History of the Mooncup
Many people are surprised to learn that the first menstrual cup was developed as early as the 1930s, by American actress Leona Chalmers, around the same time as the first commercial tampon. Manufacturers liked the idea of guaranteed monthly re-purchasing of tampons, and launched massive advertising campaigns. The menstrual cup, although adopted by some liberally minded women, struggled to compete with these huge budgets and a culture that associated disposability with convenience.
Menstrual cups and washable sanitary towels really began to gain popularity during the 1980s as women began searching for eco-friendly (and cheaper) alternatives to disposable products. It was around this time that Su Hardy, while backpacking around Australia with her one-year old daughter, discovered a latex menstrual cup and began importing it on a small scale on her return to the UK.
From selling to friends, and friends-of-friends, Su soon realised that women in Britain were ready for an eco-friendly, money-saving sanitary product. After extensive research following reports of latex allergies, she discovered a hypoallergenic alternative to latex: medical grade silicone and, in the Spring of 2002, the Mooncup was launched.
From Su’s one–woman crusade, operating from her bedroom at home, Mooncup Ltd. grew quickly into a small, ethical business responding to ever-growing numbers of women demanding the Mooncup. In 2004, the UK pharmacy giant Boots asked to stock the Mooncup following requests from their customers. Today, the Mooncup is sold in over forty countries around the world and its Usage Guide is printed in twelve languages.
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