If you Google “Diva Cup reviews”, you will get a wide range of opinions regarding this little menstrual cup. From people saying they couldn’t live without it to horror stories of those who hated it, The Diva Cup has brought about many opinions. Personally, I have been using The Diva Cup for almost 2 years and I’m never going back to conventional products again. Really though, it’s for you to decide if you love it or hate it. To each her own. But, if you’re interested and want to learn more, I’ll walk you through it, what it’s all about and why I love it.
More About The Diva Cup:
Here’s a short video from Diva Cup explaining their product and why it rocks!
If you have never heard of The Diva Cup before, it is a menstrual cup that you insert into the vaginal canal. It sits low, at the base of the vaginal canal, collecting your flow, until you decide to empty and replace the cup. This may sound a little unnerving to some, but think about what we have to do with tampons and pads. We’re just used to it. Trust me, you will get used to this too! Here are some tips that I have found to be helpful with my Diva Cup:
- There are 2 sizes. Model 1
is recommended for women under the age of 30 or who have never delivered vaginally or by caesarean section. Model 2
is for women age 30 and over and/or for women who have delivered vaginally or by caesarean section.
- Follow instructions online. There are a few different methods and you’ll discover what works best for you with some trial and error. I’ve also found that squatting helps me insert it correctly and easily.
- Trim the stem. Once you have tried out your Diva Cup for the first time, remove it and trim some of the stem back. I always have to do this to mine, as some of it sticks out and can be irritating.
- Empty it in the shower. You can also remove it and dump your flow into the toilet, but the shower is convenient because you can dump and wash all at once.
- Wash your Diva Cup. You don’t want to use antibacterial soap, fragranced soap or anything with harmful chemicals. Find a mild, unscented, water-based soap or use the specifically designed DivaWash
to clean your cup.
- The Diva Cup is not for everyone. I have talked to a lot of women who love it, but I’ve also talked to women that don’t. Based on your body, your birth control methods or a number of other reasons, it may not work for you. I recommend that if you are interested, try it for a month or two, see how you feel and ask yourself if your life has improved and if you are living in line with your beliefs.
Why I Love The Diva Cup:
The Diva Cup is a healthy, natural alternative. It is made from 100% healthcare grade silicone and is cured after production to ensure that nothing will leak into the body, i.e. no leaching! Tampons and pads can have chemicals in them, like dioxin, that can be absorbed into your body. Dioxin is a known carcinogen and has been shown to induce endometriosis in monkeys during an animal study. Also, most of these products are made with genetically modified cotton that has been exposed to high levels of pesticide, which can also be absorbed through your skin into your body. Terrifying!! (source)
- The Diva Cup is a sustainable solution. No more producing waste from disposable tampons and pads. More than 20 billion disposable menstrual products are dumped in landfills and flushed down drains every year.
- The Diva Cup is cost efficient. It usually costs $39.99 retail and lasts about a year. That beats $60-$120 a year that we spend on disposable products. You can actually get it for $27.99 on Amazon
, and if you have Prime you get FREE shipping and 2 day delivery! Or find it in a store near you with this store locator.
- The Diva Cup is less worry. It only has to be emptied every 10-12 hours. No more forgetting to change your tampon, just to end up with a mess. The Diva Cup can carry up to 30ml of flow and a woman’s entire cycle is usually only 30-60ml. There is no risk of Toxic Shock Syndrome with a Diva Cup.
- The Diva Cup connects you to your body. You get to see exactly what your flow is like, how long and how heavy. Tampons and pads come in many different absorbencies, contain surfactants and moisture control agents, causing you to never really know what’s going on with your flow and your body.
- The Diva Cup can be inserted before your period. If you are really regular or can tell when your body is about to start flowing, you can insert The Diva Cup and forget about it. No more surprises or messy underwear.
- The Diva Cup can be used during all activities. Whatever you are into, I’m pretty sure you can wear your Diva Cup during it. I personally have done yoga, water sports, hiking, travel, exercise classes and have had no issues.
- The Diva Cup doesn’t have an annoying string! No more getting your tampon string wet when you pee. Seriously, it’s just insert it and forget it!
As you can see, I really LOVE my Diva Cup. I haven’t really run into many problems. I did have 1 or 2 leaking incidents in the beginning, but after I learned how to insert it correctly for my body, I haven’t had any issues. There are also many other menstrual cups out there that you can try. I am only writing about that Diva Cup, because that is the only one I have tried. It has saved me time, money and given me peace of mind. I know that I am caring for my body and the planet every time I use my Diva Cup.
What has your experience been? Are you interested in trying The Diva Cup? What are your concerns? Share with us!
There are Amazon affiliate links in this article. However, I am not partnered with Diva Cup in any way and all opinions are my own.
I have only used my Diva Cup for four months sofar and there is no going back for me lol Sure there is a few month learning curve but I recommend sticking it out. Don’t give up to fast. Also remember that everyone is different and you may need to change the cup more frequently during heavy days. You will still need to empty cup much less then you would need to change a Tampon.
This past few months I have even started using cloth pads as a back up to my cup 🙂 My next step is to buy more cloth panty liners.
Hey Deborah! Thanks for the tips and I love the idea of cloth pads and panty liners. We can take Zero Waste into the bathroom too! Keep up the good work!
This is by far the best purchase I have ever mad when it comes to feminine hygiene! I have recommended it to quite a few girls in the past few months.
That’s awesome Elle! I know I always try to tell any girl that will listen about it!! Haha.
Thanks for shnigar. Always good to find a real expert.
Hey Bree!
I’ve been a huge menstrual cup fan for years, but was loyal to the Mooncup. I literally had the same one for about 3 years, then upgraded to the Divacup a year or so back. I had no idea they could be so different!
I really didn’t get on with the Divacup, I stuck with it for about 6 months, but it really wasn’t for me in the end. I’m now a Lunette girl, have you tried that one?
I wrote a review on the Diva Cup – I’d love to know your thoughts 🙂
http://www.menstrualcupadvice.com/diva-cup-review/
Cheers Bree!
Eloise
Hey Eloise! I haven’t tried the Lunette, but I’m definitely open to other brands. The Diva Cup just happened to be the first menstrual cup I tried and it worked well for me. Thanks for your review! There was a lot of great information in there. Especially the part about the Diva Cup not working well for women with low cervixes. I didn’t know that and it’s good to hear that there might be other brands that work better for those women. Thanks for your comment and reading!