Lunette Menstrual Cup Review

Back in April I purchased the Lunette menstrual cup, and after using it for eight months, I think it’s time to write a proper review. The first time I read / heard about menstrual cups was probably 10+ years ago, and for some reason I thought they were disgusting and couldn’t even dream of using them myself. Oh boy, how I was wrong! I can tell you today that Lunette menstrual cup is probably the best product I could’ve purchased and I wish I did that ages ago!

What is a menstrual cup? As you can see, it’s a bell-shaped feminine hygiene product made of medical grade silicone (or thermoplastic elastomer – TPE) which is inserted into vagina. Unlike tampons or pads, menstrual cup collects blood instead of absorbing it. There are many menstrual cups on the market today and it might seem like a challenge to find the right one, but I was lucky enough to immediately find the one that suits me. Some of the brands I came across are Mooncup, The Diva Cup, Me Luna and Lunette.

After a bit of research, I chose Lunette because:

• I thought it was a good match for me based on their description
• it was available at my local pharmacy (I wanted to see how it looked like)
• it can be used overnight for up to 12 hours (BIG plus)
  
• it’s cruelty free (and vegan)
• it’s made in Finland (I have a thing for Nordic brands)

Lunette comes in 2 different sizes:

• model 1 – for women with light to moderate flow, or who are younger, or have not experienced intercourse; softer than model 2.
• model 2 – for women who have a normal or heavier flow, for those who have given birth vaginally or engaged in intercourse; firmer than model 1.

Since I’m not that young, have already engaged in intercourse and have a heavier flow – I chose model 2. My experience after 8 months of using it? Keep reading.

My expirience

As a long-time tampon user (I haven’t used pads in years), I wanted to get rid of tampons since I started to really dislike them, and the only option I saw was switching to menstrual cup. As mentioned above, I really wish I purchased it a long time ago because my life would’ve been much easier. I was completely scared of the first use, but to be honest, that was not necessary because using it couldn’t be easier. Of course, you might need a bit of time to get used to it, to learn how to insert it or remove it, but trust me, nothing you can’t learn during your first use (or two).

Insert

My favourite way to insert the menstrual cup is the, so called, C-fold or heart fold. There are a few other folding techniques and you can see them here. I haven’t tried other folding options because I found the C-fold to be a good option for me and it didn’t take me long to get used to it. Once I insert the cup, I make sure it opened properly by simply rotating it. If there is some ‘problem’ with rotation, I know it hasn’t opened the way it should’ve so I simply squeeze my muscles and rotate it a bit more. That usually does the trick, but in case it doesn’t, I remove it and reinsert it again. Another thing, menstrual cup is positioned in the lower part of vagina so there is no need to push it high up (unlike tampon).

Remove

I remove it by simply squeezing it at the bottom which breaks the seal. After that I move it side to side and at the same time I gently pull it down. I don’t rush because I don’t want to spill anything, but occasionally it does happen.

Care

I always make sure I wash my hands properly before using it, as well as boiling it for 20 minutes before and after my period. During my period I simply wash it with mild soap and water before reinserting it. I keep it stored in the storage bag that came with the menstrual cup (it’s important not to store it in an airtight plastic bag because the cup needs a proper ventilation).

Issues

Of course, there are some (minor) issues you’d want to consider before buying a menstrual cup:

• two sizes might not fit all – most cups are available in two different sizes and that might not be enough, but there are brands who offer several sizes – for example, Me Luna comes in 8 different options;
• it might be messy and bloody – yes, you do get your hands dirty, you might spill your blood, it might be messy, but I think that’s just something that you need to deal with and learn how to insert/remove your cup without spilling blood all over your fingers/floor; of course, if you’re not a fan of blood, well, this might not be the right thing for you;
• it might leak – what I mean by that is that your period doesn’t stop just because you removed the cup, plus you might spill something while removing it; in that case, it might happen that you do get some blood on your panties, but it’s not a real leak – it’s just a few drops of blood. But generally, it shouldn’t leak while you use menstrual cup – if it does leak more than a few drops – it might mean you haven’t inserted it correctly OR that you’re using the wrong cup a.k.a. wrong size.

Conclusion

After using it for 8 months, I can tell you that I would never ever go back to using tampons again. It’s just not an option any longer, not after I tried Lunette.

There are so many benefits when using a menstrual cup, and here is what I’ve experienced so far:

• I feel so relaxed when I use Lunette overnight – that just wasn’t possible with tampons, even though I did use them overnight, but I was always waking up in the middle of the night and checking if everything was okay because I was simply terrified of the toxic shock syndrome
• NO vaginal dryness – I had this issue for years, and I know it was thanks to tampons, but thanks to the menstrual cup, that’s solved!
• reusable + money saver + environmentally friendly – depending on the brand, you can use the same menstrual cup for up to TEN years (!) and that saves you a significant amount of money (I don’t even want to know how much money I’ve spent on tampons and pads in the last 21 years!), not to mention you quit contributing to creating more trash
• no fear of not finding a toilet in time – I always make sure I empty an re-insert my cup before leaving the house because that way I don’t have to worry about emptying it somewhere else since I don’t need to empty it for up to 12 hours. Sure, if I have a heavy flow (usually the 2nd and 3rd day), I have to empty it after 4-5 hours, which is much better than changing tampons (every 2-3 hours), but I make sure I count on that before I leave the house (that means I make sure I’m somewhere where I have a toilet nearby)
• welcome your period – if you know when will be the 1st day of your period, you can insert the menstrual cup before that and simply welcome your period – no need to to panic about that :)

There’s probably something else I forgot to mention, but I think you get the idea. :)

Tips & Tricks

Here are some tips & tricks before you decide to buy a menstrual cup:

• read reviews and compare – there are some great reviews out there, and I encourage you to do some reading in order to choose the right menstrual cup for you;
• play with it – once you got your cup, be sure to play with it a bit – try different folding option, try to insert/remove it and so on, you don’t need to wait on your period in order to do that;
• relax and take it easy – it might seem overwhelming at first, you might be excited and/or scared, but just take it easy, give it some time and don’t rush anything because there is no need for that – I’d recommend to do a bit of breathing exercise if you’re too nervous;

And, that would be it! I hope I covered everything and that my review will help you to make your decision, but in case you have more questions, feel free to contact me or simple leave a comment below this post.

Where To Buy

Lunette is sold worldwide, but click HERE to find out where you can get it in your country. If you’re in Sweden, you can buy it at Apoteket, Apotek Hjärtat, Kronans Apotek and Lloyds Apotek + some online stores.

Price: 299 SEK (~ €31 / $32.50)

 Vesna ♥