We’re all ladies here right? Men – if you’re here, just a fair warning that things are about to get real around here today. I’m giving all the details on the Saalt Menstrual Cup.
Ladies – let’s talk about our period products.
I’ll start with a little bit of background for you. For the last couple of years, my periods have gotten progressively worse and worse. They have been heavier and heavier, with more cramping and more clots. Its incredibly painful and uncomfortable and wearing tampons was making the pain worse. I’m sure many of you can relate with this feeling.
I had a realization a few months ago that I was going through a LOT of tampons each month and I really wanted to try something more sustainable and comfortable. I toyed back and forth for a while trying a menstrual cup, but like many of you, I was hesitant about it because I knew nothing about it. How does it work? How easy is it to insert, take out, clean? What if you need to change it at Target? Does it leak? I had so many questions.
I have heard a few people talk about them and have some friends who use them so after consulting them, I decided to give it a try. I ordered it in January (more details about which one in a few!) and got to use it for the first time in February.
Saalt Menstrual Cup Review
Well, I say that I “got” to use it in February, but the reality is that I *had* to use it. In case you forgot, there was a huge ice & snow storm that shut down the entire state of Texas in February and it happened to happen the same week I got my period, and I did not have any tampons or pads – just my cup. So I had to figure it out because all the stores were closed and I had no way to get any other kind of products. Fun, right? Nothing like necessity to force you to learn and get comfortable with something new!
I’m not here to talk you into anything you don’t want to do or aren’t ready to try but I do want to give you as much info as I have so you can make an informed decision! I also have an IGTV video where I talked about this too, so click here if you want to watch that.
Here are some of the questions I have gotten:
Why the SAALT cup?
When I started looking into trying this out – this was the only cup that several people who’s recommendations I trusted had given good reviews of. I initially ordered it for that reason, but once I learned more about their brand, and how they are ethically made, sustainably sourced, come in 100% recyclable packaging, and give back to menstrual health initiatives, I definitely felt like it was the right choice.
I don’t plan on trying other products based on the fact that I did have such a positive experience with the Saalt cup. That does limit my review to just being able to offer information about this one brand and I’m unable to make comparisons. But I will say that if you are committed to using a menstrual cup, finding the one that does work for you is a worthy investment.
Which one did you buy?
Because this was my first go at a cup, I wanted something that would be easy to use and comfortable. I opted for the Saalt Soft Menstrual Cup Duo Pack. This is a thinner, more flexible cup and it is easier to maneuver and manipulate to fit the shape of your body. I like the set because I do have a really heavy flow for the first two days and a lighter one after that, so I like being able to change it out when my cycle calls for it.
In addition to the cup, I also purchased two pair of period underwear as well. I bought both the Saalt Elemental High Waist Brief and the Saalt Elemental Bikini Period Underwear. At the end of the day, I much prefer the high waist brief over the bikini and will probably order another pair. It was more comfortable overall and I liked the fit of it better!
Is it easy to insert and remove?
The short answer is yes. The longer answer is that it does take some practice and experience to make sure it is in correctly. There are a few different ways to fold it before inserting it and the best way depends on your body and what you’re comfortable with. I ended up using the seven fold (you can see the detailed instructions on their website) but I plan on trying the punch down fold during my next cycle because I think will work better in my body.
I think the key to this is to give it lots of practice before it’s maiden voyage so to speak. Practice putting it in, making sure it is open all the way, removing it, and getting it in your body where you don’t feel it. I will say this: you need to be 100% comfortable knowing what your body feels like in order to have a successful go at this. Making sure it is open completely is very important, and if inserting a finger (or two) to do so makes you squeamish, then you might need to go a different direction.
Practice the different folds both in and out of your body and watch how it opens up with each one so you’ll know what to feel for once it is inside you and you can’t see it anymore. Practice will literally be your best friend and you need to not be afraid to do it!
Oh – and please read and follow the instructions for removal! You don’t just pull that little stem at the bottom. That is there to help you locate it – you have to do some other stuff too!
Does it spill or leak? How easy/practical is it to empty?
I did have some leakage the first couple of days that I used it but I honestly chalk that up with not having it in correctly and opened up all the way. After those two days, and getting the hang of it, I did not have any leaking issues.
One of my big reservations about trying a cup was the worry of “what happens if I need to change it while I’m like at Target or something? Do I just waddle to the sink and rinse it out?” I’m pleased to say this is NOT something I needed to be worried about. Unlike a tampon, which needs to be changed much more often, you can wear a menstrual cup for 12 hours at a time without any negative side effects.
TWELVE HOURS.
That means you should NEVER have to empty and rinse it in the office bathroom, at Target, or at the baseball field. Whew. What I did was empty and clean it each morning and evening in the shower. Yep – brilliant. I wish I had come up with this on my own but I heard someone else say this and it was one of the final things that pushed me over the edge to purchase.
Please excuse the visual I’m about to give you, but I would squat in the shower, remove it, dump it down the drain, rinse it out, give it a quick wash with a mild soap (I used my face wash) and then squat down and re-insert it. I sincerely hope you’re not reading this while eating your breakfast.
Anyways – this also led me to discover that for me, the easiest way to insert/remove it was in the squatting position, something not easily achieved while sitting on a toilet.
I did have ONE instance on my second, heaviest day, where it seemed like I had it in incorrectly and it leaking. It was the middle of the day, and it was 48 degrees in our house at the time, and we didn’t have any water. Ideal conditions for this situation. I had to take it out while sitting on the toilet, I had no other choice. So I grabbed two plastic disposable cups, filled them both up with boiled water (we were under a boil notice at the time) and rinsed it once in the first cup, and then again in the second up. Not the way I would prefer to do the deed, but in the moment it worked just fine.
But where did the period panties come into play?
Ahhh the period panties. These are amazing and I will sing their praises forever more. I wore the period panties every day as a backup, just in case, oopsie element. I did not really need them, except in the instance I just shared above, but it is nice to know they are there if I do.
The last few days of my period, I solely relied on the panties and no cup. There was no weird gross feeling, everything was dry and comfortable, and much to my relief, there was also no weird smells happening, which was another concern of mine.
Like I mentioned above, we had no water or electricity for the first part of this experiment, so I was charged with cleaning these the old fashioned way – in the sink. Not ideal for sure, but turns out they are very quick and easy to wash and then you just hang them to dry. They are machine washable too, which is my future plan, but in a pinch you can wash them in the sink with mild soap (again, face wash to the rescue!) if you need to.
How about going to the bathroom – any issues?
There were zero issues going to the bathroom with it in! I would give you a little head’s up and say that one of the ways that helps you remove it is to “bare down” like you’re going to poo, because it helps force it out. I did not have any issues with this, but you might feel it more move when that happens.
Can you have sex or sexual relations with it in?
Sex? No. Sexual relations? Yes – depending on how comfortable you are with everything. I am a no-touch zone when I’m on my period and probably wouldn’t have felt very comfortable with things happening down there this first go round. However once I get more experience I might give it a go and see how things are and report back.
Right now that is all I can think to tell you guys but I’m sure you will have more questions! Leave them in the comments below and I will do a follow up post soon!
I love my Saalt cup! I got it in 2019 and it has been life-changing!
Post menopausal gal here. But, I always wondered how they worked. Thank you for the extremely honest information.
I love that you’re taking about cups. I’m 6 years in and will never go back.
One thing I didn’t know when I started is that shape, firmness and length all matter. It took a lot of tries before I found the one that works for me. A resource I recommend is putacupinit.com They have a quiz where they ask all kinds of questions and help you compare and choose brands (they do not push any specific brand, but they do have a comparison chart of a lot of different brands). I’ve sent this to lots of newbies and it’s been so helpful.