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How toxic sex toys can make you sick and how to prevent this

The saying goes: a warned person counts for two! The sex toy industry is unregulated. So, if you value your health and the health of your bed partners, then research what you put into your body!

The most crucial reason for Konfettie. to curate 100% of our sellers is because we value your safety. We are taking matters into our own hands by making sure the only items sold on our marketplace are body-safe. But just how messy is the sex toy industry? 

Toxic sex toys can lead to many issues like chemical burns. In addition, the porous, jelly-like sex toys are not easy to clean and therefore can attract many bacteria and other dirt. This could lead to infections. Consequently, we suggest you keep away from toxic and porous toys as it is just not worth the risk. Just run!
 
When reading 'silicone' on a box containing a sex toy, you should not be without concern yet. Lots of manufactures use silicone blends which makes it hard to say whether it is 100% body-safe. Therefore, look for labels that specifically state 100% silicone. Even better, ask the company or the creator of the toy themselves. 

As you can read, this industry is a mess. Below you can find a list that contains materials we at Konfettie do not consider body-safe.

This list is also the list Konfettie refers to when accepting new sellers. If a seller of adult items uses material on the 'not allowed'- list, they will not become a curated seller for Konfettie. That is how we ensure that you get to see a collection of the best, body-safe adult items. 
 

What's the difference: Toxic versus Porous 

Toxic material is just flat-out bad for your body. An example is phthalates. If it's unhealthy for livings beings, it should not come near your body. 
 
Can a toy be non-toxic but porous? Yes. A toy can also be porous and toxic. Or non-porous and toxic. To make it easier for you: go with neither of the two to stay safe.   
 
The more porous a sex toy is, the more chance germs and bacteria can multiply. Think of it as the toy having 'pores'.  If you have a toy without pores (so not porous), it's no problem disinfecting the toy and by doing so getting rid of bacteria or worse. 
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What we do not consider to bebody-safe at Konfettie

The list below contains materials that are toxic and porous. Some material is marketed under different names hence why we have put them all together in this list.
  • PVC/ Vinyl
  • Thermoplastic
  • TPE/TPR
  • Silicone blends
  • Jelly/ Rubber
  • Latex
  • Elastomer
  • Sil-a-gel
  • Cyberskin
 

PVC

PVC or jelly contains added toxic chemicals called: phthalates. What it does is it leaks into your body and can affect your reproductive system and your hormone balance, amongst other things. Yikes! That is not all; phthalates are carcinogenic, which means they can cause cancer.

 

A key take out from a study commissioned by the European Commission in 2020 : PVC is the most environmentally damaging type of plastic, and safer alternatives are already available for virtually all uses of PVC. If you support There is no planet B, then you know what to do! What is funny is that the report we found does include 'toys' but not specifically sex toys!

You can imagine that PVC is not a very popular material amongst vegans either.  

 

Thermoplastic: TPE/TPR 

This material, also known as thermoplastic rubber, can be made into hard or softer jelly forms. Thermoplastics are porous, cannot be sterilized, and can harbor bacteria.

TPR is not hypoallergenic, which means this material is more likely to cause an allergic reaction. In addition, because this material is porous, you could get vaginal infections because of the bacterial build-up over time. 
 
In addition, this material is unstable and could potentially dissolve. Furthermore, these materials are pretty commonly mislabeled as silicone. Also, elastomers are thermoplastics. Are you still able to follow this story? Yeah, I didn't think so. 
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Silicone blends

The issue with silicone blends is that most manufacturers do not explain what exactly is in the mixture. If you are not sure what you are getting, you can never be sure if the product is non-toxic and non-porous. 

Jelly

Jelly is a type of material that you see pretty often in sex toys. These toys are made from PVC and usually contain phthalates. Even though this material is inexpensive and can feel pleasantly squishy, the cons do prevail here.
Jelly is porous, has a short life span, usually smells horrible, and the low-quality material can release chemicals. Again, porous materials can cause infections. 
 

Rubber

While commonly used in sex toys, rubber can cause allergic reactions. Not very hypoallergenic! Also, rubber is a porous material. It's unnecessary to use rubber to create a fun and pretty sex toy. Pass! 
 

Latex 

Even though this is a famous one because of the popularity of latex clothing, this material can cause severe allergic reactions. So, for now, a no-go for Konfettie when it comes down to sex toys that contain latex.  

 

Cyberskin

It sounds fun, Cyberskin. But it's actually: TPE. And even though TPE is porous by nature. These soft skin toys have been chemically altered to make them smooth. But, unfortunately, toys made from TPE are unstable and impossible to sterilize. And with unstable, we mean that these toys can deteriorate. 
We do not like porous materials so, bye bye bye! 
 
Confusing stuff
As you can see, manufacturers and sex toy sellers sometimes give a material another name to make you feel it's safe and trustworthy. However, this does not change that these materials can affect your health, whether because it is toxic or porous.What would you instead pick after reading this blog? A body-safe sex toy or a non-body-safe sex toy? The choice is up to you! 
At Konfettie, you will only find toys that are: non-toxic and non-porous. That's the way uh oh uh oh, we like it uh oh uh oh! 

 

Novelty toys
We see this a lot, sex toys marketed as novelty items. Is it ok to buy this? Sure, if you treat it as a novelty! 


What is a novelty item, you ask? It is an object designed to serve no purpose whatsoever—an item sold for its humor. If you seriously plan to use a novelty item as a sex toy, we suggest you read the box to figure out what is precisely in the toy. If you see materials like silicone blend, PVC, TPE/TPR: treat the toy like a novelty. 

Companies producing and selling sex toys might label the toy as a novelty for exporting reasons. We disagree with these tactics as it is confusing for the end user. 

The Konfettie body-safe standard

A good rule of thumb: if you read the label and it's not clear what materials have been used then don't buy it. 

To make your life as a discerning buyer of adult items and sex toys a bit easier; Konfettie only allows toys that are body-safe to be sold on our marketplace. Our very own body-safe standard. 
 
Our top suggestion? Just shop at Konfettie for a worry-free experience. Wink, wink!  

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