Guide To Materials On Sex Toys | Materials Used On Sex Toys
Are Women’s Vibrators Toxic | Materials Used In Sex Toys
There are a multitude of sex toys out there – with a wide array of materials and types and all sorts of shapes and sizes. When you’re reading the box to a sexual aide – it can be quite confusing as they list all the materials that the toy is made from. But what does it all mean? Are some toys cleaner than others? How do I know what I’m buying? This quick guide on the most common of sex toy materials should be great in assisting you, making sure that you stay safe and that your sexual experience with vibrators is as fun as it should be.
Silicone
Luxury toys are generally made of silicone. Silicone is often touted as being the premium of all materials. But why? Silicone is a fantastic material when used in sexual aides and vibrators. Not only can it withstand extreme kinds of temperatures, but due to the stability of silicone, it is completely inert. Meaning that it not only doesn’t react or cause reaction to a lot of chemicals, but that it doesn’t absorb any bacteria, chemicals or fluids that it comes in contact with, Silicone toys are therefore hypoallergenic and non-porous. A testament to its stability and quality is the fact that it is used in a lot of medical products and is safe to use in baby care products.
Silicone can also be completely sterilised. Indeed, even textured silicone toys can be effectively cleaned, though it might take a little extra care to ensure all the little nooks and crannies have had attention given to them.
There are several ways to sterilise your silicone toy; you could boil them for 5-10 minutes, pop them in your dishwasher or wash with soap and water. When boiling a silicone toy – make sure that you have removed any electrical components (if applicable) and to pop a tea towel in the bottom of the pan that you’re boiling them in. Alternatively pop them in a glass bowl on top of a tea towel and pour boiling water into the bowl. Boiling will most completely sanitize your silicone toys. If you have a small child, you could also use the baby steriliser, to steam off your products as well. Again, make sure that there’s no electrical component inside before attempting this method. Silicone toys can therefore be shared between fluid bonded partners, so long as they’re being cleaned, or wrapped in a condom, between each insertion.
Silicone dildos can break at the base if they are shoved into too small a rings for a strap on. Make certain you have the right size ring for your dildo. You can get rings in the plumbing area of the tool shop, or you can use steel cock rings. Try not to utilize silicone lubes with silicone toys unless you have been told that they are compatible. Silicone lubricants will generally dissolve a silicone toy. Make certain to utilize a condom over the toy in the event that you need to use a silicone lube.
Silicone is a popular sex toy material for some great reasons: it’s non-porous, hygienic, soft, and it can come in pretty much any colour that you can think of. It warms to the body and holds heat. It is likewise strong. Since silicone can withstand high temperatures, you can boil silicone toys (so long as there is no vibrator unit inside) for 5-10 minutes or place them in your dishwasher to sanitise them. They additionally clean well with cleanser/chemical free soap and water. Just make sure that the toy is 100% pure silicone.
Silicone toys vary in their density – some are soft, while others are more unbending, however they are all malleable; even the Tantus Dual core range with a firm core and soft outer core. The variety relies on upon the silicone blend utilized by the producer. Silicone likewise conveys vibration like a dream.
You’ll see that silicone things are regularly pricier than sex toys made of different materials; not only is the material more costly than plastics or rubbers, but it is of a far superior quality. You’ll find the higher cost advantageous in light of the more drawn out life of silicone and its capacity to be sterilised for use with more than one accomplice. Indeed, so long as you’re looking after your silicone toy, you will find that it will outlast pretty much anything else on the market, and that includes any sex toys made from steel.
In summary:-
– Silicone sex toys MAY NOT be compatible with most silicone based lubricants
– Silicone that is pure and not a ‘blend’ will be hypoallergenic
– Silicone that is pure and not a ‘blend’ can be 100% sterilised
– Silicone that is pure and not a ‘blend’ will not have any odor, and will not experience any change in colour, shape or texture.
I Have Natural Hypersensitivities
What Sex Toys Are Alright For Me To Utilize?
If you’ve ever used a sex toy or sexual aide and received a burning sensation, then you’re most likely allergic to the rubber or to the silicone that you were using. An easy way to find out as to which you are allergic to is to place a small dab of the lubricant onto your finger and then rub it into the vaginal wall. If you’re allergic to the lubricant than you will need to switch to a plant based natural lubricant, or switch to a silicone lubricant. Just keep in mind that a lot of condoms come pre-loaded with lubricant as well. A lot of people get confused as to which they are allergic to so make sure that you’re testing out all elements of the situation to see exactly which one it is that is causing the issue.
Silicone is hypoallergenic. We prescribe silicone toys to any individual who is worried about having a response to elastic, latex, rubber and vinyl materials or aromas, or for individuals who would prefer not to use condoms on their sex toys.
TPE (Thermo-Plastic Elastomer)/ TPR (Thermo-Plastic Elastomer)
TPR and TPE are often considered to be the same material – though the difference lies within how the elastomers are bonded and there is a slight difference in the curing process when ‘setting’ the toy.
TPE is generally a little less expensive than other sex materials due to the simplicity of working with the material and how simple it is to use with injection moulds during the creating of toys. Unfortunately, owing to the nature of the sex toy industry, there are many different types of qualities of TPE/TPR material. Some companies will use cheaper elastomers which are inevitably more dangerous and toxic, whereas other companies will use much higher quality elastomers. Some of the common elastomers used are nitrile rubber and silicone rubber.
TPR/TPE material is a substance that can be worked with like a plastic, yet once it is set will retain the properties of a rubber material. That being it can be quite soft, and a smooth velvety texture once it has been placed onto the toy, they can also retain flexibility.
Elastomer is being utilized as a part of numerous sex toys as a delicate material that is without phthalates. As such they considered to be primarily non-toxic depending on the quality of the toy. It is porous, not at all like silicone, and can’t be sterilized. They might often market themselves as a silicone, or a silicone blend and should be approached with a little caution. Whilst not being considered to be toxic, they are still porous enough to be able to retain bacteria and can result in a mould outbreak. Some of the TPR/TPE toys that are soft and have an odour, might not contain phthalates, but they should still be considered with caution as they might have mineral oils in them which will cause the toy to slowly break down over a number of months.
If you’re using a TPE/TPR sex toy, then you should closely examine it before every use for tears in the material, black spots which might indicate mould or a dye/colour transfer from another toy, or foul odours. Any concerns should result in the replacement of the toy immediately. Unfortunately, TPR and TPE are porous and for that reason they cannot be sterilised in the same fashion as glass, metal and silicone. For example there’s a reason why a lot of toys are made exclusive with silicone and metal such as insertable sounds and male chastity cages.
In Summary:
– TPR/TPE is a porous material and cannot be completely sterilised.
– Is not compatible with oils
– During storage TPR/TPE must not be placed next to other toys as it can cause a chain reaction and potentially melt.
– Inspect regularly for irregular marks, odours and material tears.
Silicone/Rubber Mixes
Some of the cheaper silicone toys out there will not be a ‘pure’ silicone but rather a blend of various materials. The chemicals used to bond this blend could be toxic and unsafe to your body. As sex toys are marketed as novelty items, they are not subjected to the same rules and regulations that concern other intimate products.
If there’s an odour to it, it’s not a pure silicone. 100% silicone toys are non-porous yetwhen they are a silicone blend that is where you might have some of the issues mentioned above in the TPE/TPR section. The advantage of having a silicone blend is that the material will last more without separating or tearing than a normal rubber but it should be approached with caution.
Try not to use silicone lube with silicone/elastic blend toys as it can liquefy the silicone material of the toy. A solid silicone and a liquid silicone should not mix – unless they are both 100% pure. Make sure to use a condom over the toy on the off chance that you need to use silicone lube. Silicone is such a prevalent and beloved sex toy material that producers of less-costly sex toy alternatives have understood that it can build their sales to have the packaging say that the toy is silicone. So be careful – a great way to check is that pure silicone gives off no discernible odour whatsoever.
Jelly Rubber & Phthalates
Jam elastic toys are made of delicate, permeable material that can’t be sanitized. Since these toys are known to contain possibly hurtful phthalates – it is recommended that unless you are on a budget not to purchase these toys. If you have no choice – ensure that you use a thick condom for the use, thin condoms may still be able to transfer some of the chemicals across.
Toys that have been identified as jelly are a bit of a gamble. The term jelly is used as a generic and umbrella term that can be used to cover a lot of materials. Jelly can include a wide variety of different colours, firmness, and have a considerable amount of textures as well. The thing is that the recipe of what makes a jelly sex toy is usually a closely guarded trade secret by the company – they don’t want to reveal the chemical processes used to make their sex toys as soft, flexible and colourful as they are.
Unfortunately, jelly sex toys do not bode well with other materials, and like some TPE/TPR products they can interact quite poorly with other toys and often melt when they come in contact with different materials. The other potentially dangerous thing about jelly sex toys, is they’re not bonded with a chemical compound. So essentially they’re always in a state of decomposing. You can test this out by holding the toy in your hand. Putting the toy back then leaving the room to go somewhere else, and smelling your hand. If the hand now smells like the sex toy, what on earth has it actually left on your hands? There are many people which experience a reaction and irritation of sorts when using jelly sex toys for this very reason. After using the toy, the toy has left some form of residue in their vagina or anus which is reacting with the skin and causing issues. A good and safe practice to adhere to, is that if you’re using the jelly sex toys for a particular need, such as the softness, then it is a good idea to put the jelly sex toy in a condom and then use it. Whilst the condom will protect you from some of the chemicals, it should be noted that depending on the condom, the thickness and such, that there are some chemicals which might still get through the material of the condom. Not all jelly sex toys contain phthalates.
Jelly is often touted as the scourge of the adult toy industry. It is said to contain phthalates, which are often considered to be extremely toxic. Interestingly the use of phthalates have been banned from being used in all children toys due to the perceived risks, but have not yet been banned from the sex toy industry. Indeed, many countries and organisations have forbidden the use of phthalates in products, yet sex toys for some reason are exempt.
There’s been no firm and hard study as of yet in regards to the dangers of phthalates, however they are often linked to causing cancer, damage and exposure towards many internal organs and a variety of other illnesses. Whilst I acknowledge that there are a lot of harmful things in the world, and the things that we use that we simply cannot avoid, if we have the option to avoid such harm, why wouldn’t we take the alternative?
Phthalates are a chemical which is used to soften plastic. There’s no sure fire way to know if your toy has phthalates in it, even if the box/packaging says that there’s no phthalates in the product they could still be misrepresenting the truth. In order to avoid such toys, you need to head to a reputable store or stick to reputable brands.
Hard Materials
Hard materials include Hard Plastic (ABS), Lucite, Acrylic, Glass, Metal& Ceramic
If you’re looking for safe sex toys, these kinds of materials should be your second choice after silicone. The reason why silicone is so popular is that many people are unnerved by glass, ceramic and metal sex toys because they think that it is going to cause issues with the hardness of the material. People do not like glass sex toys because they think that they’re going to break. This is an absolute fallacy and a glass sex toy will not break unless it is being misused, but people still can’t get over this misconception.
The materials of glass and metal are completely non-porous, and hypoallergenic and they can be very easily sterilised. More so than silicone because glass and metal rarely contain any form of electrical components and as such can easily be sterilised using extreme heat. This is why urethral toys for women are made of metal, because they can be easily sterilised and thus made completely and utterly body safe. Both glass and metal holds temperature greatly well and requires just a little lube for a super-smooth lubrication.
Hard materials also do not contain phthalates and can be very easily cleaned with toy cleaner, or a chemical free soap and water. Try not to boil plastic, Lucite or acrylic toys, as this can damage the material. Hard plastic, acrylic, glass, metal, and 100% latex toys are without phthalate and have firm, smooth compositions. Some may be a less expensive and considered to be a great alternative option for silicone toys. Hard plastics are by and large non-porous, and can be used without condoms if utilized by one individual. ABS plastic is a blend between elastomer, elastic, and hard plastic which is sturdy and recyclable. With glass – ensure that you look at your glass toy before every use. In the event that you see a split in your glass toy, quit using it — you wouldn’t have any desire to risk having it break amid use. However, this is highly unlikely as unless you have hulk like muscles there’s no real risk of it breaking. Lucite and acrylic are shatter free and harder to break, however it is conceivable to split them with extreme misuse. You can boil glass, however don’t boil plastic, acrylic or Lucite toys.
Leather
Leather is supple and versatile, however it can’t be sterilised. To clean, use a leather cleaner; a few individuals utilize a weakened liquor wipe, however this can dry out the cowhide. Cowhide sex toys, for example, harnesses, ought to just be shared between liquid bonded partners.
Liquid/Fluid bonded partners means someone that you trust or consider to be close enough that you will happily engage in unsafe sexual practices such as without the use of condoms. Fluid bonded partners may practice condom-less sex between each other and condom sex between everyone else, or they may have some alternative arrangement.
Genuine Feel Rubber
Commonly promoted under such brand names as Cyberskin, UR3, or Futurotic, they mirror the vibe of real skin. On the other hand, they are extremely porous and are almost impossible to clean. In spite of the fact that a few individuals feel it negates the purpose of the genuine feel elastic, we prescribe condoms for extreme security – although we understand that this will be difficult for toys such as Fleshlight’s. Genuine feel toys ought to be cleaned thoroughly and air dried, after which they ought to be powdered delicately with corn starch to keep up their delicate surface. Talc should never be utilized, as it has been connected to various forms of cancer. Of the three fundamental brands, just Cyberskin is confirmed to be without phthalates.
