Periods 101
Written By
Share with others
What is a menstrual cup?
WHAT IS A MENSTRUAL CUP?
A menstrual cup is a small, foldable, reusable device made from silicone, rubber or plastic that collects, rather than absorbs, the menstrual blood when inserted into the vagina. Mooncup® is the brand name of the first medical grade silicone menstrual cup in the world.
WHAT IS A MOONCUP?
The Mooncup® is a soft, silicone menstrual cup that you can reuse every time you get your period.
Tried and trusted since 2002 by millions around the world, the Mooncup menstrual cup offers an end to the waste, discomfort and expense of disposable sanitary protection. We’re so sure you’ll love your Mooncup that we’re offering all our customers a satisfaction guarantee.
It was designed by women as a convenient, safe and eco-friendly alternative to tampons and pads. The Mooncup was the first ever menstrual cup to be made from medical grade silicone; a hypoallergenic alternative to rubber which had previously been linked to latex allergies.
Thanks to Mooncup® users worldwide, over 3 billion tampons and pads have been diverted from landfill and our oceans.
WHO INVENTED THE MENSTRUAL CUP?
The first menstrual cup, made from rubber, was invented in 1937 by an American woman named Leona Chalmers. Unfortunately for Chalmers, a wartime rationing of rubber during World War II impacted the production of her menstrual cup.
Her cup was met with resistance from the public. Perhaps ahead of its time, the idea was shelved due to the rise in the popularity of disposables and the invention of the applicator tampon.
Thankfully, the concept has gained more widespread popularity and recognition since the early 2000s when the Mooncup menstrual cup was invented.
WHO INVENTED THE MOONCUP?
Su Hardy is to thank for the invention of the Mooncup menstrual cup.
Su first came across a menstrual cup when she was travelling around Australia in 2000 and started to import and distribute it to friends and friends of friends when she came home to the UK. But discovering that some had a reaction to the latex in this rubber cup, she researched hypoallergenic alternatives and invented the world’s first reusable, medical grade silicone menstrual cup, trademarked as the Mooncup® in the spring of 2002.
Su built up the company from her spare room, working around the clock with a few friends, and it became an award-winning, international, employee-owned business based in Brighton, now owned by &SISTERS.
