Formoonsa Cup Review

Last month I attended the Taiwan International Beauty Show to interview Vanessa Tseng, inventor of the Formoonsa Cup. Vanessa’s story is quite interesting and I’ll post the interview soon. In addition to giving me some of her time (her booth at the Beauty Show was quite busy) she also gave me a Formoonsa Cup standard set to review.

The first thing you notice is the beautiful artwork by illustrator W.Y. Cloudie Chang. The artwork sets a gentle and whimsical tone, making the  idea of reusable menstrual cups quite approachable.

The inside of the box continues this theme with happy flowers. Some women find the idea of inserting a menstrual cup into their vaginas intimidating and this packaging works to ease tensions.

There are two silicone cups that come in the standard set. This close up makes the cups seem large but they’re not really. The training cup is 10 ml and the standard cup is 20ml. Women who have given birth might prefer the large cup set which comes with a 30 ml cup.

The cup is designed to look like a flower bud. This distinction sets it apart from other reusable menstrual cups on the market. The top part of the flower folds inward to prevent any blood from leaking upon removal. Such a clever design detail.

This illustration is on the side of the box and shows how the lip folds in to prevent leakage.

The smaller training cup has a longer loop, making it easier to retrieve and remove.

The set includes one reusable pantyliner. While getting used to the cup, the user can wear this pantyliner to ease any worries about leakage. Once properly inserted leaks aren’t an issue but it’s a good idea to use this when first getting used to the system. (More on that below.)

The last item is this adorable bag. At the expo Vanessa’s booth had many samples and there was a wide variety of textile patterns. There were several pretty floral designs but I’m happy I got these cute hedgehogs.

From start to finish the Formoonsa Cup is beautifully designed. The shape of the cup strongly resembles the flower on the cover.

The bag has plenty of room for the cup. I had enough extra room to fit in the reusable pantyliner, some spare tampons and some Ibuprofen.

When it came time to review I was convinced I didn’t need to use the training cup. I’ve had my vagina for 41 years. Certainly I could get a silicone cup in and out of it easily. Right? Turns out I was completely wrong and should have followed Vanessa’s suggestion of starting with the training up first.

After my period started I watched several YouTube videos for tips. Turns out there’s a plethora of how to videos on just this subject. (Fear not, vloggers use colored water or oil for their demos) I dutifully folded up my cup and expected to be done in under a minute.

Several minutes later I was forced to admit this was more difficult that I thought. To avoid making a mess, I grabbed the trainer cup and hopped in the shower. For first timers I actually suggest this. The hot water helped relax me and washed any blood right down the drain. Another tip-file your nails first. Trust me on this one.

The training cup is much easier to insert, position correctly and remove. Once the training cup is mastered it’s much easier to manipulate the bigger one. After about an hour of wearing the cup I stopped noticing it. If you’ve used tampons chances are you’ll adapt to using a reusable cup easily.

Reusable menstrual cups are gaining in popularity and it’s easy to see why. They’re environmentally friendly and don’t contain chemicals. The intimacy needed to use one is healthy and has the potential to build a positive relationship with one’s own genitals. Disposable pads and tampons create a stigma towards menstrual blood-it is something odious that must be immediately thrown away. Reusable cups and cloth pads creates an understanding of one’s own menstrual cycle that I believe is quite healthy and revolutionary in this industry. By giving the package and cups such a pleasant design, Vanessa is helping to erase some of the negative stigmas around menstruation. The Formoonsa Cup is an excellent product to try if you’d like to start using reusable menstrual products.

Formoonsa Cup can be bought from their online store or in Taiwan at Cosmed.