My first version of Wild Wiggle (now 5 years ago!) was going to be a health-oriented online sex toy store. Only toys that were good for the body, lubes that didn’t cause yeast infections, etc. It took a wildly (please forgive the pun) different direction, as I’m now almost entirely focused on classes. But there has now been a rise in interest in health-oriented toys. The term “toxic toys” is slowly becoming mainstream, as a way to distinguish those toys that might be damaging.

What are Toxic Toys?

Most manufacturers add chemicals called phthalates, used in PVC plastic, to add flexibility to toys. When you get something that’s really flexible or skin-like, like cyberskin or a jelly toy, it’s probably made with phthalates. (Hint: if your toy smelt bad when you opened the box - especially if it was over-powering - it might be phthalates at work.)

There’s controversy about phthalates, with many people saying they’re toxic, while the manufacturers argue they’re safe.

Phthalates Are Banned for Children

Yet this week, the U.S. house and senate agreed to dramatically restrict the legal allowance of phthalates in children’s toys, and committed to study the health effects of phthalates from ingestion, dermal, hand-to-mouth, and other exposure.

There is growing evidence that many phthalates disrupt hormones, they’re carcinogenic, mutagenic, and reprotoxic. (Don’t ask me what all that means.) Europe banned them in children’s toys years ago.

Phthalates are also porous. So if you put a phthalate-based toy into your body, it absorbs any bacteria, and can’t be washed off. Next time you’re at a sex-toy store, look for products called “toy cleaner.” If you read the fine print, you’ll see these bottles have a disclaimer which says the product “cleans only ’surface-level’ bacteria.” Hmmm …

Now you know why manufacturers slap those stickers that say “for novelty use only” on them; why reputable vendors recommend you use them with a condom … and also why the non-reputable vendors say nothing.

But Phthalates Are Still Used for Adults …

So while our government is restricting the use of phthalates in children’s toys, they remain legal in adult toys. Not many politicians are willing to address a topic related to sex, especially one that might suggest that pleasure is OK!

The good news is that there are safe toys you can use, too, and the availability is growing.

There’s a movement towards toys made from silicone, which is fully cleanable. The initial price of a silicone toy is usually more expensive than a phthalate-based toy. (The reason manufacturers have put toxins in your toys is because it’s cheap and has great profit margins.) But when you factor in the cost of condoms to cover your jelly toys, and that silicone lasts far longer than other toys, it’s isn’t more expensive in the long term.

But here’s the real upside: the vibrations through silicone-based toys are often “smoother.” On many vibrators, there’s a “jarring” feeling, that can make your body want to pull away. Silicone smooths out that feeling, so you can still feel the intensity, but without the edginess.

There are many stores - online and off - that sell phthalate-free toys. One great, sex-positive, female-friendly store is
Babeland. I’ll write an article with specific toy recommendations in it shortly.

Tags: Enjoying Sex More, Must Haves, Technique, Transforming Sex //