From the idea to the product
Hygiene products come into contact with our most intimate body parts, which is why we see it as our duty to speak openly and transparently about our materials and production standards.
How menstrual cups are produced
Step 1: Raw material
Our menstrual cups are produced by our long-term partners in Poland, Germany and Italy. We source the medical silicone from Wacker AG in Germany. It is tested according to selected ISO 10993 tests and USP Class VI for use in the health care industry. This way we can be sure that the menstrual cup is physiologically safe and biocompatible
Step 2: Shaping
The unprocessed silicone is dyed with food colouring and pressed into shape. Vulcanisation at 145 degrees gives the material the right elasticity
Step 3: Finishing touches
Now the menstrual cup already looks like a cup, but there is still excess silicone from the pressing process that needs to be removed
Step 4: Tempering
To prevent the formation of volatile components, menstrual cups are heated in an oven at 200 degrees for several hours. This process is called "annealing". This way, unwanted substances on the menstrual cup don't stand a chance
Step 5: Packaging
At the end, employees at the production site put all the cups into their packaging and send them to our warehouse.
This is what we look for in our textile products
Our goal is to offer sustainable hygiene products. They should be environmentally friendly, made of high-quality materials and affordable for our customers. In order to be able to combine these factors with our large order quantities, we have consciously decided to purchase primarily from sourcing partners in China. These production sites are longstanding partners with whom we are in personal contact and whom we visit regularly
With certifications such as the BSCI, we can be sure that safe and respectful working conditions at fair wages take place in production. The know-how, technologies and short supply chains from raw material to finished product can be used locally. Imports of raw materials or semi-finished products are no longer necessary
To give you, the customer, the choice, we also offer products that are developed in France and produced in Morocco. This means that over 80 percent of the value chain remains in Europe. This production site is also certified with the French PME+ label, which guarantees ethical and responsible working conditions
All the textiles we use have OEKO-TEX® certificates. OEKO-TEX guarantees that all components have been tested for harmful substances and that the article is safe for health. In addition, our multi-layer technology is bluesign® approved for sustainable and environmentally friendly production processes.
Can this really be sustainable?
By relying on production partners who use high-quality materials and ensure safe and fair working conditions, we create products that last. Combined with CO²-friendly shipping (compared to trucks)1 we can reduce water and electricity consumption. You can read more about how this works here: Sustainability
Our standards
Nobody wants harmful ingredients in their underwear. That's why we only use high-quality materials and have our products tested regularly for quality control.
The Rudolf Group from Germany supports us with SILVERPLUS®, the leading silver ion technology that ensures odour prevention and antibacterial protection and is certified according to the OEKO-TEX® Standard 100. SILVERPLUS® is treated and tested in a standardised manner with regard to body compatibility by an independent test institute.
In addition, our products have been tested for cytotoxicity, skin irritation and skin sensitisation at the Austrian Research Institute for Chemistry and Technology (OFI) without animal testing.
Our period underwear contains no nanosilver and is PFA-free. You can read more about how period underwear works here: Technology
SELENACARE period products are vegan. We do not use any animal ingredients and do not test our products on animals. As a guarantee of this, we are currently working on obtaining the Vegan Society's vegan seal of approval for all our products. You can see which product has already received the seal of approval in the shop by the vegan flower.
1https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/service/uba-fragen/wie-umweltfreundlich-ist-der-transport-einem