Bye-bye tampons—menstrual cups are kinder to your body and the planet

It’s time to ditch tampons! Menstrual cups are more sustainable and surprisingly simple to use

Eco-friendly and reusable pink menstrual cups pattern on blue background
(Image credit: Getty Images / Westend61)

We can all agree that periods are the worst: they can be heavy, they can be unexpected, they make your hormones go crazy, and they can hurt—a lot. Period tracker apps can help to stop them from creeping up on you, as can period underwear, which are as convenient as they are planet-friendly. 

Anything that can make our time of the month that little bit easier is very much appreciated and the thing that's really catching our eye lately is the menstrual cup.

We’ve all heard of menstrual cups, but sometimes the idea of them can be a bit off-putting. But bear with us—because they really are amazing.

BeYou are a favorite among the menstrual cup converts. The brand has two sizes available and each cup is made from 100-percent medical-grade silicone, so you know it’s been thoroughly tested against human skin. BeYou explains that traditional tampons can often contain toxic and harmful chemicals, and can cause irritation and dryness. 

Compared to tampons, which you should change every four hours to avoid infections and irritation, cups can be worn for up to 12 hours and hold three tampons' worth of blood. They have a suction seal form that is designed to hold your flow and not leak.

Menstrual cups can be used by those with sensitive skin and pelvic conditions. They are also adaptable—everyone's vaginas are different and so menstrual cups mold to you, unlike Tampons which are rigid and can cause some people discomfort.

Not only are they more convenient, they’re also planet- and bank-account friendly. According to BeYou, the average woman can spend £18,000 (nearly $25,000) on period products in their lifetime. For just £14.99, or $18 American, you can buy a menstrual cup, and guess what? It will last you up to 10 years. Imagine how much money you'll save!

Some of the most widely-used period products use a lot of plastic in their packaging—normal pads and tampons are not recyclable and cause huge amounts of waste and pollution. Using menstrual cups will cut down on single-use period products.

BeYou also does a menstrual patch that uses all-natural ingredients to ease cramps and pain. You can wear it on the go, and it is cruelty-free, biodegradable, and can provide relief for 12 hours. You can buy them on a monthly subscription, for pain relief with every period.

Naomi Jamieson
Lifestyle News Writer

Naomi is a Lifestyle News Writer with the Women's Lifestyle team, where she covers everything from entertainment to fashion and beauty, as well as TikTok trends for Woman&Home, after previously writing for My Imperfect Life and GoodTo. Interestingly though, Naomi actually has a background in design, having studied illustration at Plymouth University but lept into the media world in 2020, after always having a passion for writing and earned her Gold Standard diploma in Journalism with the NCTJ.

Before working for Future Publishing’s Lifestyle News team, she worked in the Ad production team. Here she wrote and designed adverts on all sorts of things, which then went into print magazines across all genres. Now, when she isn’t writing articles on celebs, fashion trends, or the newest shows on Netflix, you can find her drinking copious cups of coffee, drawing and probably online shopping.

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