If you’re contemplating a new sex toy purchases – or even buying your very first sex toy – then there are a lot of considerations to make. Do you want a toy that’s primarily for solo use, or a sex toy to use during coupled play? Which part of your anatomy are you looking to target – penis, clitoris, prostate or G-spot? You might even be trying to decide which color best complements your aesthetic! One choice that you may be forgetting is one that’s fundamental to your pleasure (trust us). When it comes to sex toy materials, here’s exactly why silicone is a safe bet for you and your body!
What is Silicone and Why Do You Make Sex Toys Out of It?
Silicone is a hyper durable substance that makes it way into tons of different products, not least of all because it’s resistant to bacterial build-up. That’s why silicone is used for so many medical devices, but also why it’s great for making toys that might be inside your body and in contact with bodily fluids.
Certain categories of products like cosmetics and children’s toys are heavily regulated when it comes to the ingredients that go into them. This is because, well, they’re probably going to end up in and around someone’s mouth. Other products, like sex toys, don’t currently have those regulations, even though they’re going to end up in all sorts of similarly sensitive areas of your body.
Lots of lower-end sex toys sold as ‘novelty items’ – think, anything that makes an appearance as a door prize at a bachelorette party – are made from plastic that has been softened with phthalates. Phthalates show up in a lot of products that they shouldn’t and have been linked to increased instances of birth defects and sperm damage. Not only that, but toys that use phthalates (and other suspicious chemicals) can be porous, which means it’s difficult to clean them properly between uses.
How Can I Tell if My Silicone Sex Toy is Legit?
If you’ve ever had sex toys melt together in your bedside drawer, you have been caught with some non 100% silicone products, my friend. Pure silicone toys won’t do this, but obviously you want to be sure about the safety of your sex toys before that happens, so here’s how to tell:
- Smell – Ever taken a sex toy out of its packaging and found it had a very strong plastic-y/ ‘new car’ smell? Then chances are it has some nasty chemicals lurking in it.
- Color – Usually, any sex toy that resembles jelly is suspect when it comes to silicone purity, but it can take a bit of a trained eye. There is a misconception, for instance, that products that turn white when stretched contain filler and are not 100% silicone. Stretch ANY silicone and it will go white at some point, depending on thickness, color pigment mix, and shape and size of the product.
Similarly, while it’s difficult to make silicone truly transparent, there are some see-through toys that are the real deal. They’ll just have a slightly cloudy look to them.
The best way to make sure your sex toy is safe for your body? Only buying from respected and trustworthy brands (like LELO) that only uses 100% medical-grade, body-safe silicone and other body-safe materials for their sex toys!
Are There Other Safe Sex Toy Materials?
Silicone is wonderful in that it can be molded into all sorts of shapes, has a silky soft finish and be both squishy and firm. However, there are other materials that are okay for sex toys. ABS plastic, for example, is used on some products for a metallic finish. Additionally, we use gold and stainless steel for our Luxe products, which are amazing if you like harder surfaces and temperature play!
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