"Body-Safe" Sex Toys & Lubes to Use, by Holli
Holli talks sex toys - VaVaVooom Asheville NC
Sex Toys… lubes to use, and how to clean them.
By: Holli - VaVaVooom Manager
Welcome to sex toy ED, I will be your guide!
I began my sex toy career long ago when I realized that each toy did something different. I knew at that point that I must try them all to see which, if any could blow my mind! I came to VaVaVooom after 11 years in the US Armed forces, I have a passion for women's sexual health and body positivity. I believe everyone deserves mind blowing orgasms, it’s your birth right and I’m here to help you choose a product to do just that.
The adult toy industry is unfortunately not regulated like the childrens toy industry, so body safe adult products are what you need to be looking for. Safe adult products are made from quality materials that won’t harm you. Body safe materials include, medical grade silicone, stainless steel, glass, ABS plastic, wood, and acrylic. Materials like jelly, rubber, PVC, and siligel are NOT body safe and should be avoided for your sexual health.
Once you find a toy that is right for you the next step is to find an intimate lubricant that is right for you and the toy. If your toy is made of medical grade silicone you will need a water based lubricant. You can not use a silicone based lubricant with a toy made of silicone, they are not compatible and if you use them together it will cause your new toy’s silicone to break down and become unsafe for you to use. It will also void your warranty. Now let’s say your new toy is made of glass, wood, stainless steel, acrylic or ABS plastic, that changes things a bit. You can use a water or silicone based lubricant on any of those products with no worry about it damaging your new toy.
Now let's tackle the use of coconut oil as a lubricant. While I am all about jumping on the natural lube wagon, there are some things that you need to be aware of if you go down this route.
Coconut oil is safe to use with all body safe sex toy materials, BUT it needs to be thoroughly washed off the toy once your session is completed. (We will go over proper toy cleaning farther down the page)
Coconut oil is naturally an antibacterial and antifungal, because of this it can kill off the good bacteria in your Vagina, causing yeast or bacterial infections. So although it is an excellent edible nutrient, not to use in any internal genital/anal areas,
Because it is oil based it is NOT safe for use with condoms, it will break the condom down running the risk of STD infection or unwanted pregnancy.
If you put your unwashed hands in the jar of coconut oil, the whole jar is now contaminated and you should start out with a new jar!
Really sticking with a high quality water based organic lubricant is the safest route, VaVaVooom carries several different organic and vegan options for our natural lube lovers.
So you’ve picked out your new orgasm friend and a lovely lube to go with it, now comes the cleaning part…. (bet you hadn’t thought of that yet) Keeping your new toy properly cleaned is very important to your health just as much as it is to the toys. Your toy needs to be thoroughly cleaned before it’s first use, a name brand toy cleaner such as Sliquid, Lelo, We-Vibe, AfterGlow, or Intimate Earth will work wonderfully.
You can also use a quality antibacterial soap such as the ones used on fresh tattoos but make sure you rinse the product well to get all the lingering soap particles off. Once the toy is cleaned you are ready for action!
So you’ve used your toy for the first time, now you need to wash it and store it. You wash the toy just like you did the first time before use, using a quality cleaner or soap. If you do use any sort of natural plant based oil as a lubricant I suggest washing the toy twice, with a cleaner to break down the oil and make sure the product is clear of all oil.
Once it’s all clean and rinsed off now it needs to dry. Making sure the toy is completely dry before storage ensures that it won't harbor bacteria or mold…. That’s right your new orgasm friend can grow mold if you store it wet/damp. I recommend 2-3 hours to let it dry after washing. Some toys, such as solid silicone that does not have an internal motor or toys made from stainless steel can be placed in hot boiled water, or even put in the dishwasher on the top rack for cleaning.
You can store your toy in a bedside table, or box under the bed wrapped in a cloth or toy storage bag, wherever it’s easily accessible to you. Some toys come with storage bags in which case you can stow it away in a discreet little bag. Each toy should have it’s own cloth or pouch to keep them from touching one another during storage. Steel can damage glass toys just by bumping them. Once a glass or crystal toy has been damaged it needs to be thrown away as it is no longer safe for use.
I hope you have found this paper informative and enlightening. We here at VaVaVooom strive to provide excellent customer care with educated and compassionate staff. We welcome ALL to our store for their sexual health needs. Lots of toys for EVERY BODY!
Thank You,
Holli
VaVaVooom - Manager