Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Review: Diva Cup

I'm going to go ahead and give a fair warning: I am not shy. I will be discussing some things in this post which may make some people uncomfortable. 

I became interested in the Diva Cup when xxpandafacexx did her review of this product on Youtube. As someone who is striving to be cruelty free and to lessen the footprint I leave on this earth, I was definitely willing to give this product a try. Since the Diva Cup is reusable, there is no throwing away nasty tampons and pads that will then sit in a landfill somewhere. There are also no chemicals like those that are used to bleach the cotton used in tampons and pads. No one wants chemicals in their vagina. 
I don't think anyone can really enjoy their period however, I have found that the Diva Cup makes mine much easier and less painful to deal with. I have always hated tampons and pads. With tampons, you face the risk of Toxic Shock Syndrome, and I have always had a problem with tampons leaking no matter what brand or size I used. Pads are just gross. They make me feel like I am wearing a diaper, and leave me with what is essentially a diaper rash. Let's face it, they stink, too. Not a pleasant thing to smell or look at every time you need to go to the bathroom. I told you this might get uncomfortable. =)
The Diva Cup is made out of medical-grade silicone, is hypoallergenic, and provides 12 hour protection. I do find that if I am having a particularly heavy day, I have to change it about every 6 hours just to make sure that I don't get any leaking. However, most days I only have to empty the cup in the morning when I wake up and at night before I go to bed. I have not had any problems with leaking unless I have waited too long to change the cup when my flow is extra heavy. I have always had a heavy period and thought that it might cause a problem with trying to use this cup. If you do have a heavier period, just make sure you empty the cup a little more often, and you will have no problems.
As far as inserting the product goes, I will say that it looks a little scary and takes a little getting used to. Once you figure out which folding technique and position makes it the easiest for you to insert the Diva Cup, it is very easy and quick to do without having to throw away wrappers and things of that nature. Removing the Diva Cup also takes some getting used to, but following the instructions and again, after finding what position works best for you it becomes quick and easy.I do not feel the product when it is in use, and it is very comfortable to wear.
I am sure some of you are probably wondering what the hell you're supposed to do with the contents of the cup when it's time to empty it. I dump it in the toilet and then use a mild soap to wash it out before I reinsert it. I am sure this notion grosses some of you out, but there is no smell (in my experience) while using and rinsing the product. If you take proper care of your Diva Cup, it can last you a year or more and save you money on tampons and pads, and it is SAFE for your body. 
I suppose you'll want to know how much this costs. I purchased my Diva Cup on the vitacost website for $24.60. There are two models. One is for women under 30 who have no experienced childbirth, and the other is for women over 30 or who have had children. The product comes with a pouch made of a breathable material to store your Diva Cup in while it is not in use.  That sounds a little expensive until you think about how much money you will not have to shell out each month for pads and tampons.
I highly recommend this product. It has truly made me dread my period less, and I don't feel guilty about polluting the earth and contributing to the suffering of animals. There are also no chemicals in my vagina! 

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