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Menstrual cups rated 9/10 as the best period product by surgical oncologist Dr. Arrjun Sankaran

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Most women never stop to ask one simple question.

What exactly am I putting against the most absorbent skin on my body… for thousands of hours of my life?

A surgical oncologist from Hyderabad just answered it.

And the rankings might surprise you. 🩸

🧪 Dr. Arrjun Sankaran did something rare

He sat down and rated every popular period product — not on marketing, but on irritation, infection risk, and ingredient safety.

His disclaimer was honest:

"As a male oncologist, I'll never use these products. But women deserve to know what's actually safe."

Here's the full leaderboard, worst to best. 👇

📉 The bottom of the list will sting

  • 🚫 Scented wipes & panty liners — 2/10. Fragrance disrupts natural pH. Hello, bacterial vaginosis and yeast. "Fresh" is marketing, not medicine.
  • ⚠️ Tampons — 3/10. Safe only when used correctly. Most people don't. Toxic shock syndrome is a real risk.
  • 😬 Conventional pads — 5/10. That plastic back layer traps heat and moisture. Rashes incoming. "Usable, not ideal."
  • 👖 Period underwear — 6/10. Convenient, but some brands tested positive for PFAS — the forever chemicals. Check before you trust.

🌿 And then the good stuff begins

  • 🧺 Reusable cloth pads — 8/10. Soft, breathable, less irritating.
  • 🌾 Organic unbleached cotton pads — 8.5/10. No gels. No bleach. No fragrance.

But the gold medal?

🏆 The menstrual cup — 9/10

Medical-grade silicone.

Reusable. Fragrance-free. Zero bleaching chemicals.

His verdict: "Just keep it clean. That's it."

And the world is slowly catching on.

The global menstrual cup market is projected to nearly double from $995M in 2025 to $1.9B by 2035.

In India? It's still a baby market — $15.4M today, expected to hit $27.3M by 2033.

Tiny numbers. Huge runway. 📈

💡 The real takeaway

We were sold convenience.

We were sold fresh.

We were sold pastel packaging and floral scents.

What we weren't sold? Information.

Dr. Sankaran's rule of thumb is brutally simple:

  • 🧼 Choose clean materials
  • ⏱️ Change them often
  • 🚫 Skip the fragrance

He was careful to add — this isn't a cancer scale. It's an irritation and infection scale, built from years of patient conversations.

But here's the quiet truth underneath it all.

Period care isn't just about getting through five days a month.

It's about what touches your body for decades.

And the most popular option on the shelf… is rarely the best one for you. 🌸

That's all for now!