Edhat Staff
By edhat staff
Sixth generation Carpinterian, Christine Brown has launched Kind Cup, a newly designed menstrual cup made from excellent quality materials that are locally sourced and manufactured in California.
Brown, an avocado farmer and Professor of American Sign Language, was introduced to menstrual cups nearly 10 years ago. After some research, she discovered there were thousands of individuals who expressed discomfort or frustration at the partially effective product options, as well as a sometimes long and cumbersome learning curve.
To Brown, that could be remedied through intentional design that put the user’s needs and experiences first. Knowing there had to be a way to create a more comfortable, effective, and user-friendly cup, she set out to redesign a product that hasn’t changed much since first invented in the 1930s.
A sustainable alternative to single-use pads and tampons, Kind Cup offers an innovative, ergonomic and user-friendly design compared to existing menstrual cup brands. Using locally sourced and high-quality materials Kind Cup has placed the health of their users and the earth first. Their goal is to create a new standard for quality, without cutting corners, making the process transparent for customers to trust what they place inside their bodies.
“It was important to source the highest quality materials and manufacture our cup, carry bag, and packaging locally so that Kind Cup not only went above industry standards in terms of material quality and sustainability, but did so within as small a footprint as possible so that we as a company practiced environmental sustainability. Creating a personal relationship with all the local businesses we work with and who align with our values was important to us so that they can carry out and support our goals,” said Brown.
Brown officially launched her business in November of 2019. Kind Cup has already gained attention and support from cup experts in the menstrual product industry, as well as glowing reviews from new and experienced cup users alike for the innovative design and resulting product experience.
Simultaneous with their launch, Kind Cup partnered with Direct Relief, a Goleta-based humanitarian aid organization whose goal is to improve the health and lives of people affected by poverty or emergencies worldwide. Kind Cup’s core philosophy is that everyone deserves access to healthy and reliable period products.
“Menstrual justice is social justice,” is printed on the product box. One of the goals Kind Cup has through their Kind Impact is to increase their social impact via non-profit partnerships as they continue to grow as a company. With the heightened awareness of the critical, and long overdue need for systemic change within our society, and the world, Brown states that, “Periods are inherently intersectional. Once we see the movement reflect that reality, transformation in this space will be inevitable.”
“Ever since I was a child and learned about periods, it has perplexed me that women, young girls, and people who menstruate would need to have more money just to be able to pay for products each month,” said Brown. “Since periods are the result of a biological process, even as a kid, that seemed unjust and unfair. Those thoughts from a young age were instrumental as I started this journey a few years ago, and informs our mission now as a company. I’m determined that we work towards our goals of improving the user experience, sustainability, and overall quality of the product, while also striving to improve awareness and access. Governments around the world are starting to take action as well, realizing that providing increased access to period products is not only achievable, but also for the betterment of their entire society.”
Kind Cup is now moving forward with a National Product Launch and product line expansion with the addition of their highly anticipated Size Small cup and design. Their Kickstarter campaign launched on Tuesday, July 28. The 28th signifies the typical number of days for a menstrual cycle. The Kickstarter campaign will end at midnight on August 26th, Women’s Equality Day, which marks the importance of the 19th Amendment as we continue to strive for increasing access and awareness of quality products and options for people who bleed.
Kind Cup can be found locally at Pura Luna Apothecary, Pacific Health Foods, Heritage Goods and Supply and Rainbow Bridge in Ojai, as well as online at https://kindcup.com. Products can also be pre-ordered through their Kickstarter campaign.
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