Q. How menstrual cups are better than sanitary pads?
A. Menstrual cups are new and safe as compared to sanitary pads. They collect the period blood instead of absorbing the blood and hence there are no chances of vaginal infection. Depending on the flow, one cup can last for four to 12 hours. With lesser chances of leakage, one can sleepy freely with menstrual cups. Sanitary pads tend to give you rashes. They are cost-effective as well, as one cup sanitised the right way, can last for years.
Q. What are the benefits of using menstrual cups for both females and the environment?
A. Menstrual cups are safe and effective as they are cost-effective as well. As cups collect the blood and do not absorb them, so there are no chances of vaginal infection. In terms of environment, Menstrual cups are environment friendly as well as they reduce waste and water usage. Women can reduce plastic waster by using a menstrual cup. One cup produces an estimated 0.4% of the plastic waste that single pads build up or 6% of them is created by tampons in 10 years.
Q. Tell us about the change in the consumer demands of the menstrual cups?
A. With women understanding the usage of menstrual cups and their benefits, there has been a considerable increase in the demand for menstrual cups. A cup could cost roughly five to seven per cent of the cost of using 12 pads (on average $ 0.31 each) or tampons (on average $ 0.21 each) per period.
Q. What are the things one should keep in mind while buying the cup?
A. Here are the key factors which one should keep in mind while buying the cups:
• The material of menstrual cups, as to what it is made of. Is it medical grade silicone, latex, plastic or rubber? Cups made of medical-grade silicone are the best ones
• Thesize of the cupas per your requirement is small or large. Small-sized cups are good for women below the age of 30 and large size cups are recommended for above 30 women
• Functionalities of the cup in terms of stem, firmness, shape, and seams
Stem: Most menstrual cups have a stem on the bottom. It acts as a guide, which helps you to locate your cup easier while removal.
Firmness: Finding the right firmness for your body, makes a huge difference in comfort and effectiveness.
Shape: Determine the shape of the cup depends on the cervix height as everybody is different.
Seams:In some cups, the seams are around the rim, some have a seam running from stem to rim, while some are seamless. It is important to understand the seam as in some cases a rough seam can cause irritation or scratch in the vaginal wall.
Q. Share some tips to keep the cup clean and sanitised?
A. Tips to keep the cup clean and sanitised:
1. Wash your hands properly before touching the cup.
2. Since silicone cups are bacteria resistant, you don’t need to wash yours every time you empty them. Simply rinsing it in the sink is enough to clean it out before reinserting. To avoid stains, you can initially rinse with cold water, then follow it up with a hot rinse to disinfect.
3. Once your period is over, you might want to give your cup a good clean before you store it, both for peace of mind and to remove any stains.
4. Boil three cups of clean water on the stove. (Tap water is fine if you’re in a place with safe water but if not, use bottled water instead.) Submerge your cup but make sure the cup isn’t touching the bottom or sides of the pot. One way to do this is to put your cup inside a whisk to hold it away from the sides. Boil for five to eight minutes then drain the cup and let it air dry. It is completely safe to boil the cups, but don’t boil the pot dry as this will destroy the silicone. If you feel strange about using a pot you cook with, you can buy a small one specifically for boiling your cup and store it separately.
5. Sterilising tablets for baby bottles isgreat because you can use them in cold water so they’re ideal if you live in a dorm room with no access to a stove or just don’t feel comfortable boiling your cup in a shared kitchen. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions. These tablets are also great at removing stains.
The writer is Director, Namyaa Skincare.
