2023-11-05 08:32:36
Lola Perez will take her final exam on Wednesday to become a lawyer at the Toulouse bar. But these are not legal rules that she has been chatting regarding for weeks on TikTok or Insta, accumulating millions of views with her tutorials, her translucent plastic uterus, and what, at first glance, seems all of a sex toy. She speaks without taboo regarding periods in general, her own and those of all women, the disadvantages of which she intends to alleviate.
The soft and colorful object in question is in fact a menstrual cup applicator, “made of medical silicone” with its “pusher”. On the same principle as applicators for sanitary tampons, it allows you to insert a cup “in less than three seconds” flat, assures the 25-year-old student who has been working relentlessly on the project for more than a year with her friend. Anouar Bouiba. To him the technical aspects of the molds, the canvassing of manufacturing factories, to her the statutes of the company My Better Period – literally “my best rules” –, the videos on social networks and the experience essential to the credibility of the product. Because it all starts “from a small, slightly embarrassing personal problem with a tampon”. Lola forgot to take it off for several days and mightn’t do it once more when she noticed. Head to the gynecologist who explains to her that she is on the verge of septic shock. “Oil, endocrine disruptors… he gave me a list of all the toxic products contained in towels or tampons.”
More than 12,000 sanitary napkins in a lifetime
Since this scary incident, Lola has become an expert in deciphering compositions – those that you have to read closely when you find the instructions – and an expert on tampons and organic protection, more “safe” but not necessarily more eco-friendly. “A woman will use 12,350 in her life before reaching menopause,” explains the expert, and every year in France, we throw away the equivalent of two Titanics.” It was her best friend who finally converted her to the menstrual cup, which is washable and which “can be used for five years on average”.
Converted but not totally convinced. “I would sometimes waste five minutes to insert it correctly,” she confides. Not to mention that you theoretically have to change it every six hours. The busy student naturally thought of an applicator, before realizing that it didn’t exist. Or not yet. Since then, two American women have had the same idea as her. But the applicator made in the USA seems bigger than the Toulouse one. “We designed ours as small as possible so that it adapts to all cups and all body types,” assures the future lawyer.
The wave of enthusiastic comments that accompanied Lola’s demos on the networks was already an indication of the anticipation generated. It was confirmed by a private pre-sale launched, without believing in it more than that, on a Sunday morning. “We sold 300 in less than an hour,” continues Lola, who has set the public price at 35 euros for the applicator alone and 50 euros for the kit including a cup.
The final step takes place this Sunday, November 5 with the launch of crowdfunding on the Ulule platform. If 700 to 800 applicators leave, this will make it possible to reimburse the famous molds and launch industrial production. And to be in pharmacies in 2024 when Social Security will reimburse reusable periodic protection and menstrual cups for young girls under 25 years old.
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