What "Body Safe" Actually Means

You'd never eat a sandwich made of mystery meat, so why are so many of us putting mystery rubber in our most sensitive places?

Easy mistake to make. The sex toy industry is barely regulated, which means "body-safe" on a box can mean anything from medical-grade to "we liked the font." So here's the short version of what's actually worth trusting.

The great novelty loophole

Most sex toys are sold as "novelty items." That little label is a loophole. In the US, nobody requires makers to tell you what's inside.

The FDA only steps in when a vibrator is labelled for treating sexual dysfunction, and even those skip review before they hit the shelves. A toy sold just for fun? Not on their radar at all.

There is an international standard, ISO 3533, and it's properly useful: anal toys that can't go missing, no sharp edges, electrics built properly. The catch is that it's voluntary, and it's mostly about how a toy is built. It can't vouch for what the toy is made of.

So "body safe" is only as good as whoever is standing behind it.

Tiny holes, big problems

Non-porous good. Porous bad.

Porous materials are covered in microscopic holes. Bacteria move in, put up curtains, and invite friends. You can scrub a porous toy until your fingers prune and it still won't be truly clean. Non-porous materials have nowhere for anything to hide, so soap and water actually finishes the job.

Simple, right? Everything below is just sorting materials into the right pile.

The good guys

Silicone. The crowd favorite. Soft, silky, warms to body temperature, and comes in every shape known to humankind. Look for 100% silicone (platinum-cured if the brand mentions it, that's the gold star). Spotted "liquid silicone" on a label? Good news: that's just how high-grade silicone is poured into moulds before it sets. Your toy is not secretly full of goo. One catch: use water-based lube with silicone toys. Silicone and silicone don't always play well together, and silicone lube can make the surface of your toy gummy over time.

Glass. Borosilicate glass, the same tough stuff used for lab beakers. It's smooth and firm, and frankly gorgeous on a nightstand. It holds temperature beautifully too, so a dip in warm or cool water is a fun upgrade. Check for chips or cracks before every use. Find one, and that toy is retired.

Stainless steel. Heavy and practically indestructible. Steel is for people who love weight and firm pressure, and it's the easiest thing on this list to clean. It will outlive your sofa, and probably your next three phones.

ABS plastic. The hard, shiny plastic on lots of vibrators. Not glamorous, but non-porous and perfectly body-safe. Think of it as the sensible shoes of sex toys.

The outside-only club

TPE and TPR (including "realistic skin" materials). Soft and gloriously squishy, which is exactly why they make brilliant masturbation sleeves and cock rings. They're also far less nasty than old-school jelly. The catch: they're porous, so they can't be fully sanitised. That's why TPE lives on the outside of the body, never inside it. Wash it straight after play, not tomorrow morning, because porous materials give bacteria a head start. Then let it dry completely, keep it to one person, and retire it when it turns sticky, cloudy, or starts collecting fluff like a lint roller.

The ones to swipe left on

Jelly and PVC. Squishy, see-through, suspiciously cheap. Porous, and often softened with chemicals called phthalates that you really don't want hanging around a mucous membrane. If it smells like a new shower curtain, put it down and walk away like it owes you money.

Wait, what are phthalates? Chemicals added to hard plastic to make it soft and bendy. Some have been linked to hormone disruption, which is why the US restricts them in children's toys. Sex toys get no such ban. They can also leach out over time, which is where that greasy film and shower-curtain smell come from. Your genitals deserve at least the same protection as a rubber duck.

"Silicone blend" or "silicone-feel." There's no such thing as a little bit silicone. A blend means silicone plus something cheaper, and the cheaper bit is usually porous. Marketing fiction, beautifully packaged.

Latex. Slightly porous and a common allergen. Great as a condom, not ideal as a toy.

How to spot a fake

• Sniff it. Body-safe materials smell of nothing. A strong chemical smell is a confession.
• Read the label. "Phthalate-free" and "skin-safe" are not the same as body-safe. You want the actual material named.
• Side-eye the bargains. A "silicone" toy for $6 is a magic trick, and you're the one being sawn in half.
• Buy from a shop that answers questions. (Hi.) A good shop will tell you what a toy is made of, or go and find out.

You may have heard of the "flame test" for silicone. Please don't set your sex toys on fire in the kitchen. Shop somewhere honest instead.

Care in under two minutes

• Silicone, glass, steel and ABS: warm water and mild unscented soap, or a proper toy cleaner. Before first use and after every use.
• Non-motorised silicone, glass and steel can be boiled for a few minutes for a deep clean. Anything with a motor stays out of the pan.
• Glass hates sudden temperature changes. Straight from hot to ice cold can crack it. Ease it in.
• Store toys separately, in a pouch or their own box. Some materials react when they touch, and nobody wants a fused-toy situation.

Okay, but what should I buy?

Every pick below is non-porous and body-safe.

• ROMP Wave Lay-On ($29.95). Silky silicone in a palm-sized lay-on shape for broad, cushiony external pressure. Rechargeable, waterproof, and a lovely low-stakes first vibe.
• Biird Kalii Glass G-spot Dildo ($55.00). Glass shaped for G-spot pressure. Firm and slick, and a best seller for good reason.
• njoy Pure Plug (from $75.00). Polished stainless steel with a grounded weight silicone can't fake. Buy once, keep forever.
• Intimate Earth Green Foaming Toy Cleaner ($15.95). Safe on silicone, glass, steel and plastic. The least sexy, most important thing in your drawer.

One myth to bin on the way out

"Phthalate-free" does not mean body-safe. A toy can skip the phthalates and still be porous. Free of one bad thing is not the same as made of a good one.

The send-off

For anything going inside: silicone, glass, steel, or hard plastic. TPE stays on the outside. Nothing that smells, nothing that's "blended," and water-based lube with your silicone.

Pick something your body would love, wash it well, and enjoy every minute.