#natracare

It’s no secret that most feminine care products contain toxic ingredients. If you’re shopping at target for your feminine care, you might want to start reading the label. Look for 100% organic cotton that is free of dyes, scents, chlorine and plastic.

 so for the last couple months, i’ve been tryna transition into a more zero waste lifestyle (separate post to come on that)... rn i wanna talk about my menstrual cup. i’m specifying menstrual cup bc it’s not a diva cup, it’s an off-brand “Viva Cup” that i won in a raffle for an organization i’m apart of. 

backstory: mid-2016 i overhauled most of the products i used for ‘greener’ alternatives- my laundry stuff, my deodorant, body wash, even my period products, i gave away and/or threw all my conventional products away to start fresh. during the time since i had mostly been using Natracare pads/panty liners*, and occasionally Seventh Generation pads/panty liners. i would sometimes look online for greener alternatives but they’re very expensive (and a bitch is BROKE) and i was happy so i wasn’t pressed to make the switch. fast forward to mid-april 2018, my org held a period symposium where we talked about menstruation and how unsustainable a lot of the products marketed to consumers are, and we offered alternatives. in the prep for the symposium i saw thinx (i was previously turned off to thinx when i found out they’re more of a backup method than a primary period catcher), reusable cloth pads, and menstrual cups. during the symposium, we gave away reusable cloth pads and menstrual cups. while i really wanted the pads, i didn’t win them instead i made out with the menstrual cup. i’ve been using it for two months now so here’s my thoughts on it..

thoughts: i was really excited to use it going into my first period. the audience at the symposium had rave reviews and once acquired, it seems like an economically better choice than re-buying pads/tampons/pantyliners every couple months. ngl i had major difficulties using it the first month as i was never much of a tampon person and it’s kinda like a next level tampon, except not and way more difficult. they’re definitely not for people who are 1) grossed out by blood 2) not ready to get VERY intimate with themselves (while bleeding)

empyting the cup is another thing as well... it’s not gonna look how you’d expect. i found out menstrual blood is not just blood! it’s also cervical mucus, vaginal secretions, nutrients like calcium/phosphate/iron/ and endometrial tissue- bottom line it’s thick and goopy. just dump it in the toilet, rinse your cup out (i advice with warm water bc it helps with reinsertion), & pop it back in. make sure to clean and boil ur cup at the end of ur cycle! 

i struggled a lot with properly inserting it at first. you have to fold it to get it in but then let it pop open so the suction will actually catch blood. if it’s not properly inserted, it will leak. i leaked all thru my first month. i got so frustrated, i gave up on using it and didn’t think it was for me. i was even more frustrated bc a friend of mine who started using hers around the same time got it immediately and i just felt like a failure bc sustainability is my thing y’know (it’s literally my job). but i decided to try it again this month and thankfully, i’m now over the learning curve. i friggin love this cup! i only change it once or twice a day and even then it’s not even halfway full. now that i know how to put it on, i don’t worry about leaks. there’s no odor or wet feeling throughout the day! i’m recommending it to everyone who menstruates!

things to know: 

don’t mess with it too much, it really only needs to be changed a couple times a day. any more than that is just going to irritate ur vagina (trust me)

i definitely recommend shopping around and reading reviews before purchasing a menstrual cup. namebrand ones like Diva Cup and Lunette are $30+ whereas the Viva Cup is only $7. 

some try to discourage others from using the knock offs but as long as it says medical grade silicone you should be fine

menstrual cups come in two (2) sizes: small and large- small is for people with moderate flows and/or who have not given birth and large is for people with super heavy flows and/or who have given birth. so make sure you’re getting the right size!

there’s multiple different folds for getting it up ur vagina, make sure to find the one that works for you!

for me what helps is inserting the cup halfway, letting it pop open and then inserting it some more

if the stem is uncomfortable, you can cut it.. i recommend cutting little by little until it’s comfy for ur body

i’m more than happy to share links on where to buy and feel free to message me with any questions you may have

So to everyone who sees this I'm asking you to please sign this petition by Natracare, it is absolutely free and very easy.

Natracare is fighting against the use of plastic and cemicals in their period products, they are also vegan, organic, environmentaly friendly and all those types of beutiful things.

And besides that they have another plan to stop the unnecessary gendering of period products. But you may not know them as period products, you may have heard of them as womens hygiene products or sanitary products.

And it is very silly calling them womens hygiene products or sanitary products because it makes it sound like having periods is a unsanitary thing when it's not.

And also the fact that not all women have periods and people who have periods are not all women, like myself. And Natracare are trying to make it more inclusive for everyone.

They have come a long way and are very close but the more people that sign up the better, so please take a few minutes out of your time to sign up.

Ad - Having a Vegan, Sustainable Period with @Natracare

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post and I did receive payment and pr samples to review, but this in no way biases my opinion of the brand. I would NEVER recommend something I didn’t love and use myself. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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This post is sponsored by Natracare.

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