Sex Toy Materials
What's my toy made of, anyway?
There are several basic types of materials found in sex toys:
Silicone
•Silicone toys are non-porous and can be disinfected. Even textured toys are easily cleaned.
•To clean, boil for 5-10 minutes, pop them in your dishwasher, or wash with soap and water. Boiling will most thoroughly disinfect your silicone toys. Do not boil silicone vibrators with motors attached. The Rock Chick and other silicone toys with removable vibes can be boiled once the vibe is removed.
•If you disinfect silicone toys between uses, you can share them with a partner; otherwise, use condoms. Non-lubricated condoms like Colored Trustex are best for silicone toys.
•Silicone dildos can break at the base if they are forced into too-small rings. Be sure you have the right size harness ring for your dildo. You can get rings in the plumbing section of the hardware store, or order the 4-Ring Pack selection from us.
•Do NOT use silicone lubes with silicone toys, as it can melt the silicone toy. Be sure to use a condom over the toy if you want to use silicone lube. Silicone is a popular sex toy material for many good reasons: it's non-porous, hygienic, pliable, and comes in many vivid colors. It warms to the body and retains heat. It is also extremely durable. Because silicone can withstand high temperatures, you can boil silicone toys (as long as there is no vibrator unit inside) for 5-10 minutes or put them in your dishwasher to disinfect them. They also clean well with soap and water.
Silicone toys vary in their density — some are soft (Grrl Toyz Strap-On Blue) while others are more rigid, but they are all pliable. The variation depends on the silicone mix used by the manufacturer. Silicone also carries vibration like a dream. You'll find that silicone items are often more expensive than sex toys made of other materials; not only is the material more expensive than plastics or rubbers, but silicone toy makers are often small businesses that don't mass-produce their products on an assembly line, but create them in more craftsman-like settings. You'll find the higher price worthwhile because of the longer life span of silicone and its ability to be disinfected for use with more than one partner.
I have environmental allergies. What sex toys are safe for me to use?
Silicone is hypoallergenic. We recommend silicone toys to anyone who is concerned about having a reaction to rubber and vinyl materials or scents, or for people who don't want to use condoms on their sex toys.
VixSkin Silicone
Handcrafted by popular silicone dildo manufacturer Vixen Creations, VixSkin is nothing less than a major innovation in sex toy design. These toys boast the superior hygienic qualities of silicone while retaining the realistic look and feel of real skin. Because they are made of 100% silicone, VixSkin dildos are easy to clean (boil for 5-10 minutes), unlike more porous materials which can harbor bacteria. VixSkin toys are backed by a lifetime warranty from Vixen Creations.
TPE (Thermo-Plastic Elastomer)/Elastomer
- Elastomer is slightly porous and cannot be disinfected.
- To clean, wash with soap and water.
- Elastomer is phthalate-free, hypoallergenic, soft, and durable.
- Use with condoms if sharing or for easier cleanup.
Elastomer is being used in many sex toys as a soft material that is phthalate-free. It is porous, unlike silicone, and cannot be disinfected. People who are concerned about avoiding contact with rubber softeners might choose elastomer toys as good soft alternatives.
Elastomed is a non-porous synthetic blend, which is a safer form of rubber.
Silicone/Rubber Mixes
•Pure silicone toys are non-porous, but when silicone is only one of many ingredients, you should treat them like jelly rubber toys.
•The benefit of having a silicone mix is that the material will last longer without breaking down or tearing.
•Use with condoms for safety and to aid in cleanup.
•Do not use silicone lube with silicone/rubber mix toys as it can melt the toy. Be sure to use a condom over the toy if you want to use silicone lube.
•Shopintimates no longer carries toys that we know to contain phthalates, which have been associated with negative health effects. Silicone is such a popular sex toy material that manufacturers of less-expensive sex toy options have realized that it can increase their sales to have the packaging say that the toy is silicone. By law, it only has to have 10% of a material to be called that material (just like with 10% fruit juices).
Jelly Rubber
•Jelly rubber toys are made of soft, porous material that cannot be disinfected. Because these toys are known to contain potentially harmful phthalates, We no longer carry jelly rubber toys.
Hard Materials
Hard Plastic, Lucite, Acrylic, Glass, Metal & Ceramic
- These materials do not contain phthalates.
- Clean with soap and water.
- Use condoms if sharing.
- Do not boil plastic, Lucite or acrylic toys.
- Glass retains temperature extremely well and requires only a little lube for a super-slippery effect.
Hard plastic, acrylic, glass, metal, and pure latex toys are phthalate-free and have firm, smooth textures. Some may be a cheaper alternative to silicone toys. Hard plastics are generally non-porous, and can be used without condoms if only used by one person.
Shopintimates carries toys made of all different kinds of hard plastic. All of these plastics are common, safe materials which require the same care.
ABS plastic is a mix between elastomer, rubber, and hard plastic which is durable and recyclable. See below for other types.
We try to carry Pyrex and laboratory-quality glass that will not shatter if dropped. Examine your toy before each use. If you notice a crack in your glass toy, stop using it — you wouldn't want to risk having it break during use. Lucite and acrylic are shatter-free and harder to break, but it is possible to crack them. You can boil glass, but do not boil plastic, acrylic or Lucite toys.
TPR Plastic: Thermoplastic Rubber
This light-weight, flexible material is what Shopintimates chose for its new and improved toys. It's phthalate-free, easily washed, supple, and pliable to the touch.
Leather
Leather is supple and resilient, though it can't be disinfected. To clean, use a leather cleaner; some people use a diluted alcohol wipe, though this can dry out the leather. Leather sex toys, such as harnesses, should only be shared between fluid-bonded sexual partners.
