Yes, phthalates have been on my mind this afternoon.
I've always concluded that phthalates are everywhere, so if and when I can, I like to avoid increasing those numbers and not put them up my nether regions.
Admittedly, it's not like I'm eating them every day but I prefer the benefits of medical grade silicone, glass and metal etc. Besides, they don't smell funny, taste funny, melt together and they're much less of a bugger to clean.
But health debates aside, I find that a phthalate toy is rarely a good investment. It's presence is often indicative of a toy that won't be around for long. Cheap stuff breaks and ends up in the land fill, so for me, being phthalate free is a good sign for good quality and an eco friendly choice.
Brands
Lelo, Evolved and Tantus are renowned brands for P-free toys. And as far as I can see, the LoveHoney range does great phthalate free toys too. LH rabbits look *so* like jelly but they're made TPR and rainbows and unicorns instead. Huzzah.
Violet Blue
Uber cool sex blogger, Violet Blue, also champions: Vixen Creations, Fun Factory, d.Vice, Sportsheets and Vibratex as brands that hand pick their products and don't just flog any old rubber. (the original Sex and the City Rabbit is a latex/phthalate free bunny) You can read Violet Blues excellent article on Unsafe Sex Toys on her website: http://www.tinynibbles.com/unsafe There's great tips on the little, extra ways to care for your porous jelly toys, from proper storage to cleaning them safely. If in doubt, pop a condom on.
Alternative Toys
So phthalates put me off but it's really easy to find great alternatives. The Durex Play Ring, for example, contains latex and phthalates, but for a lot less, the LH BASIC ring is free from both (and from my comparisons, it's much, much better)
BASIC http://www.lovehoney.co.uk/product.cfm?p=14798
Another great example is the Mini Rabbits on offer. This one contains latex and phthalates,
http://www.lovehoney.co.uk/product.cfm?p=294but
but for a few pounds more, the LH rabbit is made from TPR slicone (skin safe rubber) And it doesn't have a silly face.
Magic Mini Vibe http://www.lovehoney.co.uk/product.cfm?p=16407
And if you want something identical, I can't actually see the difference between the first mini rabbit and this skin safe option
Cupid's Mini Rabbit: http://www.lovehoney.co.uk/product.cfm?p=16478
Rabbits are notorious for phthalates but there's some great Evolved bunnies that don't contain them.
Blog
The Lovehoney blog has great info on sex toy materials that separate fact from overblown fiction.
http://www.lovehoney.co.uk/blog/?q=phthalatesIt
It all boils down to allowing the customer to choose, which is why I'm really glad that Lovehoney clearly state if a toy contains phthalates or latex. So many websites don't do this. There's also the search buttons that allow you to browse by material.
Personally, I'm going to buy silicone toys and the like because of my preferences and the current climate means that they tend to come from cooler companies I like to support. Plus it's always better than cheap jelly with Robert Patterson's face stamped on it (not that LH would sell this kind of thing )
What are your views on sex toy materials? Does it figure into your shopping or are you not bothered? What's your experience with jelly toys compared to silicone? And do you have tips on caring for those less stable materials? Let me know what you think, OA.
x
