DJ From 'Fuller House' Got Real On Instagram About Her First Time Trying A Menstrual Cup
Period products have certainly progressed over the years, and I’m personally floored by some of the healthier, more eco-friendly options you and I now have when it comes to managing that special time of the month. And because every body is different, it would only make sense that no two cervixes are exactly the same either, right? When it comes to feminine hygiene products, you have to figure out what works best for your body, and Candace Cameron Bure's menstrual cup review on Instagram is the perfect example of this. Don’t get me wrong: Pads and tampons have had their respective upgrades, too, and while it’s amazing to see these staples become even more user-friendly, gone are the days when there were only two options on the shelf when it came to picking out period products, and our bodies are here for it.
Personally, for the longest time I would only wear pads on my period. It wasn’t until my junior year of college, when I found myself ill-prepared for an early monthly visitor, that a friend of mine slipped me a tampon under our lunch table. “Don’t worry about it,” she’d said with a smile — but I was worried about it. Not only had I never used a tampon before, but I also never took the time to learn how to use a tampon. I wasn’t as comfortable with my body then as I am now, and TBH, the thought of inserting what I imagined to be the equivalent of a giant, rolled-up cotton swab inside me made me cringe. But with no pad at my disposal, I swallowed my (probably irrational) fears, made a pit stop at the bathroom, and used a tampon for the first time. Much like Bure explained in her menstrual cup review, experimenting with something new completely changed how I managed my period from that point on.
Bure was totally candid in her review, and you have to appreciate her honesty here. Before getting into the nitty-gritty details of when she wore the menstrual cup and how it felt, she openly admitted to fans in a series of Instagram stories (which you can now find on her Instagram story highlights) that when she first heard about the product a few months back, her initial reaction wasn’t super positive. “I think I kind of heard about it and thought ‘that sounds kind of nasty and I don’t want a cup up in there,’” the 42-year-old actress said in her Instagram video, adding that it wasn’t until she started opening up about her period on social media that fans persuaded her to “give it a go.”
“I loved it!” she said enthusiastically, explaining that on the first day, she inserted the cup and wore it for a total of 10 hours straight. “There was no leakage, no spotting, no nothing,” Bure boasted, adding that she even worked out pretty rigorously that day, as she said she was doing a lot of stunt movements while filming Fuller House. Through it all, she said she experienced zero issues, and no discomfort whatsoever. “My legs were really moving around, so if this was going to fail at all, this would have been the time it was going to,” she said. Sure enough, it didn’t.
Bure decided not to disclose what menstrual cup brand she used, and while I'd normally be kind of bummed about this lack of detail — mostly because I’m nosy AF — it makes total sense why she chose to leave that part out. “You have to find the brand that fits your body,” she explained, because again, every body is different, and the menstrual cup that works for Bure, might not necessarily be the one that works for you. It all goes back to doing your own research, and experimenting with products that work best for your body and your lifestyle.
Overall, Bure gave the menstrual cup a rave review. On top of its durability, convenience, and how comfortable it was to wear all day long, the actress said it also felt really good to know that the menstrual cup is healthier for her body because it isn’t made from materials like bleached cotton. Plus, she added, it’s just a better choice for the environment, too.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, menstrual cups are generally made from silicone or rubber and can be worn for up to 12 hours at a time. This means that the menstrual cup is reusable, while cotton products like tampons and pads are disposable, so the more women begin to use menstrual cups, the less waste there will be to clog up landfills — not to mention fewer trees will have to be cut down in order to mass-produce these paper-based products.
And if the messy factor of extracting the menstrual cup after using it is still bothering you, it's really not as bad as you think. Plus, it's a much better option for your body's health overall, as the Cleveland Clinic warns that tampons, specifically, can "absorb all your vaginal fluid along with the blood, which may disturb the delicate pH and bacterial balance in your vagina."
But, again, the decision about which products you use during your menstrual cycle is entirely up to you, and it will ultimately depend on what feels right for your body. Talk to your doctor about your options, and approach the subject with an open mind. Who knows — you might get lucky like Bure.
