Buying Sex Toys 2: Jelly, Silicone, and Glass – Oh My!

Sex toys can be vibrant colours that come in all sort of shapes and sizes.

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Sex toys can be vibrant colours that come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. They can also contain all sorts of toxic materials you don’t want in your body. You never know, what your sex toy is made of might be why you’re getting burning after sex.

If you remember nothing, remember this: the sex toy industry isn’t regulated. Did you ever wonder why sex toys on the market are sold as ‘novelty toys’? If so, there’s your answer. If it were regulated and the sex toys were classed for ‘medical’ use, the FDA would require approval, pictures, and a paper written. Keep this in mind as you search for the perfect toy.

Jelly Toys and Porous Toys

If possible, 100% no. The allure is that they’re cheap, colourful, budget-friendly, and sold everywhere, but jelly toys are known irritants due to materials such as phthalates. Phthalates are pesky little things that can run amok in your body and cause damage. They’ve been known to cause irritation, nausea and further problems like cancer.

But, phthalates aren’t the only ingredient you should be looking out for.

Toys made from jelly, rubber, Cyberskin/realskin, and PVC are porous. The fact is, all these toys have microscopic holes in them that can’t be properly sanitised. This is a big reason why bacteria, mould, fungus, mildew etc, get into every single nook rendering them nothing more than toys that will do far more harm than good.

Did you know? Toys containing jelly and other porous substances have been known to melt when left in a jar. I had an old toy I’d forgotten about melt to a piece of plastic packaging in the box I kept it in. Needless to say, I promptly threw it in the bin.

Silicone, Metal, and Borosilicate Glass

Toys that are made from 100% silicone are your best bet – there are different levels of firmness, and they can come in a multitude of colours, and some even contain glitter!

Well made glass and metal dildos, like silicone toys, are pieces that can be kept for life. The craftsmanship alone always makes me want to throw my money at independent glass toy makers. If the craftsmanship isn’t enough of a draw, glass toys and silicone toys can be popped in the dishwasher (sans detergent, and always double-check which setting would be best for your dishwasher first) to sterilise them.

Glass and metal can be tough materials to take for some, so be sure to start small, and work your way up. Also, be conscious of weight. Glass and metal toys are notoriously weighty, so keep that in mind when perusing the stores.

Overall

The best way to buy quality and safe sex toys is to avoid buying from Amazon, eBay, and untrusted Etsy sellers. If you’re unsure where to buy from, ask reputable sex toy testers, read their blogs to see what toys they recommend and cross-check your findings with other sex toy testers.

Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide what sex toys you buy, but be sure to check the materials before checking out. This is also only skimming the information out there on toxic and porous toys, and safe sex toys as once you start to take a closer look, it’s like falling down the rabbit hole.

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