Mooncup - Review


Lets talk about the taboo subject of periods. I honestly don't understand why everyone pretends they don't exist!! 

We will all experience a period at some point in our lives (provided we're blessed with the female organs and we are healthy) so why do we cover it up so much? I'm as guilty of it as any other woman; I sneak sanitary products into pockets so nobody sees and I dont talk about my periods openly with anybody. Talking about this product today is about as far out of my comfort zone as it gets. 

On that note, today I'll be reviewing the Mooncup!! I'd heard a lot about this product over the past few years but never really bought into it as I'm definitely a standard sanitary product girl. It wasn't until I watched  Blue Planet 2 (I'm sure you're all sick of me mentioning this now!) and researched into how I can lower my plastic waste. 
My research oened my eyes to how much plastic waste comes each month with our cycles and I felt now was the right time to do my bit. 



The retail pricing for the Mooncup is around the £20 mark. I managed to bag mine for just £17.39 using Amazon.
Now, almost £20 might seem a lot of money however I've read that skimping on these products can mean a lot of money is wasted. There are tonnes of cheaper options on the WWW however I've heard horror stories about leakage due to bad quality and they also do not last half as long as the Mooncup (up to 10 years!).




There are 2 sizes of Mooncup, A and B. Cup A is a bigger size for those women who have had a vaginal birth, cup B is smaller and is sized for those who haven't given birth or have had a C-Section to deliver their babies.


Within your little box is the medical grade Mooncup, an organic cotton storage bag and an instruction leaflet. 


Seeing the size of the cup for the first time was terrifying. The cup isn't too big and daunting but the width left me wondering how it was going to be inserted and feel once it was. 
Fortunately the instructions calmed me down. The instruction booklet is very in depth and covers everything you need to know from inserting and removing to the cleaning process and troubleshooting why your cup might be leaking. 

Your first few steps of instructions tell you how to wash the Mooncup and the best ways to insert it. The next step is inserting and cutting down the stalk of the cup. I highly recommend doing this step whilst not on your cycle to avoid the mess and to get used to the insertion technique, you're also then prepared and ready to go for when Aunt Flo makes her next appearance. 

There are 2 folding techniques for insertion and believe me when I say it takes time to master this process. Again, practice both folding methods when you're at home and it also might be best to get the hang of things before your next cycle. 

Honestly, the Mooncup feels slightly odd for the first few hours and I was super paranoid that it wasn't in properly meaning that it would leak. Mooncup state that it can be used for overnight use, travelling, swimming and all other exercise without leaks (provided that it is emptied every 8 hours). I found that wearing a pad whist I got used to the cup helped my anxiety issues no end. I now feel safe in wearing the Mooncup alone. Eventually, the unusual feeling of the cup soon dissipates and I completely forgot that I was wearing it. 

Removal also takes some time to get used to. Due to the Mooncup creating a sort of suction, it takes practice to get the technique right to remove and avoid as much mess as possible. Its quite a daunting experience as it almost feels as if its stuck, therefore you become anxious which creates tension in your vaginal muscles and making it tougher to remove the cup!! Nightmare!! Keep at it, I promise it gets easier with practice and keep in mind that it cant disappear anywhere above your cervix!!




There are so many positives to switching to a Mooncup. The first of which is that you will be drastically reducing the amount of waste you are putting out into the environment with each cycle. Regular sanitary products contain so much plastic that end up in our landfills and in our oceans. Switching to a Mooncup drastically reduces your plastic waste to just 1 product thrown away every 10 or so years. 

The Mooncup is so much healthier for your vagina and is suitable to all women. Because it is made from silicone, no fibres are left behind on removal and it wont 'dry you out' like many products on the market do. The silicone used to make the Mooncup is medical grade, non-latex, contains no pesticides, dyes, toxins or bleaches and is BPA free. These features mean that even if you have sensitivity or allergy issues, you can still be a user. 

The cup holds much more than a tampon or towel so I never felt like I had to keep checking up on it. The cup can be used for up to 8 hours with a reduced risk of TSS. 
Its super easy to clean,; simply tip the contents down the loo and wash with warm water. Its then set to be used again immediately. It is recommended that the Mooncup is sterilised every few months to keep it hygienic but on a day to day basis, its super quick and easy to get it ready to go again. 

I have heard from other users that the Mooncup helps to lessen the pain of monthly cramping. I personally didn't notice a difference but then again this could be because I'm one of the lucky ones who doesn't suffer with the severe cramping a lot of women get. 

You will save a tonne of money using a Mooncup. On average I buy 2 boxes of different tampons and a pack of towels every other month. This adds up to roughly £8 every 2 months. Lets do the maths, £8 x 6 months x 10 years = £453!! That price tag for the Mooncup doesn't seem so much now huh!? 



My only downside to this product is that you ideally need to be in a loo cubicle with a sink to be able to wash the Mooncup out before reinserting. However because you only need to remove and empty every 8 hours, on my lighter days I was able to  be at home to remove and clean each time. On my heavier days, I had no choice but to nip in loos that I knew had a sink in side the cubicle; not ideal if you're out and about and don't know the loo set-up for the toilets you'll need to be using. 




I would urge all women to invest in one of these products. Gone are the days of wasting money on sanitary products that clutter our earth and oceans whilst wasting a tonne of money for the privilege. I can honestly say that I am a total Mooncup convert. I don't feel anxious about leaks, I know that the cup is much better for my vaginal health and my purse is thanking me for it.



Have you made the switch? Let me know in the comments!!


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