
Lunette Menstrual Cup: Adventures from My Vagina
Ladies, we need to have a conversation on here today about what we’re putting into our bodies. More specifically? Our vaginas.
(Um, yeah. I guess this is the point where I tell any dudes trying to date me / my immediate family/ people ready to vote for Trump: Go over to a safer post like our recent interview with Christine Knapp.)
I’ve been writing GPB for almost 8 years and have made SO many sustainable swaps: reusable, on-the-go cloth towel over paper towels; reusable bags; a french press over coffee filters / single serve cup. (I’m glaring at you, Keurig.)
But a few personal items have plagued me for years. Dental floss. Q-Tips. And tampons.
The problem with Tampons
Those Tampax or Kotex brand tampons overflowing on your conventional grocery shelves? The FDA doesn’t regulate the ingredients, which means they’re full of chemicals and possibly GMOs. As Lauryn Evarts puts it, “most tampons and pads are bleached with chlorine which leads to a toxic byproduct called dioxin, which is linked to endometriosis and cancer, as it’s a known carcinogen.” Another estimate is that there’s as much plastic in the average pad as four plastic bags.
Why does this matter? Your vagina is super-absorbent – which can be fun when using chemical-free, organic lube – but terrible when these are chemicals you wouldn’t eat but are still putting into your body.
Plus, there’s the sheer quantity of tampons. It’s estimated that a woman will use over 9000 tampons in her lifetime, 2280 panty liners (for backup/light days), costing her over $2200 just for bleeding once a month, crying over their neighbors putting plastic bags IN the recycling bin and binge-purchasing Whole Foods’ vegan chocolate chip cookies… (or is that just me?!)
After years of considering it, I decided to finally try out a menstrual cup. (i.e. a reusable cup that you stick into your vagina (like a tampon), empty out when you’re ready and stick back in.
And what a better way to share my private experience with a select audience than the blog, for you fine readers?!
My trial with Lunette Menstrual Cup
I received a complimentary sample for a silicone menstrual cup Lunette. There’s a handful of brands these days (with all feel-good names to make you forget about your personal Bloody Sunday: the Diva Cup, Moon, etc..) You pick between two sizes (1 or 2, with 1 being smaller.) I chose 1.
My first thoughts in opening the box:
- “Wow. This is a BIG box. Is this supposed to fit into my vagina?!” (Opens box.)
- “Oh wait. I’ve seen way bigger. I can totally handle this.”
I read the instructions and found out I’m expected to sanitize the cup by boiling it in water for 20 minutes. Perfect. Minus the fact I have to “watch it” to make sure it doesn’t burn on the bottom of the pot.

30 minutes later, I’m relatively sure the Lunette is safe enough for my vagina. At least safer than those conventional, chemical-laden tampons. Right?!
Inserting the Lunette Menstrual cup

Inserting the cup is a little tricky the first couple of times. First and foremost – you must wash your hands and cup in soap to avoid any germs from spreading. (Seems obvious right?)
The “C fold” or “heart fold” was my insertion method of choice, but there’s a few options. Essentially, you flatten the cup and then fold it again, say a quick prayer and then insert it in like you’re 13 again.
Weird Things about the Lunette Cup
- The first time‘s a little odd as I was trying to fight the physics of the cup blossoming open too early IN my lady flower, but after the second attempt, it was far enough into my nether regions to let it flourish. The suction keeps the cup in place to avoid any leaks, although my first trial run was on a Saturday to be safe. Memories of seventh grade can traumatize for years…
- The Lunette has a stem which might be too long, depending on you – since every vagina is different/beautiful. You can cut the stem shorter, but I’d recommend waiting for a few trial runs before modifying.
- Your friends’ reactions. My BFF was a little weirded out (although intrigued as she continuously asked for updates on my super-personal science experiment). Although she expressed concern about my emptying the cup in her bathroom toilet, but I can assure you it was nothing like the infamous Psycho shower scene.
- Removing it: Unlike a tampon, you can’t just pull the Lunette like a string. Instead, you have to pinch the cup to break the suction seal.
Emptying the cup wasn’t as traumatic as I thought. After dumping into the toilet, I washed it with soap & water in the sink and returned it to its monthly home. (You’re supposed to keep it in for 8-10 hours max.)
The Lunette Cup Verdict
After a complete cycle, I was pleased with my first week of using Lunette. I didn’t have to worry about making trips to the bathroom with a purse (or my usual move: forget my tampons at my desk until I’m in the bathroom and remember I need to change it…) or removing a tampon too soon? That terrible, dry feeling doesn’t happen with silicon. Specifically, the conventional tampon’s composition “of rayon and cotton absorbs your vagina’s protective fluid, drying out and disrupting its normal pH levels.”
Plus, I could run, practice yoga, sleep, eat and do everything humans do during my period. No difference there.
Currently, I plan on sticking to the cup switch. Further proof? Our Instagram post about the Lunette cup had many cup-loving friends emerge from the woodwork to sing its praises, and I found out that several IRL friends have been using it for 10 years! (If only I tried this experiment years ago…)
Now, it’s time to hear from my cup-loving lady friends: What’s been your experience making the switch? Tell us in the comments. Or if you’re on the fence, ask away in the comments. We’ve already broken the awkwardness factor by bringing this up in the first place…
Long-time cupper here! I didn’t know the health risks when I switched (14 years ago!) but did for reasons of sustainability. Also, what a huge cost savings.
Love my Lunette! I don’t know why more people don’t do this. Figuring out the right fold made ALL the difference for me, since then it’s been a piece of cake. Only thing- I have always heard they could be used for 12 hours at a time (and honestly there are tons of stories of people going longer, due to how comfortable it and easy to forget it is). Either way, it’s MUCH better than tampons.
I’ve used Lunette for over a year now. It has been working great. First I experienced some leakage, but I found out quite quickly what the problem was and after that it has worked very good. Tip if anyone is experiencing leakage: Check that your cervix doesn’t peek out even the slightest on the side of your cup. If that happens, the cup won’t obviously be able to collect the blood that is coming from the cervix, because the blood will only partially end up in the cup and the rest will pass on down the outside of the cup.
I agree with pretty much everything you wrote so here are some additional thoughts I have: With the cup for me, it’s almost like I’m not on my period at all. I feel fresh like I was wearing a tampon, but with tampons I always had to use pads in between and not at all on light days because it would dry me up. It’s comfy and easy to insert – didn’t really think that of tampons. Many small things are so much easier now. I can exercise, sleep naked, dry myself with a white towel after shower without staining it, pretty much do whatever I want without being worried. No blobs landing in a pad when you sneeze or stand up. I’ve even tried using it for discharge during the heaviest discharge days in my cycle because I don’t see this as risky in any way. Since some of the discharge may come from the vaginal walls aswell at not only from the cervix, this may not be completely failproof, but it sure made things better for me. No thanks to wet panties.
The only disadvantage I’ve experienced it that of when you’re travelling and you don’t have access to a bathroom where the tap is in the same room as the toilet. Means you can’t just lock yourself in and deal with the procedure in a hygienic way. I solve it by washing my hands on the outside, then trying not to touch any possibly dirty place until I’ve reinserted, bringing a bottle of water with me in the handbag to rinse the cup, or then I use the CupWipes developed for that.
No one cares about the long comments in a comment section but whatever. The cup is just too great for a short comment! 😀
have a Evelina cup for 5 years- Love it and will never go back <3
Converted half of my friends over the years. Do not be shy to tell others about it!
I have not tried the Lunette. Love menstrual cups in general though! It’s what i use every month!
I’ve been using a Diva cup for several years now. It’s not always a picnic, but it’s good to keep in mind that neither are tampons or pads. Lost string, anyone? I wrote about my experience with the switch from tampons to reusable menstrual cup here: http://www.eco-novice.com/2014/03/why-i-dont-use-tampons-anymore.html
I love your candor! Thanks for sharing about your experience.
I haven’t tried a menstrual cup but I do often use reusable pads. When I use tampons they are the organic ones.