apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Oh dear, if you want to be really green and comfortable with menstrual products, forget tampons and switch to Mooncup. I've been using one (well, not this brand, but a similar one) for five years now, and I would never ever go back to tampons unless it was a matter of life and death. These are so so so much more comfortable for a start (less drying because the idea is based on simply gathering, not absorbing), and create no trash whatsoever. One cup can go five (the brand I linked to, apparently) or up to ten years (the brand I'm using, Lunette). And you can use them during night.

Cloth panty-liners are also being produced, by the way. I tried those for a while, as well, but opted out since I'm too lazy with washing laundry. :)

I have noticed that there are quite a few sellers on etsy selling cloth feminine napkins. Being more of a tampon girl myself, I don’t think I could make the jump to the cloth maxi-pads. It is great to know that Seventh generation makes options for those of us not quite ready to make the jump.

PS – I like the posts written in the first person!

I don't see how choosing to use unbleached tampons requires dreads or underarm hair. I think it is a matter of whole body health. If you are choosing to not use bleach on your clothes why would you put it inside your body? I think the Mooncup is a great idea but I think I have read that you can only use it if you have not had children. Too bad for us Mamas...

No one should be using plastic applicators! I don't even know why they are allowed to make those, when cardboard works fine--that does not solve the bleach problem though.
I admit I prefer applicator tampons, so I was being lazy and not seeking out non-bleached ones, but your post inspired me to look up 7th Generations products, and they do make a applicator version. No more bleach for my lady parts.
Afraid the cup won't work for me.
I have used the fabric pads for nighttime extra protection, and they are comfortable and useful.

@graysquirrel: You can use menstrual cups after giving birth: there are different sizes available.

I agree with terrif20. Here is a link to the Diva Cup. It explains the benefits of using one (alot better than I can)

Another reason for using a cup is that you can wear it for longer than a tampon or pad. Anyway, I'm a big fan.

I agree with terrif20, the menstrual cup is terrific! Similar in use to tampons but SO much more body friendly since it doesn't absorb. I don't know how they're produced, but the way they can last for years should outweigh the hassle (and energy-thieving) of laundry for textile pads...

@graysquirrel: There's nothing preventing you from using the Mooncup even if you've had kids! =) The recommendation is to not use it too soon after giving birth (~6 weeks according to the web site faq), but the Mooncup (and the other brands as well I'm sure) offer different sizes, to accommodate different body types and stages in life. Give it a try!

Another thumbs up for diva cup - very easy to use and healthier. Great for travel, even camping.

Natracare - plastic free, chlorine free, perfume free, but not 100% biodegradable ("over 90%").

You could also switch to cloth pads or a menstrual cup. I switched straight from pads to a cup. I will never go back. I hated pads and the thought of sticking something absorbant up there just irks me out. Not to mention a cup is reusable and cheaper, so way more green.

I have to just give a huge shout out here to my friends' business, Party in my Pants. Their cloth pads were just featured in Bust magazine, and this sisters-run home business successfully convinces even hipster girls that there's nothing gross about reusable cloth pads. They convinced me on this fact six years ago, and I've never looked back.

http://www.partypantspads.com/

While tampons and pantyliners are biodegradable in theory, they're still a one-time-use product, and that makes them less than sustainable. PIMPs (as party in my pants pads are called), are super cute, totally eco (they come in organic cotton in some designs) and absolutely comfy. I really recommend them.

Oh, and the ladies behind the PIMPs are beyond adorable.
http://www.partypantspads.com/about

Seriously, even if you are grossed out in theory (as I initially was), you have to give it a try. Oh, and did I mention that they save you a ton of money in the long run?

Along with everyone else: Get a DivaCup. No contest.

Ditto on the DivaCup/Mooncup! And if you're someone who likes the extra safety of a pantyliner, I loooove Luna Pads -- http://www.lunapads.com. They actually make me look forward to my period! (Well, kind of.) I would never go back to disposables.

GreenBex, your comment cracked me up. I can't imagine anything on earth that would make me look forward to my period!

If you are on hormone birth control you can always switch to Seasonale or Depo Provera and reduce the number of periods you get to beging with. I was on Depo Provera for years and never missed my period.

The Diva Cup rocks my menstrual world. Some may find the initial concept a little squeamish, but its so awesome. You can wear it for an extended time (on med-light flow days), its reliable, conservationist, odor free, non-toxic, long lasting and it works out to be way cheap in the long run.
I wholeheartedly recommend. You won't look back.

I'm with all the Diva Cup fans. Get thee a Diva Cup stat!

After having the Diva Cup for 2 years now, I do believe I would rip out my uterus before I'd return to tampons. There is indeed a little learning curve (perhaps longer for some), but if you practice inserting and removing before you need it, you'll be a pro by the time it's necessary. A little lubricant will help with insertion/removal while learning.

The learning curve for the Diva Cup is like the learning curve when first using tampons. I too would never go back. Every time I see the Vagina Monologues and the do the "wad of f---ing cotton" bit I think, "There is an alternative! Mention the alternative for heaven's sake!"

I have used cloth pads also. They are much more comfortable, but I have to go with the Diva Cup because the hassle factor is so much lower.

Add my voice to those for the menstrual cups. You have your choice between silicone and latex. There are different sizes for those who have delivered children and those who haven't. There're lots of shops that sell them online.

Maybe TMI, but I'm the type that doesn't really like stickin' anything up there, at all.

I'm also the type that doesn't like scratchy disposable cotton and adhesive near my bits.

I made the Big Switch to reusable cloth pads and now, no lie, I actually kind of look forward to my period. I started with LunaPads, but soon found online a HUGE community of cloth pad makers/users. Just Google "cloth pad reviews" or search for "cloth menstrual" on Etsy and there's a TON of SAHMs and other indie sellers of REALLY NICE (100% better than LunaPads) cloth menstrual pads. Many of them will make custom pads based on your preferences, too.

To many of you it seems absolutely out of the question (like it did for me at one time) to use cloth, but OMG - it's SO nice, and SO easy, and SO much cheaper. Not only do I laugh at the women throwing their money away in the femme products aisle, but I've also discovered that it brings back a sense of personal, feminine ritual that's really pretty groovy. You really feel like you're taking careful CARE of yourself. And they're SO SOFT!

I made the awesome and money saving decision to move to the MoonCup (the British equivalent of the DivaCup). I seriously only have to empty it 1x / day during my period, I don't have to buy tampons, etc.

When I want a pantyliner I use my reusable ones by Hag Rags :) They're amazing and again, fiscally smart.

http://www.hagrag.com

(Am I wrong in thinking that provera/chemical birth control is not green?)

I've been considering making the switch to er, uh greener products but didn't know how good they are in terms of making sure I don't have to run home to change my pants.

& I first read about the DivaCup in Bitch magazine and went onto their site but I don't know if I could do that. Maybe its still the Catholic engraving in my head that being a woman during THAT time is dirty. (I DON'T think that way before some one flames me)

DivaCup. For all you hesitant people out there (sorry if this is an overshare), I am just finishing my second period with it. I was iffy the first month. I took it back out to try it again the first day of this period, and have not used a tampon or pad since, nor will I any more. I am now convinced.

If you are here reading this, it's because you are thinking about greening all of your life. Yes, it took me a little getting used to, so that I could feel sure about it being in the right place. Putting it in/taking it out is no worse than an o.b.-style tampon, which is what you are probably using if you are trying to create as little waste as possible without a cup. Have you ever worn contacts? It's weird putting them in the first week or two, then becomes totally normal and easy; this is the same. A couple of people asked about the learning curve--I say give it two months. Be willing to wear pantyliners with it at first, while you convince yourself you know how to put it in right and can trust it. Then, seriously--NO leaks at all.

Way less waste. Way less smell. Way less leaking than tampons. Way less worrying/changing/adjusting. It just plain works and you think about it twice a day.

I've been using a divacup for a little more than two years now and couldn't be happier. I used to have debilitating cramps, now I don't. I no longer have to worry about carrying around tampons or toxic shock! Ladies, if you haven't tried one yet, I suggest doing so pronto! Also, it is only 20-30 bucks...you won't have to spend as much money over time.

I love the Diva Cup! I too was a little squeamish and had a little trouble the first month, but I would never look back now. Love, love, love it. It probably sounds silly, but I feel like I took control of my body. I am no longer putting something in that is harmful to me. I am no longer polluting. Now that I can insert the Diva Cup correctly, I find it way less annoying than tampons. And, big bonus as an outdoors enthusiast, I could wear it all day without having to change it.
LOVE IT!

Wow. Thanks all. This gives me lots to think of...

Here's the link for NatraCare
http://www.natracare.com/
& Seventh Generation
http://www.seventhgeneration.com/Organic-Cotton-Tampons

I switched to the MoonCup several years ago. I switched because tampons leak, swimming with them sucks, I hated all the waste, and having to remember to have extras with me, I hated the dryness... ugh.

I will never go back. I keep a spare MoonCup in the house for when friends ask "do you have any tampons?" I can hand them a waaay better solution.

In terms of birth control: hormonal birth control is being shown to be less and less green. While I agree that having less periods would be great, I'd rather not have BC hormones showing up in water supplies. Also, I'm insane when on hormones. I use a copper IUD, which are hormone free, and last 10 to 12 years. Talk about less waste! Imagine how much packaging your pill will use up in that time span. They're not for everybody, though, so do your homework first!

I go between Mooncup and non-applicator OBs. The cup is fine for home and work, but I usually turn to the OBs when traveling (I'm beginning to think it's the only globally available tampon) and during hard sports. I have found that the cup is great when hiking, not so great while playing soccer.

A very big and enthusiastic vote for the Diva cup. Never going back. But If I ever don't want to use ot for some reason, I use a reusable cloth pad, which is so, so comfortable for light days. Both sound extreme at first but take almost no time getting used to.

I also use a cup and it's fantastic. In addition to all the positive points made above - you can have sex with this in. Might be weird to some but the only reason that I never did "it" before the cup was I hated cleaning the sheets all the time. But to add to others con comments, beware of the cup if doing hard exercise - like seriously squating and weight lifting.

Just putting in my $0.02 for the Diva Cup. Which, by the way is the per-use cost of the thing after less than a year I'm guessing. Over it's lifetime? Well...

I'd also like to point out that you can boil it if you're worried about germs, since its made of silicone. I love it for travel too - someone else pointed it out but tampons aren't readily available everywhere and they're bulky to pack.

I heart mine. Never again with skritchy things by (in!) my lady parts.

The Keeper! http://www.keeper.com/

I've been using the Keeper for ten years. Rinse, reuse, rinse, reuse, rinse, reuse. It's made of natural latex, so it's even biodegradable. Plus, never, ever worry again about running out of tampons or pads.

Yeah, I went to school at Humboldt where CCAT regularly had menstrual pad making workshops. I am fine with those every so often but use green tampons when working out. I tried the natural sea sponge before with mixed success as well. I have not tried the Diva Cup but lots of folks have recommended it. Many ladies have also recommended the livejournal cup page for 411 on it.

reusable cloth pads, i have never been a fan of tampons really.
pimps (party in my pants) pads! http://www.partypantspads.com/

At the risk of being annoyingly redundant...I'm a huge DivaCup fan. I've been using a DivaCup for about 7 years and love it. I love not buying boxes of disposable stuff each month, I love the safety aspect of it, I love the ease. If you're at all curious, just try it out a bit and see how it feels...if you're not comfortable right away, take a break and return to it next month. Once you get the hang of it, you'll be a total convert as well.

"Maybe its still the Catholic engraving in my head that being a woman during THAT time is dirty."

Not flaming here but the truth is that the Catholic church does not teach anything like that. You must have had some weirdos teaching you, whoever they were.

To the person mentioning the pill: I am disgusted that others have to suffer because some make the choice to use it. As someone said, hormones from BC pills are polluting our water supply and causing infertility in some. And there is nothing we (those not on it) can do about it. It will get more and more "interesting" as time goes on.

I had a Keeper for years but now use Instead cups, one per period. That means that I am throwing a bit of plastic out every month. However, I hated the suction of the Keeper and really like how easy the Instead cups are. I wish someone made something like that out of silicone.

Excuse me, not flaming here but the truth is that the Catholic Church does not teach anything like that... in some places or depending on who's "teaching"

..............................................................

I’ve been trying to go greener so we are using the last non-green products at home and off with them all. I use green detergents for a long time now but not in personal products which was our last decision. (next we're going on composting) Anyway...
I've tried some pads kinda like natracare but I bought them at an organic/sustainable products store that doesn't exist here anymore :(
Once I only use tampons in emergencies, e.g., going to the beach, don't think I'd be a good candidate for the cup (?)... and the "party in my pants" people seem very nice but I freak out just thinking about the washing and the smell :-|

i agree!!! switch to a reusable cup!!!!

Anyone know what the Australian equivalent of the Mooncup/Divacup is? I've found an Australian website for the Keeper (thekeeper.com.au), but wanted to double check if anyone here knew for sure - you've all got me sold, I'll try one...

I'm going to have to 1348753rd the DivaCup (using currently), Keeper(my previous cup that lasted 5 years or so), or any other brand of menstrual cup! I also used to have major cramps that would knock me over for the first 24 hours of my period. No longer. That tells me that there's something wrong about tampons. It's amazing the difference it's made in my life. I used to always forget to pack extra tampons, now I don't have to worry.

Also, I've had several friends who rave about sea sponges. I've not tried them, I'm happy with my DivaCup.

I was hoping this was going to be a post about menstrual cups, and was disappointed until I got to the comments. It's already been said, but I need to say it again, menstrual cups are awesome!! So comfortable, so convenient, so "green." Thinking about tampons now makes me gag.