Menstrual cups or period underwears? Maybe you are thinking about why you should switch to sustainable period products? Maybe you are thinking which one would be best suited for your concern? Or what does it take for you to switch?
I started to think about this some years ago. Not so much about sustainability, but because I was writing a story about zombie apocalypse.
What happens in this kind of scenario with products that we need to keep on replenishing? Obviously there are things like food and drinking water, but it looks like either we get it covered and some of us really have a green thumb. But nobody really talks about what happens when you’re on your period!
Maybe periods or menstruations are still a taboo topic to talk about, and maybe it’s also not very sexy to talk about them. But we need to talk about it, at least to avoid such weird calculations as what happens when NASA calculated the amount of tampons Sally Ride, the first American woman in space, would need.
I sure love to think that in 2019, we would have more choices than just tampons, something that would not require me going to the supermarket every time I have my period. Who wants to hoard to supermarket alley for tampons and pads?
Joking aside though, after I made my choice to switch to sustainable period products, I don’t ever want to come back to a single-use product. It was perhaps the first step of choosing that was difficult, so let me break some of the figures down!
Costs
All the sustainable period products have a higher cost barrier. So, depending on your financial situation, I totally understand if you think shelling out an extra 20-30 euros for a cup is so expensive (I once almost cried for having to spend an extra 10 euros at the end of the month). But here’s the deal, and also something to think about:
Single-Use Period Products
First of all, there are a few assumptions I am making for cost calculations. They are based on an average menstrual cycle and my own experience. The prices are in Euros, based on what is available in Germany. Feel free to make adjustments based on your own cycle!
This assumption is based on 4-5 days period length: 1 heavy flow day, 2 normal flow days, and 1-2 days of light flow days. 26 days of average cycle days, equaling to 14 times of period a year.
Throughout the year, there will be 14 heavy period flow days (14×1), 28 normal period flow days (14×2), and 21 light period flow days (14×1.5). Per year, there are around in total 63 days (a little over two months) I would spend having a period. I just realized that’s quite a lot of days!
Tampons
The recommended changing time for tampons are every 4-8 hours, on average 6 hours, that’s 4 tampons a day. Calculating it with the average amount of flow days, per year I will need 56 heavy tampons, 112 normal tampons, and 84 light tampons.
Total cost for tampons:
- Generic brand per year: 10€
- Organic brand per year: 57.2€
Menstrual Pads
Assuming that you’re using the pads at the same rate as the tampons (4 pads a day):
Total cost for menstrual pads:
- Generic brands per year: 14.62€
- Organic brands per year: 89.74€
These costs are just estimates, and varies depending on one’s total period length, where they live, and how much period products cost in their place of residence.
Sustainable Period Products Cost
Being reusable means you don’t have to buy this multiple times a year, all of them should last at least a year and some even claim it could last up to 10 years. I would use the same assumptions of flow days (4.5 days flow).
Menstrual Cups
A cup costs between 10€ to 37€, and varies on shape, size, the softness of cups. Some brands recommend changing every year, and some claims with proper care it could last up to 10 years.
Possible savings per year: from break-even to saving up to 50€. It might even be worth doing payment installments since practically you’ll be saving money after the initial year!
Period Underwears
Price-wise, it is currently between 19€ to 45€, depending on brand, flow, and style. With these underwears, you’ll feel like you’re also buying into the fashion style they offered. You’ll also need more than one to lasts you through a period. I find a minimum of 3 is okay depending on how fast the laundry dries, and up to 4-5 to be comfortable.
Total costs: between 60€ to 225€.
I couldn’t find any articles explaining how long these pants would last, but from my experience, it should last at least a few years.
Comfort and Convenience
Now that we talked about costs, let’s talk about comfort and convenience! How would these sustainable period products fit into your lifestyle? Would you feel discomfort? Are there possible pain points and learning curves you should know about?
Comfort
To be honest, I like both solutions (cups and underwears) versus their single-used counterparts (tampons and pads) better.
Cups are much more comfortable and healthier and it has fewer leak issues. It doesn’t hurt when you have the proper size and shape, and it’s smaller to carry around during travels.
Period underwears look pretty much like normal underwears, but they are thicker. At first you have a feeling of wearing a diaper, although you’d easily forget about it after a while. The brands I have (Ooshi & Thinx) also felt true to size, and it’s better to have a tighter fit than looser fit if you are in between sizes.
Pain Points and Learning Curves
With the period underwear, the pain point would only be choosing the size and style and perhaps knowing when to change the pants. It’s no different than any other products (well, except you might have to carry the dirty one with you).
With the menstrual cups, there are more pain points and learning curves (although they are all worth it IMO!).
- Deciding which size and shape are best for you. I personally am a happy user of Ruby Cup because they didn’t make choosing a size too complicated. Another brand that promised a fit for all sizes is Merula.
- The process of inserting and emptying the cup. There are usually illustrated instructions on the brand’s website, and while it might be a bit tricky at first, it takes me only the first/second cycle to be very comfortable at it. An important point is to know how soft the cup is. The stiffer the silicone, the trickier it gets.
- Sanitizing and cleaning during the period. It might be awkward to think of emptying it to the toilet or washing it in the sink, but I can assure you it’s no less awkward than realizing you have to replace your pads/tampons but you don’t have any waste bin in the toilet.
- Sanitizing after and before the period. You have to boil it to disinfectant the cup. I am happy that Ruby Cup has a Ruby Clean to sanitize (which you can put in the microwave), otherwise boiling it in a pot might be a little awkward if you have other people living in the same household (perhaps have a different pot for boiling!)
Active Lifestyle
Hands down the cup is a winner for this one. I can comfortably swim, it won’t fall out nor have the string showing as tampons could. Any other sports aren’t a problem either. I am a runner, and I do yoga, barre, HIIT. Absolutely no issue whatsoever. I simply forget that it’s there. If I’m afraid it’s going to leak, then I would empty it beforehand and I’m all gold!
If you love outdoor camping, there is a nice article on how this cup is so much better than other alternatives (note: I am not sponsored by Ruby Cup, just a happy consumer!).
Environmental effects
Here is one big fact: sanitary applications are pollutant no. 5 of the top 10 single used plastic found on seashores.
So maybe, together with other single-used products you ditched, this should be next? Cotton tampons might be degradable (after 6 months, nevertheless), but they are still single packaged for hygienic purposes.
I mean, seriously, if you need another reason, this is it!
PS: Also surprised that cigarette butts are #2 on the list. If you still smoke, please consider stopping, neither your body nor the environment like it.
Should you switch to Sustainable Period Products?
I sincerely hope this article would help you make the switch. Except for the initial cost and some learning curve, there are only benefits in using sustainable period products. It is more comfortable, cheaper in the long run, and easier to maintain. It is simply better than single-use products.
Do ask your ob-gyn if you have personal health concerns as I am not a doctor, but if you want to ask more details into my experience, feel free to drop me a line here on pm me on instagram @astridparamita.
If you are having doubts because of ethical or religious reasons, the underwears would be a good option to start! There are cheaper options available on some online shops and since it’s an external product, it is less risky to try.
A special thank you for my friend Fina for the chats and enlighting me on this topic in Indonesia!
And… We also have more articles on switching to more sustainable beauty habits.
So now I think I am ready for the apocalypse (period wise)!
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