“As a family, we didn’t push ourselves out of our comfort zone very often,” says Sally Paley (pictured above left). The menstrual cup business she started with her sister Ruth Young (pictured above right) has changed this for good. The sisters are first time entrepreneurs and have started their business, pic&sis, with their savings.
Menstrual cups are silicone bell-shaped period products that can be used instead of tampons or pads. “It’s a really simple product and it’s got loads of benefits,” says Sally.
“It’s cost-effective, you can use it for ten years, there’s no odour, no toxins, it’s hypoallergenic and you can wear it for up to 12 hours at a time. The only difficult thing is getting over that mental hurdle of trying a new product.”
Sally, 38, quit her London-based job in the art world to set the business up, while Ruth, 43, has continued working four days a week in her role with local councils in Hertfordshire on waste management. Sally’s background is in marketing, meaning that their combined experience is a perfect pairing when it comes to the challenge of making menstrual cups more mainstream.