We chat to entrepreneur and founder of Bettercup about all things periods, business advice and beauty of course. We just loooove Ruth!
We looooove Bettercup!! Such an amazing concept, and love how bettercup is also made form 100% medical grade silicone. Can you tell us how it all began?
Back in early 2019 I was at the beginning of a journey to make our family home more environmentally friendly, reducing our plastic use and waste. The process got me thinking about how much waste my period was causing each month. I’d heard of menstrual cups previously but always thought they sounded odd and a bit ‘icky’! It was my sister making the switch that encouraged me to give one a go myself and it was amazing! I couldn’t believe what a better period experience it gave me. Menstrual cups are made from silicone and last up to 10 years, unlike tampons which are disposable and made up of a concoction of chemicals, plastics and other synthetics. Menstrual cups are so much better for your body as well as being better for the planet.
It was around that same time I was chatting to another sister who lives and works in Zimbabwe, at a rural farm school. She was telling me about the issue they have with keeping students in school during their period. The girls there tend to end up missing a week of school every month as they have no suitable sanitary wear.
The dream to start my own business was already in the back of my mind and in that moment the idea behind Bettercup was born. We would create ethically-made, beautifully-packaged menstrual cups and for each one sold we would donate one.
What has been one of your best career highlights so far?
Just this week Bettercup was featured in Glamour which was a real ‘pinch me’ moment!
What has been your biggest challenge in your career so far?
Building self belief has been tricky. I don’t have any business experience or training and so it would’ve been very easy to talk myself out of starting something. The best way to overcome that, I’ve found, is to surround yourself with a brilliant support system. Friends and other businesswoman that can talk sense and encourage you when you need it.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
Take your time, don’t rush. Listen and learn and don’t try and get ‘there’ quickly. I always wanted to achieve goals quickly (I still do!) but I’ve learnt to enjoy the journey and to not try and look for ways to cut corners.
What is an average day like for you?
There really is no average day, especially at the moment in the midst of a pandemic! I have two children, Jet, 5 and Nova, 3. My husband and I both work for ourselves on our own start up businesses and so our hours are all over the place. We are juggling homeschooling and childcare while running our businesses so as you can imagine its all a lot of fun! Some days I’m in my office all day and other days we’re learning about phonics and whizzing round the park on our bikes.
What do you do in your down time?
I love to read and I also love to watch total trash on TV. I just finished reading Just Mercy which was by far the best book I’ve ever read. It was challenging and heart breaking but so brilliant. And then on the trashier side of things I’m currently obsessed with Married At First Sight, Australia!
"100% natural, what’s not to love!"
Which beauty products can you not live without?
My overnight face oil, eye cream and my concealer, to hide those bags!
Can you tell us your best beauty tips?
I’ve always got my mum’s voice in my head with this one- Drink lots of water and get lots of fresh air. It’s all about hydration isn’t, I have a super simple beauty routine but the main thing I focus on is keeping my body and skin hydrated.
What is next for you professionally and personally?
The last 18 months has been focused on building strong foundations for Bettercup, getting it started and set up, now we can have fun building and expanding and reaching more people and transforming more periods!
Do you think ‘clean beauty’ is important in 2021?
Absolutely. We need to be all playing our part in creating a more sustainable future and clean beauty is a big factor in reducing waste and pollution.
If you could encourage others to make one lifestyle change today, what would it be?
I wouldn’t want to be so bold as to offer people lifestyle advice when I’m far from an expert but one thing I have found is the joy from learning how to live a little more sustainably. For me the first change was just to be more aware, I didn’t implement anything but every time I threw something in my bin I clocked what it was and I started to gain a better awareness of what I was buying, using and throwing away and that naturally led on to making more sustainable changes, eg shifting and changing the way I buy our food, clothes and house products.
