Hello all! For the next couple of posts I will be doing a series of posts on the Instead Softcup. I originally did a review on the disposable menstrual cups back in March, 2011, so check out that post if you want to see my initial review and opinions on the product, and how to use them. Also I recently made a twitter for this blog under the username loveyourperiod; so if you want to keep up with my blog posts via twitter, follow me. :)
As a college student that lives far away from home, I do a lot of traveling back and forth from home for breaks, especially during Christmas and Thanksgiving. So invariably, I will end up traveling with my period at some time or another. When you're running through the air port trying to catch your connection and feed yourself lunch, or when you have to sit in the car for seven to eight hours with your dad the last thing you want to worry about is needing to change your "feminine protection." This is where Softcup can really come in handy.
One of the biggest advantages to Softcup is the ability to wear them for 12 hours. Now this isn't for every woman, especially those with a heavy flow, but I have found that I can wear a Softcup for 10-12 hours without leaking, unless I have a very heavy day. (I consider myself to have a moderate flow compared to other women.) Although, the exact capacity hasn't been measured, Softcup come in somewhere quite a ways ahead of regular absorbency tampons. This means that you can wear a Softcup for longer than a tampon without leaking.
And even if they made tampons that could compete with the capacity of Softcup--I do know there are some pretty hefty tampons out there--it's not healthy to wear the same tampon for more than eight hours because of risks for bacteria infection and TSS. The pink ring on Softcup is made of polymeric material that is also used in catheters and baby bottle nipples, so the material is inert and will not harbor bacteria, unlike the cotton in tampons. Before Softcup was put on the market, testing was done to see if the product altered bacteria levels in the vagina; the results showed that there was no change in bacteria levels for the women in the study. (This is not the case with tampons.) This suggests that there is no risk for infection with Softcups, even if you are wearing them for 12 hours at a time.
Since Softcup has a longer wearing time than tampons, this makes them a great option for traveling. When I fly, I can pop in a Softcup before I leave for the airport, make to the airport, through my flight and connections, and back home before I need to change to a different Softcup. If was wearing a tampon, I would be more worried about it leaking, or needing to change to a new one while I was flying in one of those horrid airplane bathrooms. I am not the most organized person, so flying is always a little stressful, and it's nice to not have to add another element to the process. Softcup is also a lifesaver on long family car rides, where the objective is usually to keep driving for as long as possible without stopping. There are no surprise pit stops because of my period, and I may be able to make it the whole car ride without changing my Softcup.
Another benefit for traveling, is the ability to reuse the same Softcup for one period and save some space in your suitcase. Softcup recently came out with a reusable Softcup designed to be used for an entire period or menstrual cycle, which I think is awesome. (Personally, I always reused the regular Softcup for an entire period anyways, even though they were intended to be one-use disposable products; they were still pretty easy to rinse and reuse.) Either way, bringing just one Softcup on a trip takes up a lot less space in your suitcase, than the usual large kit of tampons and pads.
Overall, Softcup are one of my favorite options for traveling, and they work well for me. I can wear the Softcup for 10-12 hours; it's great with physical activity; you can't feel it when it's inside; I can sleep in them; it doesn't do funky things to my lady parts; I have used it during sex with a moderate amount of comfort (more on this later); and I don't have period odor when wearing them. Some women do have difficulty using Softcup however, so I am not going to guarantee that this will be the perfect menstrual product for every woman. Different strokes for different folks, and like any new menstrual product it takes some practice and a couple cycles to become completely comfortable with the Softcup.
FTC: I was asked to do this series of posts on Instead Softcup by their marketing company, and I am being compensated, however these are still my honest opinions about the product.
One of the biggest advantages to Softcup is the ability to wear them for 12 hours. Now this isn't for every woman, especially those with a heavy flow, but I have found that I can wear a Softcup for 10-12 hours without leaking, unless I have a very heavy day. (I consider myself to have a moderate flow compared to other women.) Although, the exact capacity hasn't been measured, Softcup come in somewhere quite a ways ahead of regular absorbency tampons. This means that you can wear a Softcup for longer than a tampon without leaking.
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| image from http://www.softcup.com/ |
Another benefit for traveling, is the ability to reuse the same Softcup for one period and save some space in your suitcase. Softcup recently came out with a reusable Softcup designed to be used for an entire period or menstrual cycle, which I think is awesome. (Personally, I always reused the regular Softcup for an entire period anyways, even though they were intended to be one-use disposable products; they were still pretty easy to rinse and reuse.) Either way, bringing just one Softcup on a trip takes up a lot less space in your suitcase, than the usual large kit of tampons and pads.
 |
| image from http://www.softcup.com/ |
Overall, Softcup are one of my favorite options for traveling, and they work well for me. I can wear the Softcup for 10-12 hours; it's great with physical activity; you can't feel it when it's inside; I can sleep in them; it doesn't do funky things to my lady parts; I have used it during sex with a moderate amount of comfort (more on this later); and I don't have period odor when wearing them. Some women do have difficulty using Softcup however, so I am not going to guarantee that this will be the perfect menstrual product for every woman. Different strokes for different folks, and like any new menstrual product it takes some practice and a couple cycles to become completely comfortable with the Softcup.
FTC: I was asked to do this series of posts on Instead Softcup by their marketing company, and I am being compensated, however these are still my honest opinions about the product.
Softcups make life so much easier and there's less to think about when I have my period! And everything written here is so true
ReplyDeleteExactly! Thanks for reading :)
DeleteTried out softcups but had leakage :-(
ReplyDeleteNever had leaks with my mooncup. I am obviously doing something wrong with the softcup utility I can't figure out what.
http://renovatinglpa.blogspot.ie/
Hello! Sorry for my late reply. Are you getting the soft cups hooked around, behind your cervix?
DeleteFor some the softcup is simply too long and leaks frequently.
I've used softcups as well, and have given them so many chances, but every single time they leak. My DivaCup, however, has no leakage. Enie, I'm with you on this one! I make sure that they're inserted properly, and "locked in" behind the pubic bone so it won't slide out...but every time I use them, they leak. If you figure out what we're doing wrong, let me know Enie LOL
ReplyDeleteFor some women, the softcup is just too long! They need to make a smaller size. Love my lunette as well.
DeleteAre you leaking randomly or only when you go to the bathroom? It's normal to leak when going to the bathroom.
I know that this is years later, but do you maybe remember how long you were able to use each of the reusable discs? Now that they're discontinued, the boxes are pretty steep online so I'm trying to weigh the options. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI have personally used one reusable disk/softcup for three years and finally retired it. I would wash it with hot soapy water and air dry after every cycle and periodically soak it in a a combo of mild castile soap and peroxide to get any staining out.
DeleteI have personally used one reusable disk/softcup for three years and finally retired it. I would wash it with hot soapy water and air dry after every cycle and periodically soak it in a a combo of mild castile soap and peroxide to get any staining out.
Delete