Mooncup

Silicone Vegan Menstrual Cup

What is a menstrual cup?

A menstrual cup is a small, foldable, reusable device made from silicone, rubber or plastic that collects, rather than absorbs, the menstrual blood when inserted into the vagina. Mooncup® is the brand name of a menstrual cup: the first medical grade silicone menstrual cup in the world.

Who invented the menstrual cup?

The first menstrual cup, made from rubber, was invented in 1937 by an American woman named Leona Chalmers.  Unfortunately for Chalmers, a wartime rationing of rubber during World War II impacted the production of her menstrual cup.

Her cup was met with resistance from the public. Perhaps ahead of its time, the idea was shelved due to the rise in the popularity of disposables and the invention of the applicator tampon.

Thankfully, the concept has gained more widespread popularity and recognition since the early 2000s when the Mooncup menstrual cup was invented.What is a Mooncup?

The Mooncup® is a soft, silicone menstrual cup that you can reuse every time you get your period.

Tried and trusted since 2002 by users around the world, the Mooncup menstrual cup offers an end to the waste, discomfort and expense of disposable sanitary protection.

It was designed by women as a convenient, safe and eco-friendly alternative to tampons and pads. The Mooncup was the first ever menstrual cup to be made from medical grade silicone; a hypoallergenic alternative to rubber which had previously been linked to latex allergies.

Today, the Mooncup is available online and at local retailers in over 50 countries worldwide.

The Mooncup is 5cm long and has a ‘stem’ to help with removal. As vaginal length varies, the stem of the Mooncup is designed to be trimmed if needed.

Who invented the Mooncup?

Su Hardy is to thank for the invention of the Mooncup menstrual cup. Su first came across a menstrual cup when she was travelling around Australia in 2000 and started to import and distribute it to friends and friends of friends when she came home to the UK. But discovering that some had a reaction to the latex in this rubber cup, she researched hypoallergenic alternatives and invented the world’s first reusable, medical grade silicone menstrual cup, trademarked as the Mooncup® in the spring of 2002.

Su built up the company from her spare room, working around the clock with a few friends, and it is now an award-winning, international, employee-owned business based in Brighton with a dedicated team of 18.

Why Mooncup?

The Mooncup menstrual cup is…

Comfortable

Made from soft, medical-grade silicone, it’s so comfortable you can’t feel it’s there.  While tampons absorb 35% vaginal moisture, the Mooncup menstrual cup won’t dry you out or leave fibres behind.

Convenient

Your Mooncup is always there, ready. No last minute dash to the shops, no stockpiling different absorbency pads or tampons. The Mooncup frees you from having to throw away used products or carry bulky spares (as you head to the toilet or taking up backpack space on your travels).

Reliable

Holding 3 x more than a regular tampon, the Mooncup menstrual cup gives you longer lasting protection on heavier days. And because it’s non-absorbent, it won’t cause dryness when your period’s light.

Money-saving

You only need one Mooncup® that pays for itself after 6-8 months – you’re then saving that monthly spend on sanitary protection.

Gentle

Latex-free, hypoallergenic and containing no dyes, perfumes, BPA, phthalates, plastic, bleaches or toxins.

More than just a product

Once you’ve bought your Mooncup, we’re here for you if you need support. We offer a unique telephone and email Advice Service run by medical health professionals. You can be assured that the Mooncup® is manufactured in the UK to the highest quality standards – Mooncup Ltd is ISO 13485 certified and is registered with the FDA.

Our Story

The story of Mooncup is one of passion, determination, the power of word-of-mouth, and a generous sprinkling from Lady Luck: from a distant time when revolutionary ideas still went viral in the real world, in real time…

It all started in 1999, with one cyclist sharing the too-well-kept secret of a reusable menstrual cup with another at a Critical Mass Bike Ride in the UK. Early menstrual cups were made of tough rubber, hard to come by & strictly for the adventurous.

In 2000, Eileen (the second cyclist from the beginning of our story), met Su who was travelling around Australia with her husband, young daughter, a bucket and stash of washable nappies. Eileen shared the menstrual cup ‘secret’ with Su. The environmental & practical advantages of a reusable menstrual cup struck a perfect chord with Su. The secret had landed in the right hands. Su and Eileen found themselves in a lifelong friendship and with a purpose that they’d eventually work together for.

On her return to the UK, Su started selling an imported rubber cup to friends and friends-of-friends and soon realised that she wasn’t the only one ready for a better menstrual product.

When friends reported some discomfort and the symptoms of latex allergy, Su realised that the rubber cup wasn’t quite the perfect solution. Her childhood with an entrepreneurial Dad got her inventive spark firing. After extensive research, she came up with a hypoallergenic alternative; medical grade silicone; and, in the Spring of 2002, Mooncup®, the world’s first reusable silicone menstrual cup was born.

Today, the Mooncup is available in over 50 countries around the world and Mooncup Ltd continues to pioneer as an employee owned business with an ever-growing, dedicated team.  Thankfully, the Mooncup menstrual cup is no longer a secret, with millions of us freed from using tampons and pads.  Happy Mooncup users continue to spread the word: it seems word-of-mouth has a certain traction with us menstruating folk – especially when we’ve a life-changing story to share!

The Mooncup menstrual cup has been registered by the Vegan Society since 2010. This indicates that the Mooncup contains no animal ingredients and has never been tested on animals. The Vegan Society Trademark holds very strict standards in relation to animal testing. Only manufacturers who have not tested their products or ingredients, or requested their testing, are able to trademark their products.