First Time Making Soap - Hot Process

Hi Lovelies!
Today I made my very first batch of soap! I have slowly been moving on from shop bought products, to homemade natural products. So far I have made lip balm (I used this recipe), and body butter (You can find the recipe here), and so I decided to take it a step further, and make my own soap!
For this batch, I used this recipe, by Mommy Potamus, however I substituted the coconut oil for copha (a hydrongenated form of coconut oil), and added in some grapefruit essential oil, as well as crushed, dried mandarin peel.

I also don't have a crock pot, so instead, I used a double boiler on low heat.

After all of my alterations, the ingredients looked like this:
468g Copha
178g Water
68g Lye (I bought this caustic soda from a hardware store)
Crushed, Dried Mandarin Peel (I did not measure this, but it was around 1/2 cup)
20 drops Grapefruit Essential Oil

I really loved this process, so I think I will be making some more soap very soon :)

After measuring out all of my ingredients, and collecting my supplies, I melted my copha in a double boiler.

 And then I prepared the lye solution, by slowly adding the lye to the water (do not add the water to the lye, because it will become very hot very quickly, and potentially boil over), and stirring in between spoonfuls.

 I then waited for the lye solution to transition from cloudy to clear, and added it to the copha.

Once the lye had been added to the copha, I took my stick blender, and blended to trace (until it thickened to a 'light pudding consistency'.

Once it had thickened, I put the lid back on, and let it cook at around 85 degrees celcius for about  hour.

After the hour had passed, I stirred it, and did the 'zap' test, where you take a little of the wax, and touch it to the tip of your tongue, and if it zaps you, it needs longer, but if it tastes like soap, then it is ready.

I then turned off the heat and waited for it to cool slightly, and added in my mandarin peel, and grapefruit essence.

I then spooned it into my silicone mould, and allowed it to set.

As I was spooning the mixture into the mould, it began to harden very quickly, and I found that I wasn't able to smooth it down as much as I would have liked because it was setting too quickly. I think this may have been due to using the copha, which has a much higher melting point that coconut oil, so for next time, I will stick to coconut oil.

After about 2 hours, the soap was completely set, and I popped it out of the mould, and whilst they are not the most beautiful soaps I have ever seen, I am very happy with the final product, and am hoping to make some more soon!

 Until next time,
Bella
xxx

Transitioning to Zero Waste - 5 Easy Steps

Hi lovelies,
Today I wanted to share with you all a topic that I feel very passionate towards - Zero Waste.
Zero waste means different things to different people. For me, it is a lifestyle that produces no physical trash (nothing goes to landfill).
Take a look in your fridge. I can almost guarantee that the majority of your food is packaged, and whilst it may seem daunting, there are many steps that you can take to significantly reduce the amount of waste you produce.

1. Switch out your single use plastics for reusables.
Switching out plastic wrap for reusable Tupperware, and plastic water bottles for stainless steel bottles significantly decreases the amount of waste that you send to landfill.

2. Be selective of what you actually need.
Be selective. Do I really need 2 different hand creams, 3 face moisterisers, and another 3 body lotions? The answer is no. Instead of having so many unnecessary products, that essentially, are almost the same, and create so much waste, almost none of which is recyclable, you could try to make your own lotion, that is perfect for all over your body.
I found this great recipe for body lotion by Lauren Singer, who runs the blog Trash is for Tossers, which is actually how I first found out about the zero waste movement.
Other products that I have made, or are planning to make include:
 - Soap
 - Shampoo Bars
 - Toothpaste
 - Deodorant

Head over here for some great natural, homemade beauty products.

3. Make the switch to Re-Usable Menstrual Products (RUMPs)
For all of us who get our periods, the hassle of buying a new box of tampons or pads can be annoying and expensive, not to mention filled with toxic chemicals.
The average women (or anyone who menstruates) gets their period 450 times, and use an average of 12,000 tampons or pads during their lifetime. I can't even begin to imagine how many mountains of trash that is.
A simple transition that I made to have a waste free period, was to switch from tampons to a menstrual cup, which work in a similar way to a tampon, as it is inserted into the vagina, but rather than absorbing blood, it collects it. Menstrual cups are super convenient as well, as they don't need to be changed for up to 12 hours (unless you have a heavy flow), and will last you up to 10 years (that's only four menstrual cups in your whole life!)

Ruby Cup Size M in Purple

If you are considering buying a menstrual cup, I highly recommend the Ruby Cup, not only because it is a great cup, but also because they have a wonderful policy where for every Ruby Cup purchased, they will donate a cup to a woman or girl in a developing country who would not otherwise have access to tampons, pads, or other alternative.
There are many other re-usable menstrual products, such as cloth pads, sea sponge tampons, re-usable cotton tampons, and many more. You can read more about the different types of RUMPs here.

4. Start composting
Composting is such an easy and effective method of reducing waste, and helps to give back to the environment, as it can eventually be used to fertilise your garden. Almost all food scraps can be composted, as well as cardboard, paper, and organic cotton.

For those of you who may not have the space
outside, it is still possible to compost indoors!

5. Buy Second Hand
Something that has become very apparent is that people tend to consume, consume, consume! Buy buying clothes, and long term items, such as pots, pans, and glassware from op shops, you are recycling clothes that have already been produced, This means less waste in manufacturing, and using more of what is already around us, of which there is plenty.

I hope to have inspired some of you to begin to become conscious about what you are putting into landfill, and perhaps even live a zero waste lifestyle!

Until next time,
Bella
xxx

Sexual Harassment

Sexual harassment. What an incredibly intimidating topic. In writing this, I am very aware that this is a subject of great meaning to some, and I wish to advise that it may be a trigger for people who can associate with it personally.

Let's start from the beginning.

Early last year, I began my first ever job; working in the deli of a small supermarket. Over my first two shift, in which I was being trained by a few of the girls who had been working there for a while already, I was warned of the behaviour of my manager (let's call his Justin for the purpose of this post) towards the employees of the store, specifically the younger females (aging between around 15 and 22). "That's just how he is" said one girl, "Don't let it bother you.". And as a young and impressionable teenager, I believed her.

During my first few shifts, I followed her advice, "He doesn't mean it.", "He's just a touchy-feely guy" I told myself every time that Justin would take me by the hips in order to move past me in the small isles of the tiny supermarket , or when he would get uncomfortable close when telling me something.

As the weeks and months went by, I became more aware of, and invested in creating equal rights and opportunities for all people, no matter their race, gender or sexual orientation. Feminism became a huge part of my being. I began to notice all the little things (and the big) that went on around me, whether it be the derogatory lyrics in music on the radio, or the clear gender roles that exist in my workplace.* I got better about confronting people, at making myself heard. I would ask the teenage boys graffiting trains what the point was, I would question sexist insults, and most of all, I made sure that I was not weak and submissive.

However, after all of this change, there was still one thing, that no matter how hard I tried, and how badly I wanted to, I could not stand up for. And that was me. Instead of giving Justin the well deserved speech about basic human rights, and general decency that I had spent hours upon hours thinking about, every time that he came just that little bit too close, or breached a topic just that little bit too personal, I found myself doing the worst thing possible; grinning and bearing it.
"Stupid!" "How can you let him do this to you?" I would scream at mself during and after each encounter.

There was one timed that scared me more that the rest. I was just about to walk out the of store, and into the 'staff only' area where all of the excess stock was kept, when Justin came up behind me and asked me a question. At this point, I had turned around, and was then facing Justin, with my back facing the two back walls of the store. Essentially, I was trapped. In an oddly calm manner, Justin placed his hand on my breast, and continued to talk to me as though nothing had happened.
At this point, I have frozen, both my body and my mind. For some reason all of the things that I had always wanted to yell at Justin, to spit in his face never make their way out of my mouth.

Eventually I decided that enough was enough. I needed to get out of there. I wrote a letter to my boss (who just so happens to be my managers brother), politely explaining that I no longer wish to work at his shop, for reasons that I would like to discuss, and no longer allow me to feel safe at work. I explained that the issue at hand was not something that I was willing to let slide by, and that something had to be done about it, or who knows, maybe the authorities could get involved.

You see I know how it feels to fell helpless, and vulnerable, and I am mot willing to let that happen to anybody else if I can help it.
That is why I am writing this post; not so that you all feel bad for me, to pity my, but so that you can learn from my mistakes, Speak up before it gets out of control,

Knowing when things went too far was never an issue for me. For me, the problem was finding the courage to speak the words that were always there, but somehow never made it out of my mouth and into the world.

You were born with a voice, so please, use it for good. Make the world a better place. Make yourself heard.


Til next time,
Bella
xxx

P.S. If you are feeling as though you need to speak up about sexual harassment either in your workplace, school, home or sporting clubs, please contact someone who can help, such as

*Part of my 'job' was to clean the dishes in the washroom, which only ever consisted of my manager, and boss' lunch plates, and coffee mugs.

Fat Shaming

Hi all!

Today I wanted to write a short article about a topic that sees a lot of attention in the media; fat shaming

First of all, I want to say that I am so sad to see people being bullied and ridiculed for being overweight.

The main point that I want to cover today is the body shaming of people who are overweight, and why it is wrong, and why - in some ways - people may be right (I know that I sound like a right cow, but if you hear me out, I think that it makes a lot of sense).

To start off, body shaming sucks. No matter what you look like, nobody deserves to be put down due to the shape and size of their body. Not the thin people battling with eating disorders, not the naturally thin people, not the average sized people, and not the overweight people.

Now, while I may not be able to personally identify with this particular group of people,  I, myself have struggled with body image issues, and know how difficult it can be to love yourself, when we live in a society where women are constantly put down for recognizing the fact that they may look and feel gorgeous.

The thing about fat people (yes I said it), is that they're fat. Nothing wrong with that in terms of what clothing you can wear, and feel comfortable in, or your self esteem. I have no issues with people being happy with themselves despite being overweight; I am so glad that they can love themselves for who they are.

Recently we have been seeing a lot of controversy about the portrayal (or lack thereof) of plus sized people in magazines and advertising. I am all for being body positive, and making people feel beautiful, however I think that there is a very fine line between allowing people to feel included and beautiful, and accommodating for people to aspire to look like someone who is overweight.

By aspiring to be overweight, just as someone aspiring to be underweight, there are serious health risks involved. Let's look at the facts. People who are overweight have significantly increased chances of conditions such as;
 - Hypertension
 - Diabetes
 - Some Cancers
 - Cardiovascular Conditions
 - Stroke
 - Arthritis
A lot of these conditions are potentially fatal, and significantly decrease the quality of life.

This is my primary reason for being tentative when it comes to plus sized models being advertised as a beauty standard.

I would love to know what you think about this topic, and I know that, as this is such a controversial topic, that I may receive some backlash for writing this, but I really do feel that there is a fine line between being accepting, and being at a serious health risk.

* Please be aware, that when I say plus sized models, I don't mean you're average size 12-14 person.

Til next time,
Bella
xxx

Help! My Menstrual Cup is Leaking!

Hi all,
Today I want to share with you a few top tips for beginners (or otherwise) menstrual cup users if you are having a little trouble.

If your cup is leaking, there are a few possibilities as to why.

First of all, and I know this might sound obvious, but check that your cup is not actually full when you take it out. Sometimes even when it doesn't look quite full enough to leak, it can be, due to the position of your cervix inside the cup.

Possibility number two; your cup has not fully opened after insertion. You should be able to determine if this is the case or not by inserting your finger and gently tracing around the rim of the cup. If it doesn't make a smooth circle shape, chances are it hasn't opened properly. There are a few ways that you can fix this:
1. Try pulling the cup down slightly with the stem. Sometimes if you push it up too far before it has opened, your cervix can get in the way ( I will come back to this in a little bit). Once the cup is fully open, you should be able to gently push it back up the vaginal canal to a spot that feels comfortable, and go on with the rest of your day!
2. Gently push against the wall of your vaginal canal to allow room for the cup to open. (Note this may be an indication that you need a smaller cup size)
3. Remove the cup and try again using a different fold. I recommend the punch-down fold, as it doesn't have to open in different directions, and is still small enough to insert comfortably.

Another reason that your menstrual cup may be leaking is that your cervix is not actually inside the rim of the cup. This makes it kind of impossible to do it's job as the blood comes out of the cervix and then completely misses the cup altogether.

You can fix this by gently pulling it down past the cervix, and then push it gently back up and into place. It should sit inside or directly above your menstrual cup.


The last reason that your menstrual cup may leak is unfortunately not as simple to fix; you may have the wrong size cup for your body.
The only way to know for sure is to try out different sizes, shapes and brands. You may be able to receive free sample cups from companies to test out. You will begin to learn what sizes, shapes, firmness and brands work best for you.

Most importantly; give it a chance! It can often take up to 3 or 4 months to get the hang of using a menstrual cup. Be persistent! Your body, bank account and the environment will thank you for it!

'Til next time,
 Bella
xxx

P.S. If you are interested in learning more about menstrual cups, other re-usable menstrual products, and feminism, please follow my blog with the follow by e-mail box, or the google connect box on the right of this post.

Free Bleeding - What it Really is

Free Bleeding. Without any understanding of what it really is, free bleeding sounds like a gross, messy and over-the-top way of saying "f-you society", right?

Well, whilst free bleeding in most cases does not involve letting ones self bleed over everything for a week every month*, it is a practice that involves taking care of one's flow without the aid of sanitary products such as pads, tampons and menstrual cups.

* Some people do choose to free bleed into their clothing, especially when protesting the tampon tax, and trying to break taboos on menstruation.

Basically, it involves training your body to be able to hold in menstrual fluid, then later release it when going to the bathroom - much like how people can hold in urine.

For most women, they learn to feel and recognize the 'twinges' that mean they will begin bleeding.This can take years of training, and would usually involve wearing a pad as back up

I would love to research this topic further, so if any of you have any more information on how to free bleed, please feel free to leave a comment below!

'Til next time,
Bella
xxx

P.S, If you like my blog, or are intersted in learning more about the environment, feminism an re-usable menstrual products, please follow, either via e-mail, or google with the tools to the right.

Types of Re-Usable Menstrual Products

After recently stumbling upon a specific menstrual product called the Menstrual Cup, I became curious about the other forms of re-usable menstrual products.

Most people have only ever heard of the standard disposable tampons and pads, never contemplating the fact that there may be other methods of protection. For many people, they never really think about what using these disposable products may be doing to their bodies, the environment, and their bank accounts.

Menstrual Cups
Menstrual cups are small silicone cups that sit inside the vagina by forming a light suction seal and collect the menstrual flow.Menstrual cups have been around since the early 1930's but never caught on as much as either disposable pads or tampons.

Ruby Cup Size Medium - Purple

Menstrual cups have recently started to become more and more popular for many reasons including the fact that they are super convenient and easy to use once you have the hang of it; once inserted, it is safe to leave the cup in for up to 12 hours! This is because of its capacity which holds 3-4 times as much as a regular tampon, as well as the fact that it collects rather than absorbs the menstrual flow, therefore not allowing bacteria to grow, eliminating the risk of Toxic Shock Syndrome.

There are countless different brands and styles of menstrual cups, some of the most popular and well known are:
 - Moon Cup
 - Lily Cup
 - Ruby Cup
 - Diva Cup
 - MeLuna Cup

Almost every brand of menstrual cup have at least two different sizes, typically one for a light to moderate flow or women who haven't given birth or are under the age of 30, and one for women who have a medium to heavy, have given birth or are over the age of 30.

Cloth Pads
One of the most popular and widely known form of Re-Usable Menstrual Product is Mama Cloth, also known as re-usable cloth pads. They come in many different lengths, widths, shapes, thicknesses and fabrics.

Pretty Bloomer Cotton Cloth Pad Set

Cloth pads are most popular among people who have used disposable pads previously, and wanted a more comfortable, environmentally friendly and natural alternative.

They can be purchased from retailers or from stores on etsy, or can easily be homemade if you have access to a fabric store and a sewing machine.

Sea Sponge Tampons

These sea sponge tampons can be found on accidentallygreen.com

Sea sponge tampons are a natural alternative to regular tampons, they hold roughly the same amount depending on what size you use, they have to be changed just as often, and they still pose a small risk TSS when worn incorrectly.
One difference between sea sponge and regular tampons other than their materials is that sea sponge tampons are completely safe to have sex with.


Period Panties
Period panties are basically just a pair of underwear that can be worn to soak up your menstrual fluid. It works in a way almost like a cloth pad that has been sewn into a pair of underwear, however the underwear remain as thin as regular underwear.

Thinx is probably the most well known brand of period panties. They stock 6 different styles of underwear: high-waist, thong, cheeky, hiphugger, sport and boyshort.


Re-Usable Tampons
Re-usable tampons are tampons that can be washed out and re-used. They often come in the form of a cotton square with a thin string sewn into one edge, It then rolls up and inserts like a regular tampon.

I hope this post helped those of you who are just getting into the re-usable side of menstrual products, or even those who only knew of a cups of cloth pads.

Bella
xxx


P.S, If you like my blog, or are intersted in learning more about the environment, feminism an re-usable menstrual products, please follow, either via e-mail, or google with the tools to the right.

Ruby Cup Review

Now that I have had my Ruby Cup for three cycles, I would like to share my thoughts on it.

To begin with, a menstrual cup is basically a cup (usually made from medical grade silicone) that is inserted into the vagina and forms a light suction to stay there and collect menstrual blood.

Ruby Cup size Medium - Purple

After being introduced to the world of re-usable menstrual products, namely menstrual cups,  I decided upon the Ruby Cup.
I chose this cup for two reasons; one being that it has such great reviews on its stem, silicone and capacity, and the other being that I love their ethics of for every cup purchased, one is sent to a girl in Kenya to help her stay in school and be able to participate in everyday life while she is on her period.

The Ruby Cup comes with a cute little pouch made from organic cotton as well as a booklet with information on insertion and how to care for your cup. I also bought the steriliser (which can be compacted) because it was more convenient than putting in in a saucepan to boil (all you do to sterilise the Ruby Cup is put it in the steriliser and fill with water then put it in the microwave for 3-5 minutes). The cup and steriliser together retails at €39.95.

Ruby Cup, Pouch and Steriliser

Steriliser Compacted

 I would like to say before I start, that since I have not owned a cup before, I am not able to compare the Ruby Cup to any others and my review is based solely on how it has worked for me.


Insertion
Whilst it took some getting used to - being a first time cup user- I found that the Ruby Cup size medium was a good size for me, generally popped open well, and did not leak at all after getting the hang of it.
I found that the punch-down fold was the easiest to insert, and it tended to pop open better than others.


Removal
The Ruby Cup is very easy to remove because of the super grippy stem which is a hollow tube. As you may be able to see in the first photograph, the three grip rings on the cup itself are quite subtle, meaning they are very comfortable but they are not as grippy as some other cups. As I have a very high cervix this was not a problem for me as I use the stem to take it out, but it may be more of a problem for people who need to completely cut off the stem.

* I found that removing my cup in the shower is super easy and efficient especially when just getting the hang of it.


Capacity
The capacity of the Ruby Cup size Medium is somewhere between 24 and 34mL because of the airholes. I found that for me, someone who has a moderate flow that lasts 4-5 days, I would be fine emptying it twice a day, once in the morning and once before bed. Towards the end of my cycle, I also found that I could get away with leaving it in for around 24 hours, you should note however that this is not advised, but after looking into it, I could not see any health risks or disadvantages other than some people found that when removing the cup, it sometime smelled a bit funky.

The measurements of the Ruby Cup size Medium are:

Stem Length: 17mm
Cup Length: 51mm
Total Length: 68mm
Diameter: 45mm
Capacity to Airholes: 24mL
Capacity to Brim: 34mL

Bella
xxx

P.S, If you like my blog, or are intersted in learning more about the environment, feminism an re-usable menstrual products, please follow, either via e-mail, or google with the tools to the right.

My First Experience with Re-Usable Menstrual Products (RUMPs) Part Two

If you haven't already, please read my previous post My First Experience with Re-Usable Menstrual Products (RUMPs) Part One, as this follows on from that.

Day One (Day Two of my cycle):
Upon receiving my cup, I immediately raced to the bathroom to see how it would go.
Armed with my laptop and cup, I prepared myself. I folded my cup using the punch-down fold and tried to insert it.I didn't seem to be able to get it up past the rim.
After beginning to feel as though I had been wrong about my revolutionary world saving menstrual cup, I turned to on of Bree's videos designed to help those new to the RUMPs world. Honestly such a lifesaver!
Bree is a youtuber whose main goal is to help educate people about RUMPs, as well as other matters relevant to the female reproductive system. She has tons of videos comparing different cup, so I would recommend checking them out before purchasing your own.

Anyway, after my many failed attempts at insertion, I finally got it in! The stem poked out just the tiniest amount, but I figured I would wait until I was sure before trimming it, but otherwise it was great! No leaking or discomfort unless I walked around too much.

After around 5 hours, just before going to bed, I decided to take it out and empty it. Honestly, I was disappointed with the tiny amount that was there - the blood only reached the 5 ml measuring line (about 1/6 of the total capacity). I re-inserted, put on a pad just incase and hoped for the best.

Day Two:
The first night of using my cup was fantastic! No leaks or discomfort, but the best thing was I could get up in the morning and take my time to get to the bathroom, as the horrible waterfall feeling when getting up in the morning was now a thing of the past!

However the greatness of this day was short lived. As it was a school day, I put on a backup pad and inserted my cup. It felt as though it had been inserted properly and I could hardly feel it. Spoiler alert: This is when it starts to get bad. Literally within the first two minutes of leaving my house, I began to feel this strange and almost painful rubbing inside my vagina, making it very uncomfortable to walk.I decided that it was fine; I could make it to school, it's only forty minutes away.
Boy did I regret that! The rest of the walk and train ride was filled with pain and images of my cup falling out and leaking everywhere!
As soon as I got to school I raced to the bathroom and had no choice but to pull the thing out.I knew that I was supposed to wash it out with water, but as I had none ( unless of course, I wanted to clean out my bloody cup in the middle of peak bathroom hour!) I used toilet paper, and was happily surprised by how well it worked. I re-inserted and hoped for the best.

By lunch it was beginning to feel quite uncomfortable, and when I went to the bathroom, I discovered that it had started leaking. I pulled it out and noticed that there was some blood in the cup - I assumed that it had not opened properly, so half of the blood was caught, and the other half leaked straight past the cup.

The nest time that I took it out was when I was at work, so again I wasn't able to wash it out. As earlier, this turned out fine, and it didn't leak or feel uncomfortable for the rest of the day.

Day Three:
As this was the forth day of my period, I didn't use it after this day.
Similarly to the previous day, I woke up happy; no leaks, no pain and no complaints. This day was a weekend so I didn't have much on the agenda apart from going swimming in the morning for which I used a tampon just to be sure. The day went on as usual, and passed without many leaks and only mild cramping, which was solved with a heat pack and some Mintec (peppermint oil).

Overall, my experience was not as successful as I would have hoped, but I'm not giving up on it just yet!

Bella
xxx

P.S, If you like my blog, or are intersted in learning more about the environment, feminism an re-usable menstrual products, please follow, either via e-mail, or google with the tools to the right.

My First Experience with Re-Usable Menstrual Products (RUMPs) Part One

Recently, I came across a previously unheard of concept; re-usable menstrual products, or also known as RUMPs. Until then, I had only ever known about disposable menstrual products; pads and tampons. It was whilst tracking my period on strawberrypal.com that I noticed an advertisment featuring the 'Mooncup - a great alternative to tampons.'

Being the curious creature that I am, this intrigued me; 'what other means of dealing with one's flow could there posibly be?' my naive mind asked.

Upon researching further, I discovered this fabulous video debating the pros and cons of both menstrual cups and tampons:

It, and the moon cup websitetold me all that I needed to know:
 - Menstrual cups can be used for up to 12 hours at a time.
 - One menstrual cup can be used for up to 10 years, saving the earth from millions of disposables each year.
 - Menstrual cups have not been linked to any cases of Toxic Shock Syndrome.

As hooked on the idea as I was, I knew that it would be a challenge convincing my Mum of this relatively unknown form of sanitary product (Being only 15 years old, I wasn't able to buy one online myself, nor do they sell them in stores where I live).

Boy did it take some convincing! Luckily I had done my research; she was full of questions.'Won't it hurt? It looks huge.' 'Is it safe?' 'Does the plastic leach?' 'Is it hard to use?' and of course; 'How do you know you'll use it?'

Whilst I had many of these answers already, others would have to come from experience.

Other than the moon cup, there are plenty of other brands that make menstrual cups. Some of the more popular ones are:
 - Lunette Cup
 - Ruby Cup
 - Diva Cup
 - Lily Cup
 - MeLuna Cup
and the list goes on and on.

Most brands have at least two different sized cups, and almost all of them (excluding the Keeper - Latex and the MeLuna cups - TPE) are made of 100% medical grade silicone, meaning they are completely safe for internal use.

In th end I decided on the Ruby Cup size Medium because I had seen some great reviews on the company, but mostly because they have a policy in which for every cup purchase, one will be donated to a girl in Africa who cannot access sufficient sanitary products.

My cup couldn't have arrived at a better time. As I was on the second day of my period, I was so excited to try it out. In the package (a pink biodegradable bag) came my cup in the colour purple, a cotton pouch to store my cup, a booklet on how to care for and use my cup as well as a pink steriliser which I also purchased.

See part two for my daily account of my first time using my Ruby Cup.


Bella
xxx

P.S, If you like my blog, or are intersted in learning more about the environment, feminism an re-usable menstrual products, please follow, either via e-mail, or google with the tools to the right.