Body-Safe Materials Explained

Medical-grade silicone, borosilicate glass, and stainless steel are considered the safest materials for personal wellness products. All three are non-porous, meaning they do not absorb bacteria or harbour residue between uses. They are also chemically stable — they do not leach additives into the body and do not react with lubricants. Silicone is the most versatile: soft, flexible, and available across a wide range of product types. Glass and steel are firmer and are typically used for specific formats, but both are excellent options and easy to sterilise.

• Medical-grade silicone: soft, flexible, non-porous, chemically inert. Compatible with water-based lubricants only.
• Borosilicate glass: firm, non-porous, temperature-responsive, fully sterilisable. Avoid if it shows any cracks or chips.
• Stainless steel (304 or 316): smooth, non-porous, temperature-responsive, fully sterilisable and extremely durable.
• ABS plastic: hard, non-porous, and found widely in toy exteriors and vibrators. Safe, though cannot be boiled.

Thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) and thermoplastic rubber (TPR) are the materials used in many budget and mid-range products because they are inexpensive to manufacture and produce a soft, skin-like texture. The trade-off is that both are porous — microscopic channels in the material can harbour bacteria even after cleaning. This does not make them immediately unsafe, but it does mean they need to be cleaned more carefully and replaced sooner than non-porous alternatives. Using a condom with porous products reduces risk, particularly for shared use.

• TPE and TPR: soft, porous, require thorough cleaning after every use.
• Cannot be fully sterilised — replace more frequently than non-porous options.
• Using a condom with porous products for shared or internal use is a reasonable precaution.
• Avoid storing porous products touching each other — they can degrade or bond over time.

Phthalates are softening chemicals that have historically been used in PVC and "jelly" rubber products to create a flexible texture. They have been linked to health concerns in research on long-term exposure, and while the direct risk from personal products is debated, most reputable manufacturers have moved away from them. A product described as "jelly", "cyberskin", "UR3", or "realistic rubber" without further material detail may use these materials. If a listing does not specify the material clearly, that is itself useful information.

• Avoid products described only as "jelly", "UR3", "cyberskin", or "realistic" without further material detail.
• Look for explicit material disclosure (silicone, TPE, ABS) in the product description.
• Phthalate-free labelling is common in reputable products — it is worth looking for.
• A strong chemical smell when unboxing is a signal worth paying attention to.