(Menstrual cup colour and size variations from Bulan Cup)