Ed. note: Below my intro is a guest post by my colleague Roberta Romero. Remember when you first got your period and your mom (or dad or some parental unit) passed you a giant brick of a maxi pad? Gah. Thank goodness someone (a few people) decided to find an alternative to the brick pads. Enter products like Softcup, Lunette, and Diva Cup. My colleague Roberta and I chatted about these products, and she shared her take on the Diva Cup (a woman-owned business!). It’s an interesting product which I haven’t tried but have run into at the Natural Products Expo often. Read on and let me know what you think!
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Diva Cup Review
Diva Cup
The main reason I opted to try the Diva Cup was for sustainability and economical reasons. A few years ago, I read a review of the Diva Cup, and decided at some point I would look into it. A few months ago I decided to purchase the Diva Cup  instead of buying tampons. I went to Whole Foods and found the one I needed, they have 2 sizes. I read the differences between the two and opted for the one that seemed like the best fit. I believe the cost was about $40 or $50, but it pays for itself within a few months.
For women who are used to wearing tampons, which I was, it is different. In that sense, there is a learning curve (some adjusting). Do read the directions before you use it the first time and I would also recommend wearing a panty liner the first time you use it and/or the heaviest flow days. The Diva Cup will feel completely different than a tampon and until you get used to it you may need to adjust it. Inserting is pretty easy you need to make sure you wet it a little to make it easier to insert. If it is properly in, you can wear it through a work day (8hrs), no need to change it every few hours like you would with a tampon. If you do prefer to clean it out every few hours and you use a public restroom, you can clean the Diva Cup with toilet paper. When you are home you can use the Diva Wash to clean it. I have used it overnight and this eliminates the need for a bulky pad.
I will say that a con is that I do feel like I have to pee more often when I have the Diva Cup on. I spoke to a friend who uses Soft Cup, a disposable menstrual cup, and she does not need to pee as often during her period. Overall, I would say I am very happy with the Diva Cup and would highly recommend it.
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So there you have it! If you’re sick of brick-like maxi pads or tampons, this might be a product to consider. I’d love to know if anyone else has had a good experience with these types of products, especially while working out or running a half marathon. Thanks to Roberta for sharing her experience with the Diva Cup! This is wholly an unsponsored post. However I found a few merchants that sell Diva Cup online for less than retail:
Love menstrual cups! The Diva Cup is one of the best, but also consider the Lena Cup, or the Anigan EvaCup which are a little bit cheaper.
Very informative post.
Thank you, E!