Sex toys are, in most jurisdictions including South Africa, classified as "novelty items" rather than products that touch internal mucous membranes. That regulatory loophole means manufacturers can use materials and chemicals that wouldn't be allowed in cosmetics or even children's toys. The result is a market full of products that are genuinely unsafe — porous, leaching plasticisers, growing bacteria — sitting next to genuinely safe ones at similar price points.
Knowing how to read a label is the only consistent protection you have.
Why this matters
The materials in question come into contact with some of the most absorbent tissue in the body. Mucous membranes — vaginal, anal, oral — absorb chemicals far more readily than external skin. A toy that would be marginally tolerable touching your forearm can cause real harm inserted into the vagina or rectum.
The potential issues:
- Phthalate exposure — chemical plasticisers used to soften plastics. Linked to endocrine disruption, fertility issues, and several cancers in long-term studies. Banned in EU children's toys and food contact items but legal in adult sex toys.
- Bacterial growth — porous materials can't be properly cleaned. Bacteria grow inside the pores and re-introduce on next use. Recurrent infections are a known consequence.
- Allergic reactions — both to the material itself and to additives. Often presents as itching, redness, or burning that feels like an STI.
- Material degradation — porous materials break down over time, becoming sticky, releasing more chemicals, and creating sharp edges as they crumble.
The body-safe materials
Six materials are genuinely body-safe when manufactured properly:
1. 100% silicone (medical-grade or platinum-cure)
The default safe choice for most toys. Non-porous, hypoallergenic, durable, can be sanitised by boiling. Look for "100% silicone," "medical-grade silicone," or "platinum-cure silicone" specifically. "Silicone blend" or "silicone-mix" usually isn't fully silicone and may contain other materials.
Compatibility: water-based lube only. Silicone lube degrades silicone toys (this is well-documented and worth taking seriously).
2. Borosilicate glass
The kind used in laboratory glassware. Strong, non-porous, beautiful. Excellent for temperature play (warm or cool the toy under tap water). Compatible with all lubes. Will shatter if dropped on a hard surface, but well-made glass toys are surprisingly durable in normal use.
3. Stainless steel
Surgical-grade. Heavy, very firm, holds temperature. Compatible with all lubes. Effectively indestructible. Some people find the weight excessive; others love it.
4. Hard plastic (ABS)
Acceptable, body-safe. Less popular than silicone because it doesn't have the soft feel. Often used in vibrators where the body of the toy is internal mechanics with a smooth ABS shell.
5. Wood (sealed)
A niche category. Wooden toys exist (some artisanal makers produce them) but require a complete seal of medical-grade lacquer to be body-safe. Without proper sealing, wood is porous and unsafe. Approach with caution.
6. Ceramic (sealed)
Same situation as wood — fine if properly sealed, unsafe if not. Niche.
The materials to avoid
"Jelly" — the biggest culprit
"Jelly" toys have been the standard cheap toy for decades. They're soft, gummy, often translucent, and almost always contain phthalates. The smell on opening — chemical, plastic-y, sometimes "fruity" in a synthetic way — is itself a warning sign.
Avoid completely.
"Cyberskin" / "UR3" / "Sensa Feel" / "Real Feel"
Proprietary "skin-feel" materials, often used in masturbation sleeves and realistic dildos. Porous, hard to clean, degrade over time, often contain phthalates or similar plasticisers. Some manufacturers have moved to body-safe TPE blends, but the original cyberskin-type materials are not safe.
PVC and rubber
Generally porous, often phthalate-containing. PVC in particular is the source of many "jelly" toys.
Latex (for toys, not condoms)
Some toys are made of latex — distinct from latex condoms in that the toy is reusable and the latex degrades with use. Latex toys are often porous and difficult to clean. Latex condoms are a different conversation (they're single-use and work differently).
The TPE/TPR question
Thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) and thermoplastic rubber (TPR) are increasingly common in mid-range toys. They feel skin-like, are softer than silicone, and are usually phthalate-free.
The catch: TPE and TPR are porous. They can't be fully sanitised. They develop bacterial growth over time. They're better than jelly (no phthalates) but they're not in the same safety category as silicone, glass, or steel.
Reasonable to use TPE/TPR for solo, single-user toys with regular replacement (every year or so). Not appropriate for shared toys or long-term use.
How to read a product page
The label should clearly state:
- The exact material ("100% silicone," "borosilicate glass," "stainless steel")
- Whether it's phthalate-free (this should be explicitly stated for any non-silicone/glass/steel toy)
- Recommended cleaning method
- Lube compatibility
Red flags:
- "Skin-like material" with no specific composition listed
- "Body-safe" without specifying which material
- Vague terms like "silicone-blend" or "novelty silicone"
- No material information at all
- Strong chemical smell from the product on arrival
The smell test
Genuinely useful: when a new toy arrives, smell it. Body-safe materials should be virtually odourless. A strong "plastic" or "chemical" smell, especially one that lingers, is a sign of phthalate or PVC content. Don't use it.
Smell is not a perfect test (some unsafe materials don't smell strongly), but a strong chemical smell is a reliable negative signal.
The "body-safe" certification question
There's no single universal "body-safe" certification for sex toys. A few signals that help:
- CE marking — required for sale in the EU; provides some assurance
- FDA registration — applies in the US; relevant if you're buying US-imported brands
- Brand reputation — established premium brands (Lelo, We-Vibe, Tantus, Fun Factory, Womanizer, Doc Johnson Vixen line, njoy) generally use body-safe materials and label accurately. Cheap unbranded toys often don't.
What to do with toys you're not sure about
If you have toys whose material you can't confirm:
- Use a condom over them. A condom barrier protects you from direct contact with the toy material. Not perfect (chemicals can still leach into the condom over time), but significantly safer than direct use.
- Replace porous toys regularly. Every 6-12 months for TPE/TPR; every 2-3 months for jelly (or, ideally, replace with a body-safe material instead).
- Wash thoroughly between every use. Doesn't make porous toys safe, but reduces the bacterial load.
The shared-toys consideration
Toys used between partners need to be body-safe in a way solo toys don't. The reasons:
- Bacterial transfer between partners
- STI transmission (yes, possible via toy)
- The compounded exposure to material chemicals
For partner play, only use silicone, glass, or steel — and either disinfect between partners (boil silicone, wash glass/steel thoroughly) or use a fresh condom on the toy when switching partners.
The cost of safety
Body-safe toys are usually 2-3 times the price of body-unsafe equivalents. The marginal cost is real, but a R900 silicone toy will last 5+ years; a R200 jelly toy will be unusable and possibly harmful in 6 months. The economics favour quality.
If budget is tight, the smaller body-safe toy is always the better choice over the larger unsafe one.
The bottom line
Sex toy regulation is weak. Manufacturers can sell genuinely unsafe materials with minimal labelling requirements. The protection is consumer awareness: 100% silicone, glass, or stainless steel are body-safe; jelly, cyberskin, generic "skin-feel" materials, and unspecified compositions usually aren't.
Read the label. Smell the product on arrival. Spend the extra for body-safe materials. The toys that touch your body should be at least as carefully chosen as the food you eat.
