What is a menstrual cup?

Originally made in rubber / latex, menstrual cup had not seduced many users. Thanks to technical innovations and new manufacturing materials, menstrual cups are now becoming trendy.

Nowadays, most menstrual cups on the market are produced in silicone rubber, just like our SI-BELL cup.

Because they are reusable devices, menstrual cups are an alternative to the massive use of tampons and sanitary pads. You will be able to reuse it throughout your menstrual cycle, but also during all your future menstruations. The average lifetime of a cup can be up to 10 years, when maintained properly.

What differentiates cups from other current periodic protections?

Unlike tampons and sanitary pads, cups are not absorbent. They act as a container that collects blood from your periods. So it must be emptied regularly. As a cup has to be place into vagina, you have to be at ease with your own body. Cups are also useful to calculate more effectively the actual amount of blood lost during your menstruation.

Why choosing a menstrual cup?

First of all, for its raw material. Our medical-grade silicone, also called platinum silicone, is a material that naturally prevents the growth of bacteria. So if you were thinking it is less hygienic…This is wrong !

In addition, silicone is a derivative of silicate, in other words sand, an abundant resource on earth since it is the second most present component of the Earth’s crust. So this material is very different from plastics and thermoplastics, which are derivatives of petroleum and petro chemistry, and are not sustainable resources.

Silicone is the only component of our cups. As it is inert, it does not interfere with the normal functioning of the mucous membranes and the vaginal walls.

Then, to save money. On average, a woman uses from 10,000 to 15,000 menstrual products (pads, tampons + packaging) during her lifetime. In 2015, in France, there were no fewer than 16 million women between the ages of 15 and 50 using an average of 290 protections per year *. In comparison, a cup is bought only once for a period of 5 to 10 years.

The smell. As you already know it, the SI-Bell menstrual cup is a container, it is positioned in the vagina with a slight “suction” effect which makes it sealed between the walls of vagina and prevent leakage. With this effect, the blood is not in contact with air, so it does not coagulate, does not oxidize, and therefore does not diffuse bad odors.

Its efficiency. Correctly positioned, a menstrual cup protects against leakage as effectively as a tampon.

For better aesthetic. No unsightly wins, no strings.

One last reason? Quite Simply… Out of curiosity.

(* According to Group’Hygiène, the French organization for single-use products for hygiene, health and wiping.)