Not All Materials Are Created Equal or Why You Should Support Dildology.org!

A while back we wrote a long blog post about the different types of materials that are used to create sex toys. It’s a great guide (if we do say so ourselves) but the sex toy industry is largely unregulated and, well, toy manufacturers can pretty much say their toys are made out of what ever the want. Often times, as little as 10% silicone content is all that is needed to call a toy “Silicone”. But what is the other 90% made out of? Manufacturers also come up with patented names for their materials like “SoftSkin” and “UR3” and, unless the manufacturer discloses the chemical make up of that particular material, we have no idea what is in it. This is why it is imperative that you purchase toys from reputable stores and manufacturers. It’s also why it is so important to have an unbiased organization that is committed to having toys tested so that you know EXACTLY what your toy is made of. That’s where the fabulous folks at Dildology.org come in.

Dildology was created with a simple premise in mind – educate the public about what is in their toys. On their main page, they state the following:

The sex toy industry is on the rise, yet it remains largely unregulated. Dildology.org intends to provide material verification services and maintain a public database of the results, adding transparency and oversight to the industry while educating the public about the science behind pleasure products. We stand on our own, uninfluenced, and we are dedicated to protecting the health and well being of the dildo-loving population at large through education (and maybe a little entertainment).

Awesome stuff, right? We met executive director Crista Anne at Catalyst Con this March and got to chat a bit about what she is trying to achieve with Dildology and what the pit falls have been. She is so passionate about the work she is trying to do but it’s difficult to keep it going. You see, chemical testing is expensive … really expensive. At between $200 & $450 per test, Crista found that testing toys without funding was nearly impossible. So she is starting to raise funds so that Dildology can continue doing what we think is incredibly important work … and you can help! Head on over to Dildology’s fundraising page and donate what you can. Every little bit helps to fund a great organization that is doing their part to keep your dildo’s (and other sex toys) safe!

Still don’t get why materials are such a big deal? Well, here’s a little visual for you. You see, there is an at home test you can do on your silicone toy to see if it’s pure silicone. It’s called the flame test. Pure silicone will not melt, warp or catch on fire when held to a flame**. Like this:

Unknown materials can have a variety of reactions. We tested the proprietary UR3 material at the store and THIS is what happened:

Pretty scary! I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be using flammable materials as a sex toy! So put down the dildo torch and go donate to Dildology.org. Make the sex toy world a better place! 😉

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** Flame testing is usually done on toys that are known to be pure silicone or that say “silicone” but it is not know whether they are 100% or not. Only 100% silicone will not melt during a flame test. If you do this at home, please test in a well ventilated area with access to water or a fire extinguisher and test on an inconspicuous area of your toy! Also, please don’t flame test silicone toys that have plastic underneath. The silicone won’t melt but the plastic will and that would be sad.