This website has been devised by a convert! Finding these products have changed my life so much I want to share them with the UK!
Here are just a few reasons why....
The DivaCup is made from medical grade silicone and won’t dry you out the way tampons do. Because the cup collects rather than absorbs menstrual flow, it is not associated with any risk for contracting Toxic Shock Syndrome. Using Lunapads and the DivaCup also means less worry about irritation and infections caused by plastics and chemical residues found in most disposable products.
But not just irritations - what about all those toxins you are absorbing into your body from the bleached and unnatural materials used to make disposible sanitary protection?
We are all getting used to rinsing and recycling cans, bottles and putting aside our newspapers. Likewise, washing Lunapads or rinsing out the DivaCup is a little more work than throwing away your used pads and tampons - and as the Divacup can stay in place for 12 hours, this can be conveniently done at home. But with literally billions of pads, tampons and applicators going into landfills every year, it’s a small but important way of taking personal responsibility for a massive environmental problem.
Of course there's not just the disposal of them, there's the emissions and environmental pollution produced when they are manufactured too!
Women, on average, experience a lifetime menstruation span of 41 years (11-52). From use of disposable feminine hygiene, an estimated 12 billion sanitary pads and 7 billion tampons are dropped into the U.S. environment (U.S. 1998) each year. Our revolutionary, reusable products are a modern, viable alternative to disposable tampons and pads.
Additionally, tampons and pads contain surfactants, adhesives, additives and dioxin. Dioxin, a known carcinogen (chemical that encourages cancer), is a by-product of the bleaching process of rayon tampons. In landfills, these substances can leach into the environment (groundwater, streams and lakes) causing serious pollution and health concerns.
Although not all women can afford to purchase an energy-efficient hybrid car or convert their home to solar energy, they can reduce dangerous landfill waste by choosing to use a reusable menstrual cup. Use of The DivaCup creates a positive eco-footprint every month.
It can be difficult initially to see the value of multiple-use products over disposables, because the initial price difference makes it look like disposables are cheaper. But when you consider the re-usable items will last you for considerably longer, the savings start to show.
For example, an average pack of 20 tampons would cost around £2.50, that's 12.5p each. You will use on average around 6 tampons per day for 4 days of your period, so that's £3 per month. Then there's panty liners at around £2 for 20, that's 10p each, of which you would use 5 a day for approx 6 days, making another £3. So average month of using tampons would cost you £6 - and it would cost the environment a lot more!
So in less than 4 month you would have paid for your Divacup, and this should further last you up to 2 years!
You can do a similar calculation with Lunapads....
Choosing to buy organic and locally-grown food demonstrates added value for some higher-priced products, but on a larger scale – value that extends to benefits for your health, your community and the environment. For example, the “expensive” head of organic lettuce that I buy is giving me the added value of better taste and nutrition, supporting environmentally sustainable agriculture and reducing pesticide use – things that we feel are a better long-term value on every level.
I must say since changing to the Divacup I have never looked back. You forget about your period - I have to remind myself to empty it before bed sometimes! And no more fumbling in public toilets. No more pulling strange looking objects out of your bag in male company! No more wearing big old pants for that 'special' week! The Divacup is so reliable - it does not leak or hurt and has even helped to ease some of my period pains.
You need to give a couple of months to get it right though. You will find the right position, and this will be what is right for YOU.
Similarly, the Lunapads take a little getting used to, but once you are in a routine they are just as convenient as disposables! Many report that they come to enjoy caring for their Lunapads and DivaCup, and that it helps them feel more positive about their cycles and in touch with their bodies overall.
It may sound strange if you’re new to the idea, but after using your new natural menstrual products over time, they start to feel like old friends. There is something very gentle, intimate and comforting about using them every month. After a while, the idea of going to a chemist to buy pads or tampons seems like an unimaginable waste of time and money, when you could just be spending time taking care of yourself instead.
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