SteppingSoftly.com

Okay, so male readers (I don’t think I even have any male readers) no need to continue any further.  I’m warning you . . .

I love my Diva Cup.  My Diva what?  The Diva Cup is a soft, silicone “cup” that is a menstrual alternative to tampons and pads.  It is extremely comfortable, easy to clean and very reliable.  It saves me tons on tampons, pads and pantiliners.  It is latex, chlorine, dye, BPA, phthalate and coloring free.  Did I mention that you can wear it for 12 hours?  Yippee!

If you are looking for an alternative in menstrual products and want to make less impact on the environment–look no further!  Check out these statistics from Diva Cup’s site.

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 dumped into the North American environment each year (1998). More than 170,000 tampon applicators were collected along U.S. coastal areas between 1998 and 1999. Our revolutionary, reusable product is a modern, viable alternative to disposable tampons and pads.

Most tampons and pads contain surfactants, adhesives and additives. In addition, most pads contain polyethylene plastic whose production is a pollutant. Also, dioxin, a known carcinogen, is a by-product of the bleaching process of tampons containing rayon. In landfills, many of these substances can leach into the environment (groundwater, streams and lakes) causing serious pollution and health concerns.

Before making the switch to the Diva Cup a year and a half ago, I was already using Natracare’s applicator-free tampons.  They worked great, but I wanted something different.  I wanted to stop putting my chlorine-free, certified organic, 100% cotton , plastic free tampons into the landfill.  I felt like I was making a difference–but I could do more.  I switched to the Diva Cup and haven’t looked back.

The Diva Cup leaks very little.  If it is adjusted and inserted correctly, there is NO leakage.  A lot of women don’t even use backup at all.  I do choose to occasionally use some handmade mama cloth pantiliners that I purchased off Etsy.  They are organic hemp/undyed cotton, so soft and very comfortable.

You may be thinking, “That’s gross!”  Well . . . at first it is a little messy . . . I do admit that.  There is a learning curve, but it is easy to master after a few cycles.  Don’t give up!  Also, there is no odor involved with a Diva Cup.  Supposedly the odor comes from when your period is exposed to air.  Since the Diva Cup is worn inside your body, that doesn’t happen.

Have I convinced you yet?  Are you going to make the switch?

Filed under: Bath and Body, Green Living on March 13th, 2010