Meet Gina menstrual cup, menstrual hygiene
With the Gina menstrual cup from Platanomelón, buying pads or tampons every month and going to the bathroom to change them several times a day is over. Wear the menstrual cup for up to 12 hours straight during the day, at night, while doing sport or even when you travel and start saving money!
Main features of the Gina menstrual cup
- Comfortable, healthy, ecological and economical.
- Up to 12 hours of continuous protection.
- Reusable and not disposable.
- 2 sizes available: small (20 ml capacity) and large (35 ml capacity).
- Easy to handle, flexible material.
- Does not leak or cause dryness.
- Does not release fibres into the vaginal walls.
- No pesticides or bleaches.
- CE marking and FDA certified.
How to insert the Gina menstrual cup
Putting in a menstrual cup is as easy as putting in a tampon. Just as the first day you put in a tampon was not easy for you, the same thing can happen with the cup. Until you get used to it! So don't get overwhelmed if you try it for the first time and it doesn't go well.
The material of the Platanomelón Gina menstrual cup is very flexible, allowing you to handle it as you please and wear it so it fits you perfectly.
Inserting it is always the same: fold the cup to reduce its size and insert it into the vagina. Once inside, stop pressing with your finger so that it opens and creates a vacuum effect, in other words, so it adapts perfectly to your shape so there are no leaks.
If it is fitted correctly, you shouldn’t feel it. If you have any discomfort, do not hesitate to take it out, clean it and put it back in its correct place.
Use and care of the Gina menstrual cup
You can wear the cup for up to 12 hours straight. To give you a better idea, you can travel from London to Los Angeles without having to remove the menstrual cup. That’s what I call comfort.
When using it for the first time, boil the cup in a saucepan for 10-15 minutes or use a specialised steriliser cup such as Clín, in which case, boil it in the microwave (with 100-120ml of water) for 3-4 minutes. Keep it in the satin pouch that comes included and, before each cycle, boil it for 3 to 5 minutes to ensure that it is clean.
Next, make it smaller, as we previously explained, and insert it until it feels comfortable. In the event that you want to remove it before the 12 hours have passed, empty the cup into the bathroom sink and clean it with water and neutral soap.
Do this every time you empty the cup. The last time you empty it because your period has ended, sterilise it again to make sure it is free of any residue and put it back in the pouch until your next period.
Although Gina is made of hypoallergenic silicone (free of latex and phthalates), a material that makes it safer and more respectful of the intimate area, and has been subjected to various quality tests as it is an intimate hygiene product, the cleaning process is essential to avoid infections.
The cup needs special care in terms of cleaning (especially when sterilising) and use (it should not be used for more than 12 hours at a time). It is important that in case of infection, use is suspended.
Sizes of the Gina menstrual cup:
2 sizes available: small (20 ml capacity) and large (35 ml capacity). Everything depends on the condition of your pelvic floor. As a general rule, although there may be exceptions, the small size is recommended for people under 30 years of age who have not had children. If you are younger than 30 and have had children, we recommend using the larger menstrual cup.
If you are 30 or over, we recommend using the larger size, with the exception that if you are 30 or older and work your pelvic floor frequently (with Chinese balls and/or Kegel exercises) as it is recommended that you use the smaller menstrual cup.
If you are 30 or older and do not work your pelvic floor frequently, whether you have had children or not, it is recommended that you use the large menstrual cup.
But remember that every vagina is different, and for this reason this information is for guidance only.
How to cut off the stem of the menstrual cup
As you have maybe seen, menstrual cups have a stem that you pull on to remove them. This can sometimes cause discomfort. Every vagina is different! If you notice that wearing it rubs, bothers or hurts your labia majora or labia minora, you don't have to stop using a menstrual cup.
You will notice that the part of the cup that we are referring to (the stem) has several stripes. With clean, sharp scissors, try cutting off the last one and put the cup back in. If it still causes discomfort, cut until the cup feels comfortable. However, we recommend that you trim to the third stripe at the most so that you can remove the cup more easily.
Benefits of using the menstrual cup
- Health
In life, health is vital. A high-quality menstrual cup like Gina ensures hygiene and personal health. By not releasing fibres into the vaginal walls and not absorbing the flow, it prevents Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS), which many people with vaginas have been diagnosed with due to the regular use of tampons.
- Saves money
On the other hand, the Gina menstrual cup costs €16.99. It is an investment that, if you take good care of it, will last you up to 10 years. Which means that you will be spending €0.14 a month. If we look at pads and tampons, the economic outlook changes dramatically: in Spain, a box of pads or tampons costs approximately €4. If on average we use 1 box per cycle, it means that over 10 years we use 120 boxes which, in euros, is €480 over 10 years. So if you opt for the menstrual cup, you save €463.
- Ecological
Using and throwing out pads and tampons is a thing of the past thanks to the menstrual cup. Think about it, one person with a vagina uses around 12 pads/tampons every month. Imagine a mountain of all the pads/tampons that we all use combined in just one day...
With the menstrual cup there is no waste apart from the box it comes in and having to change it after 10 years.
There is nothing but advantages!
Additional details about the Gina menstrual cup
- Material: high-quality hypoallergenic silicone, free of latex and phthalates, and with a smooth finish.
- Includes satin pouch to store and carry around.
- Measurements of the small menstrual cup (S): 7.3 cm in length, 4.3 cm in diameter and 20 ml capacity.
- Measurements of the large menstrual cup (L): 7.8 cm in length, 4.5 cm in diameter and 35 ml capacity.
- Internal thickness: 0.45 cm.
- Care: rinse or wash with water and neutral soap and boil according to the instructions.
- 2-year warranty.
- CE marking and FDA certified.
- The instructions are included in the product packaging, but if you have lost them or want to consult them before purchasing, you can do so by clicking here.
