Let’s talk about sex…”green” sex. More specifically, let’s
talk about the birds of an artificial feather and the bees with a
battery-operated buzz. That’s right – sex toys, lubes, goos and whatever else
we use to enhance our adventures in the bedroom, with or without a playmate.
These toys, however, don’t come with the warning labels and regulations that
children’s toys normally come with. So, unless you’ve done you research, we don’t really know what we’re putting in our…well, you know.
In uncovering what’s used to make those toys made for playing
with under the covers, we find the usual suspects – PVC, phthalates, and
parabens – giving “getting dirty” a new meaning. Not surprisingly and rather unfortunately,
the cheapest and most ubiquitous toys and products are the most harmful. The
squishy, jelly-like (and frankly frighteningly life-like) kinds, i.e. jelly rubbers
and “cyberskin” toys, are made with PVC and phthalates. Aside from the toxins
they put into the waste stream, they leach toxins into your blood stream, which
scientists suspect are a cause of cancer and reproductive system damage (I
smell irony). Additionally, many lubricants contain petroleum derivatives
(read: flammable fossil fuel) and parabens – those hormone-mimicking chemicals
that have been found in breast cancer tumors and may be a contributor thereof.
There’s nothing like a global warming-inducing or carcinogenic sex toy to kill
the mood.
But, don’t let those toxins kill your libido. There are
healthier, greener ways to rev your engine. When it comes to toys, the safest
materials are annealed glass, medical-grade silicon, metal and elastomers – all phthalate-free. Hard plastics are
also phthalate-free, but they are still made from PVC; thus, although you might
be diminishing the impact on your health, the same can’t quite be said of your
environmental impact. Of these materials, annealed glass comes out on top
(pardon the pun) not only because it’s one of the most innocuous, but it’s also
recyclable. (For more on the after-life of sex toys, stay tuned for my next
blog.) Warning: don’t play too rough – though annealed, a.k.a. pyrexed, you are
still playing with glass; even the tiniest crack can be worsened by temperature
changes and result in injury to your precious parts.
If you’re looking for that extra slide or sizzle, choose
lubes and lotions with paraben-free formulas; the commonly-found brands Sliquid
and Astroglide each have their own of such. Another safe alternative is silicon
lube (again, medical-grade), which is
high performance, hypo-allergenic, and flushes free from your body. For a totally
organic experience, try organic and natural brands, which are sometimes even
edible (insert personal commentary: ew)
and vegan, such as Eugene-based Good Clean Love.
We all have the right to good, clean love. In fact, I would
argue to call it a basic human right. However, just as the cosmetic industry
lacks the appropriate federal health restrictions, so too does the sex toy
industry. Despite existing federal restrictions on the use of phthalates in
children’s toys, adult sex toys do not fall under these restrictions’
jurisdiction – all because of the use of the word “novelty” on the product’s
packaging, implying that it’s not actually intended for use. [1] (Excuse me?) Ergo, greedy manufacturers are able to skirt regulation and get away
with using harmful chemicals to make cheap toys. As in any consumer-driven
industry, reality is that manufacturers answer to consumer demands, otherwise
they go out of business (thank you, capitalism). Thus, the onus is equally on
the consumer to demand safer materials and ingredients, as it is on the
manufacturer to make products with those safer materials and ingredients. So in
choosing toys made from safer materials, not only are you exercising your right
to healthy sex, but you are also helping to pave the way for a sex toy
revolution. Viva la Eco-gasm!
*Thanks to Brandy Woustra, store manager of It’s My
Pleasure, a local woman-owned sex boutique in Portland, OR, for
providing me with a lot of information and insight for this blog.
Before you jump in the sack with your shiny, new
phthalate-free toy, I recommend the following additional readings:
On sex toy material options and their care: http://www.babeland.com/shoppingadvice/sextoymaterials
On what’s in those sex toy materials: http://www.grist.org/news/maindish/2005/12/06/gertz/
On how to green your sex life: http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/02/how-to-green-your-sex-life.php