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Guide to Sex Toy Materials
Education hubNon porous onlyFully disclosed
Education hub · Materials
A guide, not a sales page
The single most important thing about anything you put on or in your body.
Material decides whether something can be cleaned, how long it lasts, which lubricants are safe with it, and whether it belongs near you at all. Everything else on a listing is secondary to this.
The one distinction that matters → Or how to spot a bad listing →
Unsure about something you own? Ask an educator, no purchase involved.
The whole guide in one idea
Porous or non porous. Everything follows from that.
A non porous surface has no microscopic openings, so it can be washed clean and stays clean. A porous one has them, and they cannot be reached.
That means a porous product retains bacteria after washing, however thoroughly you wash it. It cannot be sanitised, it cannot be safely shared, and over time it degrades, becoming tacky, cloudy, or developing a chemical smell as the softening agents leach out.
This is not a premium concern. It is the difference between a product that lasts years and one that should not have been sold.
The safe list
Four materials, and what each is good at.
All four are non porous. Everything in our range is one of them.
Medical grade siliconeThe default for anything soft or insertable. Non porous, flexible, warms to body temperature, and available in a range of firmness. Water based lubricant only: silicone lubricant can react with the surface over time and leave it tacky. Wash with warm water and mild soap. One hundred percent silicone pieces can be boiled, but check the listing first, since anything with a motor cannot.
ABS plasticRigid, non porous and inexpensive, commonly used for handles, caps and the hard sections of bullets and wands. Every lubricant is safe with it. Wipe or wash, and keep water away from any charging port unless the piece is stated as fully waterproof.
Borosilicate glassNon porous, extremely smooth, and far stronger than ordinary glass. Holds temperature, so it can be warmed or cooled in water for sensation. Compatible with every lubricant. Inspect for chips before each use and stop using it if you find one.
Stainless steelNon porous, heavy, and holds temperature even better than glass. Compatible with every lubricant, sanitises easily, and effectively lasts forever. The weight is the point, and it is also the reason it feels larger than its measurements suggest.
The excluded list
What our standard keeps out, and why.
These make up most of what this industry sells. That is a comment on the industry rather than on these materials being obscure.
TPE and TPRThermoplastic elastomer and rubber. Soft, cheap, and the most common material in the category. Porous, degrades with use, and frequently develops a chemical smell as it breaks down.
Porous
Jelly and soft PVCOften softened with plasticisers, historically including phthalates. Recognisable by a strong chemical smell and an oily film that returns after washing.
Porous
"Realistic feel" and branded blendsCyberskin, ultraskin, and similar names describe a texture rather than a material. They are almost always TPE or PVC under a trade name.
Porous
"Silicone blend"Silicone mixed with something cheaper. The blending is what makes it porous, so the word silicone in the name is doing no work at all.
Porous
LatexNot porous in the same way, but a genuine allergen affecting a meaningful number of people, and it degrades on contact with oil.
Allergen
Anything unnamed"Body safe material" and "premium composite" are not materials. If a seller will not name it, treat that as the answer.
Unknown
Red flags in a listing
- No material named, or a trade name instead of one.
- "Medical grade" with nothing after it. Medical grade what?
- Unusually cheap for its size. Silicone costs meaningfully more than TPE, and price reflects it.
- "Phthalate free" as the headline claim. True of plenty of porous materials, and it distracts from the question that matters.
- No cleaning or lubricant guidance. A seller who knows the material tells you how to look after it.
Signs in something you already own
- A chemical or plastic smell, particularly one that returns after washing.
- An oily or tacky film on the surface. That is the plasticiser leaching out.
- Colour transferring onto fabric or onto another toy.
- Softening, clouding or stickiness developing over months.
Any of those means retire it. There is no way to rescue a degrading porous product, and no amount of cleaning reaches inside the surface.
One test we will not recommend: the flame test, held to a product you intend to use internally. It circulates widely, the results are unreliable, and the risk is not worth it. Ask the seller instead.
Pairing
Which lubricant goes with which material.
SiliconeWater based only. Silicone lubricant can react with the surface over time and leave it tacky.
Water based
ABS plasticAll types safe.
Any
Glass and steelAll types safe. These are the only materials where silicone lubricant is a straightforward choice.
Any
Latex, if you encounter itWater based only. Oil degrades latex, including on condoms.
Water based
Since almost everything soft is silicone, water based is the sensible default and the one to keep in the drawer. The full lubricant guide is here.
Common questions
Answered plainly.
Can I make a porous toy safe with a condom?
A condom over it reduces direct contact and is better than nothing, particularly when sharing. It does not make the product safe: the material still degrades, still holds bacteria, and still needs retiring. Treat it as a stopgap rather than a solution.
Why can two silicone toys not touch in storage?
Some silicones react with each other over long contact and leave both surfaces permanently tacky. It is not dangerous, but it ruins the finish. Store pieces in separate pouches and the problem disappears.
Is "phthalate free" enough?
No. Plenty of porous materials are phthalate free and still cannot be sanitised. It answers a narrower question than the one you should be asking, which is simply whether the surface is porous.
How do I actually sanitise silicone?
Warm water and a mild unscented soap covers ordinary use. For a piece that is one hundred percent silicone with no motor, boiling for a few minutes is an option. Anything with a motor, a battery or a charging port cannot be boiled, so check the listing.
Are there ever exceptions?
Not in our range. Non porous is a pass or fail condition of stocking something rather than a preference, which is why the range is twenty three pieces rather than two thousand. The standard is published.
Can you tell me what something I own is made of?
Sometimes. Email hello@schoolofsexualwellness.com with the product and what it looks and smells like, and we will tell you what we think, including if the honest answer is that we cannot be sure.
This page is education rather than medical advice. Products are for personal wellness and pleasure, are not medical devices, and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any condition.
Our position
Twenty three pieces, because the rest did not qualify.
Medical grade silicone, ABS, borosilicate glass or stainless steel. Named on every listing, with cleaning and lubricant guidance. If we cannot tell you what it is made of, we do not sell it.
Read the standard → Or browse the range →
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