A new item in your bathroom, the menstrual cup is becoming a monthly must-have for more and more women.

How to use it, how to position it, how to clean it, we answer all your questions for an easy use of your Claricup menstrual cup.

Summary of article :

1. FAQ – Your 14 questions about the menstrual cup
2. Can you use a menstrual cup when you are a virgin?
3. Discomfort with the menstrual cup: size, infection, positioning?
4. Menstrual cup and odour
5. Menstrual cup and leaks, what to do?

Pouvez-vous utiliser une coupe menstruelle lorsque vous êtes vierge ?

There is no contraindication to wearing the menstrual cup when you are a virgin.

However, the menstrual cup may seem imposing for a first insertion into the vagina.

For this reason, we have created a smaller menstrual cup, the Mini Claricup, which allows for easier insertion and use. If you have any questions about the use of the Claricup cup, please do not hesitate to read our article here.

The most important thing :

• First of all, you have to feel comfortable with your body because to insert and remove a menstrual cup, you have to put your fingers in your vagina. It is important to know all parts of your body well. Don’t hesitate to learn about your anatomy, familiarise yourself with your vagina and explore it. He deserves it.

What about the hymen in all this?

When we talk about virginity, we talk a lot about hymen. But from an anatomical point of view, what exactly is the hymen?

At birth, the lower opening of the vagina is partly closed by a thin membrane, this is the hymen.

At puberty, the hymen becomes elastic and gradually widens. It is therefore possible to widen it enough to fit a menstrual cup.

• Cup and Hymen, the risk: there can be a tear in the hymen when inserting a menstrual cup (as can happen when using a menstrual tampon, or when practising certain sports such as cycling, yoga, or following a bad fall), so if it is important for you to keep your hymen intact, it is best to wait before using a menstrual cup.

There, now you know more about it. If you need further information, please do not hesitate to contact us. You can contact us via our website or on our social networks.

Discomfort with the menstrual cup: size, infection, positioning?

You’re a fan of themenstrual cup, you’ve finally passed the milestone! But sometimes you feel some discomfort when you wear it? The advantage of the menstrual cup is that it doesn’t leak and is very comfortable, so much so that you almost forget it! Feeling discomfort is therefore not normal, you should not feel your Claricup. Don’t give up, a few small changes and everything should fall into place.

Positioning

The first thing to check if you feel any discomfort with your menstrual cup is its positioning.

Afterfolding and inserting your menstrual cup, check its correct positioning.

As a reminder, the menstrual cup is worn low, just at the entrance to the vagina, no further than an inserted phalanx. It is not worn as high as a tampon.

Once you have this in mind, you will be able to check with a few simple gestures that your menstrual cup is in place and that the suction cup effect has been achieved.

1. Run a finger around the Claricup menstrual cup to check that it is wide open in your vagina. If you notice that the menstrual cup is not open, it does not have room to unfold, so it is too big. Don’t hesitate to consult our sizing guideto help you.
2. Pinch the base of the Claricup menstrual cup to rotate it into your vagina. This will help the cup to position itself well and unfold if it hasn’t already done so!

Stem

If, in spite of this, you still experience discomfort, it is possible that the problem lies with the stem. Our vaginas are all different, depending on the tone of the perineum, the cup will not be positioned in the same place for everyone, for some it will tend to rise and for others to remain low.

If you feel a small burn at the entrance of your vagina, if you fall on the stem of your cup, it’s really the stem that is bothering you!

If the stem of your cup protrudes from your lips, this can also be uncomfortable.

In this case, remember to remove your cup and then cut the stem on a flat surface with a clean pair of scissors.

If the discomfort persists, do not hesitate to contact us via our site or our social networks. Please be aware that if the discomfort comes from a wrong choice of size, we will send you back a cup free of charge!
This discomfort may also be due to a small inflammation or vaginal infection. You can also talk to your healthcare professional who will be able to help you.

Menstrual cup and odour

Have you been using the menstrual cupfor some time and have you noticed a bad smell on your cup, despite the daily cleaning you give it? We agree this is not the most pleasant thing. We go around the subject so that you don’t have to wonder whether that fishy smell is normal or not!

Menstrual cup and smell, is this normal?

No, it is not normal to smell a bad smell on your menstrual cup.

Your menstrual blood may have a peculiar metal smell, but in this case, don’t panic, it’s normal because the blood contains a lot of iron.

On the other hand, if you smell a fishy smell directly on your cup, it is not normal.

But… doesn’t that kind of smell mean anything to you? These are smells that you may have already smelled if you have had avaginal infectionor too much and foul-smelling vaginal discharge. So you make the connection?

Where can this smell come from?

A vaginal infection

Indeed, most of our clients who observed a bad smell with their cup had unknowingly had a vaginal infection.

If you have been using Claripharm for some time, you know that we recommend that you clean and disinfect your cup before each use. However, if a germ, yeast or parasite has settled in your vagina and therefore on your cup, this cleaning + disinfection step will not be enough.

The cleaning will remove traces of blood from the menstrual cup and the disinfection will eliminate bacteria.
But the smell (the scent molecules produced by the micro-organism causing the infection) can stay on your menstrual cup and also in your vagina if you don’t treat the infection.

This is why we recommend that you change your menstrual cup if you have a vaginal infection and that you do not use a cup if you have a vaginal infection.

Cleaning a little too quickly

Cleaning + disinfection is the essential step, as you can see. Think of it as a real routine when you use your cup.

If this step is not carried out correctly, residue or bacteria will stick to your cup and cause a potential odour.

In addition, remember to let your cup dry thoroughly after disinfection. If you put your cup back in its transport box when it is not completely dry, a “musty” odour may occur. All the more so as your cup is then stored there for 3 to 4 weeks, while waiting for your next period to return.

The choice of cleanser for your menstrual cup is important.

As silicone is a porous material, not just any detergent can be used. Cleaners with perfume or alcohol are not recommended as they leave traces on the surface of the cup. However, the cup must be pure and free of any trace of ingredients that could disturb the mucous membrane and vaginal flora and, by domino effect, cause a bad smell.

This is why we recommend cleaning your menstrual cup with an intimate shower gel formulated without perfume, dyes, alcohol or parabens to leave as little residue as possible on the menstrual cup.

How to get rid of this unpleasant smell?

At the risk of disappointing you, we do not yet have a miracle recipe to get rid of this smell.

If it does not disappear after a cleaning and disinfection cycle, the best thing to do is to change your menstrual cup.

What not to do

We were able to observe practices that are not validated. So as a reminder, don’t :

• Use white vinegar
• Using Betadine
• Use Sanytol
• Use disinfectant tablets such as Milton.
• Various oils
• Baking soda is also not validated by our tests, so we do not recommend it.

Honestly, how would you like to have these products in your vagina? Because that would be the case. Once again, silicone is a porous material, it retains everything!

Now you know where that bad smell on your menstrual cup can come from. The most common cause is still vaginal infection. As a reminder, we do not always recognize or feel the effects of an infection, so be sure to seek the advice of your healthcare professional.

Menstrual cup and leaks, what to do?

Oops, you have leaks? Don’t panic, the solution is not far away. Note that it is normal to observe leaks during the first few uses. It usually takes 1 to 2 cycles to become familiar with the use of the menstrual cup.

However, there are a number of causes that can cause leakage, such as a poor positioning of your menstrual cup or the wrong cup size.

Positioning and insertion of the menstrual cup

First of all, you have to relax. If you stress, the muscles of your perineum will contract, and then insertion will be more difficult, which can cause the cup to be badly positioned and therefore leak!

Good bending is important and prevents possible leaks. If your Claricup menstrual cup is not folded correctly, the insertion and unfolding of the cup will not go well. There are several bending methods, each with its own preference. For more information on how to fold the cup, click here.

The menstrual cup is worn low, just at the entrance to the vagina, no further than an inserted phalanx. It is not worn as high as a tampon.
This is because if the cup is placed too high in your vagina, the suction effect with the vaginal walls will not take place and you may find… leaks.

To check its correct positioning, you can grab the base of the menstrual cup and rotate it on itself. If it turns, it is well placed and unfolded. Alternatively, you can move it up and down or left and right, still holding the base of the cup, to unfold it.

Then you can run a finger along the cup and pull it up to the neck of the cup to check that the menstrual cup is properly deployed.

Menstrual cup size

A leak is created because the sealing effect is not achieved.

Either because the cup is too small and does not adhere to the vaginal walls, or because it is too big and does not unfold well.

How do you know whether to go up or down?

It’s very easy : once you have inserted your menstrual cup, grasp the base and try to rotate the Claricup on itself. If it rotates and you still have leaks: it is unfolded and therefore it is too small. If it doesn’t turn despite all your efforts: it doesn’t unfold properly, it’s too big.

More advice on how to choose your Claricup size here.

The cup is full

You have the right cup size, you think it is well positioned, but you still have leaks? The cup is probably full. All you have to do is see it when you remove your cup. We recommend changing your cup every 6 hours. If your cup is full before the recommended 6 hours, you may need to change your cup size. Our largest size is size 3 for very heavy flows. To find out if you have a very abundant flow, don’t hesitate to read our article here.

In short, if you have leaks with your menstrual cup :

• Check the correct positioning of your cup
• If the cup is well positioned and you notice leaks, then it is probably the wrong size. Then go back to our “Menstrual cup size” paragraph to find out which size you need.
• The cup may be full, take the size above.

Don’t be discouraged, once the first cycles are over, you’ll get the hang of it and become the queen of the cup!

Do you have further questions about the daily use of your menstrual cup? Write on social networks or by email to: contact@claripharm.fr

To wear your menstrual cup safely, cleaning is a more than essential step! Here we show you all the tips to have a 100% clean cup.

Summary of article :

1. Do you know the Claribox?
2. Why have 2 menstrual cups?
3. After how long do I have to empty my menstrual cup?
   

Do you know the Claribox?

The Claricup box is supplied with each Claricup menstrual cup. Why ? Because it is very useful for disinfectionbut also for transporting the menstrual cup. Moreover, almost 70% of you use the Claricup box(user survey December 2018).

In the past, you may have been in the habit of disinfecting your menstrual cup in a pan. However, we have to admit to ourselves that this is not the most discreet thing. We’ve all heard stories of girlfriends who find themselves having a fight with their partner because it’s not cool to see, and then “What? Then we use this pan to make food ?? ». In short, you have understood that it is not always practical in everyday life.

And then, how do you empty your menstrual cup in the middle of the day? We don’t necessarily have a washbasin in every toilet that would allow us to clean our cup and then put it back. We don’t necessarily have a washbasin in every toilet that would allow us to clean our cup and then put it back. (yes, we know it’s restrictive, but it’s for your own good). Cleaning your cup with a piece of toilet paper or just rinsing it out with whatever is at hand is not very hygienic.

How do you do it then?

That’s why we like our Claricup box, it’s practical for disinfection, discreet and allows you to keep your cup in a safe place, which makes our cleaning routinemore hygienic.

Microwave disinfection of the menstrual cup

After cleaning your cup, all you have to do is :

• Place your menstrual cup in its box.
• Fill the Claricup box with water
• Place everything in your microwave, lid open, 5 min at 750 Watts.
• Wait for it to cool a little before handling it.

Your cup is now disinfected, so you can use it again with complete peace of mind.
If you wish to disinfect your menstrual cup in a pan, it’s possible! We have also validated the disinfection of the cup in this way. To do this, immerse the Claricup menstrual cup in a pot of boiling water for 7 minutes. Everyone is free to choose their own method of disinfection.

Questions / Answers about disinfecting your menstrual cup in the microwave

Are we talking about disinfection or sterilisation?

To talk about sterilisation, the atmosphere and environment in which you are in must be sterile, which is not possible at home.

Thanks to tests carried out by an external laboratory approved by the Ministry of Research, we have validated that the microwave (5 min. at 750 Watts) and boiling water (7 minutes) have an eliminating action on several bacterial species, so we can talk about disinfection.

Why disinfect at 750 Watts for 5 minutes?

At Claripharm, we manage our products, including the Claricup menstrual cup, exactly like Medical Devices, which means that everything we write is validated by tests carried out by an external laboratory. This means that we have carried out tests proving that disinfection is effective in microwaves with a precise power and time, and in boiling water in a pan for 7 minutes.

We recommend that you clean, disinfect or change your Claricup every 6 hours to avoid any risk of Toxic Shock Syndrome. Staphylococcus aureus (the bacterium that causes TSS), in the worst case, can produce the toxin that causes TSS after 6 hours in your body. We therefore recommend that you clean and disinfect your Claricup every 6 hours, to stop the growth of Staphylococcus aureus and not reintroduce bacteria that can cause SCT.

Remember to wash your hands before handling the Claricup to avoid bringing in extra bacteria.

What if my microwave is more powerful and doesn’t offer me the possibility to choose 750 Watts?

As previously mentioned, we have carried out our microwave disinfection tests which validate disinfection at 750W. Disinfection at a higher power will only be better. However, we cannot guarantee that the life of the cup will last up to 5 years of use.

Carrying your menstrual cup with the Claricup box

The majority of users have only one cup. With a cup this would mean that you would have to find a place with a washbasin to be able to quickly clean your cup after 6 hours of wearing it… AND disinfect it. Not easy… In addition, how do you clean your cup? With water? With toilet paper? No this is not hygienic. How to disinfect it? Almost impossible.

This is where the DuoPackand its two Claricup boxes become interesting. Thus, you leave in the morning with your second clean cup in its box and after 6 hours of use, you can interchanging your cups with ease. You clean everything up when you arrive home, once you are at ease with your washbasin and microwave. For the sake of discretion, we did not choose a transport and disinfection box in every colour! The Claricup box is sober, neutral, black in colour. Who would ever suspect that you are walking around with your used cup inside?

Why have 2 menstrual cups?

Most of us use the menstrual cupbecause it is reusable and therefore very practical. While keeping the practical dimension (and ecological and economical!), we recommend to have 2 menstrual cupsfor more hygiene .

You start the day wearing a cup. You keep a clean cup in its box that you take with you for the day, and after 6 o’clock you can exchange it with the one you were wearing.

As you may already know, we have carried out our own test on the wearingtime of the menstrual cup. As a precautionary measure and for your health, we recommend a maximum wearing time of 6 hours.

Hygiene measures to be respected

6 hours ? You are going to tell us that it is not very practical to change it. Especially when you’re on the move, at work, or simply away from home. And we know this, because yes at Claripharm we are the first users of our products.

Remember, the cup is reusable, but in order to reuse it it is necessary to maintain it with good hygiene measures. Cleaning with water is not enough to clean your cup, a cleaning routine is necessary (cleaning + disinfection before each use).

Cleaning and disinfection every time? You’re going to tell us, but they really don’t give a damn about us… Already it’s a pain to change your cup every 6 hours, and on top of that you have to disinfect it too?

This is where the DuoPack becomes interesting. Thanks to your 2 cups, you can easily spend a 12-hour day by interchanging them during the day. Once you have arrived in a suitable place, for example on your way home in the evening, you can clean and disinfect your 2 cups.

For the sake of discretion, we did not choose a transport and disinfection box in every colour! The Claricup box is sober, neutral, black in colour. Who would ever suspect that you are walking around with your used cup inside? And then to transport it, it’s much easier in this box than in a textile bag.

The majority of users have only one cup. With a cup this would mean that you would have to find a place with a washbasin to be able to quickly clean your cup after 6 hours of wearing it… AND disinfect it. Not easy… In addition, how do you clean your cup? With water? With toilet paper? No this is not hygienic. How to disinfect it? Almost impossible.

Why 6 hours?

After 6 hours, nasty bacteria can develop in your vagina and lead to infections or even Toxic Shock Syndrome. The risk is rare, but it is present. As a result, we have carried out our test which today allows us to guarantee you a totally safe wearing time of 6 hours. If you would like to know more about Toxic Shock Syndrome, please click here.

Your health comes first

As we know that it is important for our health to have these 2 menstrual cuts, we offer the DuoPack at a preferential rate. The DuoPack is priced at 36€, while the single cup is priced at 26€!

And there you have it, you now know how to simplify your life, at least your periods.

After how long do I have to empty my menstrual cup?

The menstrual cup is a “new” product, which has been in the news a lot lately. In fact, it is not such a new product since the menstrual cup was created in the 1930s by Leona Chalmers.

Claripharm, which has been developing menstrual cups for 5 years, tests and analyses its products and has scientific data to guarantee the quality of the product and the best way to use it. Claripharm carries out all its tests in a laboratory approved by the Ministry of Research. Since 1930, the menstrual cup has evolved, but it remains an unregulated product in Europe. Today we have bibliographical data but no tests have been carried out on the product itself.

Our posture: scientific rigour for guaranteed safety and comfort!

As such, we have obtained ISO13485 certification, an international standard that regulates the quality management of Medical Devices. This status implies quality requirements from the design to your handling. But this status also allows the product and any information about the product to evolve according to known scientific data. At Claripharm we consider that a menstrual cup deserves the status of a Medical Device because it is inserted into our body every month for 5 days for 30 years and remains in prolonged contact with the vaginal mucous membranes. It is important to know that in France and in Europe, the menstrual cup is a hygiene product for everyday consumption, i.e. as regulated as a pen!

Why this test?

In the context of the constant questioning on the development of Toxic Shock Syndrome, it seems to us indispensable to evaluate the risks of use.
This is why we decided to carry out our own test on the Claricup.

With a view to improving the product and in view of developments in scientific data, we carried out a test on the Claricupin September 2017 to determine its wearing time.

The risk of developing a SCT is very rare, but for this small percentage of existing risk, we owe it to you to give you a clear answer on wearing time.

How was this wearing time determined on the Claricup menstrual cup?

Claripharm carried out this test in an external laboratory approved by the Ministry of Research.

This test consisted of measuring the growth of Staphylococcus aureus in the presence or absence of the Claricup menstrual cup, every hour for 12 hours.

Always with the precautionary principle in mind and with the aim of providing you with a healthy product, we have placed ourselves in the worst case scenario. We carried out this test under conditions of use most favourable to the development of staphylococcus aureus.

• We have chosen a culture medium that is even more favourable to the development of Staphylococcus aureus than menstrual fluid.
• The concentration of staphylococcus aureus was already high at the beginning of the test: it is as if you started the test with an already contaminated / poorly cleaned menstrual cup.

We added the culture medium in vials; vials containing a menstrual cup and empty vials. Then we measured how staphylococcus aureus develops, every hour for 12 hours at 37°C.

Staphylococcus aureus begins to produce the toxin responsible for Toxic Shock Syndrome as soon as its growth reaches a plateau. This allows us to define a maximum wearing time of 6 hours.

There is no difference in the development of Staphylococcus aureus, whether there is a Claricup or not. Claricup does not promote Toxic Shock Syndrome.

What we recommend for you :

Based on these scientific results, Claripharm recommends a wearing time of 6 hours.
By following simple and easy hygiene rules (wash your hands before handling the cup & clean the cup before each insertion), you further reduce the risk of contaminating your cup and thus developing TSS.

The safety of our products is at the centre of our concerns & we are already working on solutions to make your life easier, but that’s not all… to be followed in the next news !

Do you have further questions about the daily use of your menstrual cup? Write on social networks or by email to: contact@claripharm.fr