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When transitioning to a healthy lifestyle, we become more attentive to the food we eat and the household goods we bring into our home. We don’t want to buy harmful detergents, but we want to choose products with environmentally friendly ingredients. We share photos of food on social networks and show that we eat healthy foods. We tag friends when we talk about body cream or shampoo so that everyone can learn about a useful product.
Is it also possible to share information about sex toys? For many people, this topic is taboo. Even in a narrow circle of close friends, few people allow themselves to talk openly about intimate goods. However, high-quality and body safe sex toys are no less important than expensive skin cream or the right food.
Vibrators, erection rings, vaginal balls, and butt plugs come into contact with the most sensitive and delicate areas of our body. What are they made of? Are they dangerous to your health? Not all countries regulate the production of intimate devices, so the risk of harming yourself is quite high.
Safe Sex Toys
Even if you’re not usually sensitive to chemicals or plastics in other products you use, thin skin around your genitals can be a different story. Try using the wrong product, and you may experience less than pleasant sensations such as itching, burning, and yeast infections.
As with anything we put into our body, there are certain materials and ingredients that we should avoid. Choose eco-friendly alternatives to protect yourself and take care of your body’s health with non-toxic sex toys.
Quality sex toys don’t come cheap. The lowest-priced devices contain hazardous substances in their composition. Think about whether such savings are beneficial for you.
However, price is not the only indicator of quality. The fact that a toy is more expensive does not mean that the brand carefully controls production. So always check the packaging or website to see what the toy is made of, regardless of its cost.
Healthier Materials for Sex Toys
First of all, body-safe sex toys are made from materials that do not release toxins. But there is another very important aspect to note: they also shouldn’t be porous.
Porous sex toys have tiny cavities inside the material where bacteria can live. These microscopic holes make it difficult to sterilize the toy and create a favorable environment for harmful bacteria. On the other hand, non-porous sex toys have a completely smooth surface. This makes them waterproof, easy to clean, quick-drying, and less suitable for bacterial growth.
However, non-porous toys need to be thoroughly cleaned to remove any bacteria that may have been transferred to them during use. And if the toy can be inserted and/or will be used by multiple partners, it’s always a good idea to use a condom for added hygiene.
Non-porous and hypoallergenic sex toy materials include high-grade medical-grade silicone, borosilicate glass, and stainless steel. Next, we will consider each option in detail.
Medical Silicone Sex Toys
Silicone makes sex toys softer, more flexible, and more realistic. Pure medical silicone is more expensive than food-grade silicone. But it’s worth it since it’s the only type of silicone considered safe for use inside the human body. Be careful not to use fake silicone. Thermoplastics (TPR and TPE), phthalate-leaching vinyl (PVC), and “jelly silicone” are often labeled simply as “silicone.” If the toy is cheap and not labeled “medical silicone,” we can assume that it is one of those chemical analogues disguised as real material.
What Is Important To Know About Lucite
Lucite is widely considered a safe sex toy material that does not emit harmful substances. And that’s probably true. However, I put it on my “avoid” list because Lucite is a hard, durable plastic that I just don’t like. It is often confused with glass, but lucite is not glass. It is polymethyl methacrylate. Common names for Lucite include acrylic, acrylic glass, and plexiglass. A non-plastic (and more expensive) alternative to Lucite is borosilicate glass.
Borosilicate Glass
Made primarily from boric acid and silica (the main component of sand, not to be confused with silicone), borosilicate glass is very strong and resistant to extreme temperatures. This allows you to easily sterilize it in boiling water without worrying about cracks. Borosilicate glass is hypoallergenic and lead-free. Borosilicate glass sex toys can be safely used with any type of lubricant.
Stainless Steel
Like glass, stainless steel is durable, easy to clean, and withstands temperature changes well. It can be a great choice as a sex toy, but there is at least one important exception.
Although stainless steel is considered hypoallergenic, people with acute sensitivity to nickel may disagree with this. Nickel gives stainless steel a brilliant shine. So if a sex toy has a matte finish, it likely doesn’t contain much (if any) nickel.
To be sure, look at the numbers that describe the type of steel used, such as “18/8 stainless steel” or “18/0 stainless steel.” These numbers indicate the percentage of chromium and nickel, respectively. Thus, 18/8 contains 18% chromium and 8% nickel, and 18/0 contains no nickel.
Well, almost without nickel, since there may be traces of it. While pots and pans can be scratched by metal utensils or hard brushes (potentially leaching some nickel from them), sex toys are less likely to be scratched. However, people with acute sensitivity to nickel should choose a different material to avoid the risk.
Hazardous Materials When Selecting Sex Toys
Cheap new products in the world of sex toys are often not made of medical-grade silicone. Although labels may say “silicone”, a closer look at the packaging or website will often reveal that the ingredients include: jelly rubber, synthetic latex rubber, polyvinyl chloride (often labeled PVC or vinyl), or low-quality silicone, which usually contains chemical additives.
It’s also worth looking out for other harmful ingredients that may be present (or not, if the brand is not telling), including cadmium, phthalates, and lesser-known substances such as highly toxic trimethyltin chloride and toluene (a toxic odor associated with gasoline and paint thinners), and carbon disulfide (an industrial solvent), to name just a few.
It’s important to note that sex toy packaging often says “phthalate-free” or “paraben-free,” but it may contain other harmful substances instead. So always read the label or brand’s website carefully to make sure the materials and ingredients are safe. If a brand isn’t clear about what’s in its toys, consider purchasing from other brands.