Alternative Menstrual Products Review

Hi S+SR Ladies and Curious Men (Who I encourage to share this with any appropriate people!)

Welcome to August! Today I am here to sing the gospel of alternative menstrual products.  I thought it was about time to have another reminder that Shine and Sparking also means taking care of what is inside of you.  If you are overly sensitive or squeamish I might stop reading.  That being said, I plan to write this as professionally as possible as to try and educate rather than make people uncomfortable.

That being said, I feel that this is a really important subject for us ladies. As hush-hush we try to be about this subject, it is a reality for just about every woman at some point in her life.  A wonderful friend of mine introduced me to this concept while we were roomies in college.  It was revolutionary.  You might be thinking "Hey Ms. Sparkles, take your hippie notions somewhere else."  While this might sound kinda granola, it is actually common sense.

Diva Cups* and Luna Pads are great alternative products to revolutionize your life!

Reasons to use Alternative Product for "That Time of the Month":

1) Health**:

In a nutshell, disposable menstrual products use chemicals.  If it is bleach to make the materials white or some strange substance that absorbs tons of liquid due to science.  They often have chemicals with (I think strange) fragrances as well.  None of these things should be in such a sensitive area in my opinion.  There are disposable menstrual products without bleach or fragrance. If you HAVE to have something disposable, you might want to look for these.  They do tend to cost a bit more.  In addition, lets just say anything with small fibers that goes into your body, inevitably leaves some of those fibers in you.  While it's worse if these fibers have chemicals, I just don't like the idea of stuff that [insert deity of choice] didn't intend to be in there....being in there.... Don't tell me that Toxic Shock Syndrome thing doesn't worry you juuuuust a little.  I will testify that after cutting out the disposable products, I had a significant decrease in the things that you take Midol for. What isn't to love about that?!  Now, I know there are people who think this is baloney, but hey, I'm not alone in this view, here is a link about menstrual products and health considerations.

2) Environmental Impact:
Here is the granola bit.  Pretty much think about every woman on earth.  Think about how they each use disposable menstrual products once a month.  Think about how you never see a "recycle" or "compost" bin in a women's public bathroom stall.  It is always "trash."  You do the math.  Mother earth would totally prefer you use a sustainable/environ-friendly menstrual product.  If you want a more detailed look at environmental impact, look at this link.

3) Cost Savings:Whether it is chemical free or not, you can't deny that menstrual products seem like a necessary item in a woman's budget.  Nope. Some alternative products last for pretty much life.  Some last for a few years.  No matter how "cheap" a disposable menstrual products are, you have to keep buying them for a large portion of your life.  That is a lot of money.  I will refer you to this great Cost Savings Analysis, which should convince you to go alternative....even if you hate being healthy and the environment.

So, if this all intrigued you, I have two product companies I highly recommend.  They both have amazing FAQ sections, educational blogs, and answers to any other questions you might have about this subject.

Places to Get Alternative Products that Shine and Sparkle:

Just so you know, I have used both of these companies and find the quality and effectiveness of their products to be superb.  There are lots of other brands with the same concepts, but these are my favorites!

1) Luna Pads:

Luna pads sells by far the best pad replacements on the market.  They are reusable   They also come in tons of fun colors and patterns for the fashionista to enjoy.  Their site will tell you anything you need to know about logistics and answer all of the questions that this blog post probably made you wonder.  I suggest looking at their sales if you want to be extra thrifty!  I also know if you subscribe to their email, they often have free shipping and other great discount codes.
Mini Tip-Luna Pads Coupon Code: For the month of August 2012: Get $10 off orders over $75 with the promo code: 10BUX OR bump your order up to $100+ and save $20 with the promo code: 20BUX

2) Diva Cup: 
While it is totally convenient and possible to buy your Diva Cup from their website or from Luna Pads, I bought my most recent one from Amazon for only $26!  That being said, I encourage you to look at their site and educate your self about their AMAZING product.  This is really the one that revolutionized my life.  It is also adorably packaged for all you divas out there.  
  
So I hope I have gotten you thinking about alternatives to your current routine!  Have you used alternative menstrual product before?  Let me know what you think in the comments!  And as always,

Shine & Sparkle!

*I am not paid or contacted by any of the companies mentioned in this post.  These are my honest feelings and opinions. 

**Take my advice at your own risk...that being said, I think it's great advice! Consult with your doctor, especially if you are taking medications or may/are pregnant.  If you don't, "it said so on the internet" is not a great explanation to St. Peter.