Here's the place to find information on what your toys are made of or what is in your favourite lubricant! At Good For Her, we take pride in knowing as much as we can about what our products are made of and where they come from to give you the most accurate understanding of quality and materials.

SILICONE is the highest quality material used for soft toys. It is non-toxic, non-latex, hypo-allergenic and non-porous. Silicone warms easily body heat, transmits vibration, and can be sterilized. All toys we label as silicone are 100% medical grade. There is a higher cost but but this material is much more resilient than any other. Many companies offer a lifetime warranty on them and if you have a vibrator made of silicone, such a the Moxie, Galan, Gigolo, or G-Swirl, the vibration may eventually stop working but the toy itself will last a long time. Only toys that are made of 100% medical grade silicone are designated as "silicone" at Good For Her.

Care and Maintenance: Wash with soap and water. Dildos, vibrating dildos and butt plugs without internal vibrators or with vibrators that can be removed can be sterilized: Bring a pot of water to boil and immerse for 3-4 minutes. Store in a plastic or fabric bag to reduce contact with dust, which easily washes off. You do not need to use a condom with these toys when used on your own. When practicing safer sex with a partner, either use a condom or boil it in-between uses.

Which lubricants are OK? Water-based lubricants work well. Some people like to use silicone lubricants but there is some debate about their compatibility. At Good For Her, we have found that most silicone toys that are 100% silicone are compatible with high quality silicone lubes, such as Pjur Eros or Pjur Woman. Silicone lubes should be washed off with soap and water. While the debate continues, we will keep you posted.

SILICONE BLEND/SILICON: The popularity of silicone has encouraged some manufacturers to add silicone to their toy materials (often primarily made of jelly rubber). This may increase the quality slightly but can also be misleading as they do not have to say how much silicone is in the toy. By law, a toy only has to have a minimum of 10% of a material to be called that material (just like with 10% fruit juices). Some manufacturers also used the label "silicon" to encourage consumers to think they are buying silicone. These toys are clearly made of non-medical grade materials and not comparable in quality to 100% medical grade silicone toys. You may want to buy your toys from a store you can trust, where we will screen the toys and do our best to ensure we know what we are selling you. When in doubt, use a condom as a barrier between you and the unknown material of your toy. Blends may contain latex.

Care and Maintenance: Wash with soap and water. Silicone blends cannot be boiled, they do not have the same resistance to high temperatures as 100% silicone toys. These toys cannot be sterilized, do not use alcohol, bleach or any other harsh chemicals to clean them. Covering these toys with condoms is recommended when using on or with a partner and even on your own.

Which lubricants are OK? Any water-based lubricant is best. Do not use silicone-based lubricants with silicone blended toys. Do not use oil-based lubricants with these toys, this includes preventing contact with massage oils. 

 T.P.E. AND ELASTOMER:  This is a newer material on the sex toy market. T.P.E stands for Thermoplastic Elastomer or "Elastomer" for short.  This material is best known and promoted as phthalate-free.  For more specific information on Phthalates, please read "common terms" below.  Elastomer is slightly porous and cannot be disinfected but is safer than typical latex/jelly rubber materials and another option.  Softer than silicone, this is a good option for those who have latex allergies or wish to avoid rubber materials. 

Care and Maintenance: Wash with soap and water. T.P.E. cannot be sterilized or boiled.  Due to being slightly porous, using a condom is a good idea for those practicing safer sexor for easy clean-up.

Which lubricants are OK? Any water-based or silicone-based lubricants are good with these toys. Do not use oil-based lubricants (including massage oils) as these may compromise and breakdown the material.

LATEX/JELLY RUBBER : Most mass manufactured soft sex toys are made of this group of materials. Jelly rubber is soft, pliable, flexible and inexpensive. The down-side is that they are porous, possibly toxic and usually contain latex and/or phthalates. It is possible to tell if your toy is made of latex/jelly rubber if it has a significant odour. They may also feel slightly sticky to the touch. The price is hard to beat so if you are watching your expenses be sure to add a condom to these toys. Many people start with something made of jelly rubber and later invest in a higher quality toy, as these toys also tend to have a shorter lifespan. If you have a latex allergy and are not ready to invest in silicone, you can minimize or prevent contact with the material by using non-latex condoms. Be sure to price compare since sometimes adding in the cost of condoms makes investing in silicone options more worthwhile in the long run.

Care and Maintenance: Wash with soap and water. Do not boil. These toys cannot be sterilized, do not use alcohol, bleach or any other harsh chemicals to clean them. Covering these toys with condoms is highly recommended when using with a partner and even on your own. Store your toy in a cool place away from other toys, in a plastic bag. Jelly rubber toys have a tendency to melt together if stored close to other jelly toys.

Which lubricants are OK? Any water-based or silicone-based lubricants are good with these toys. Do not use oil-based lubricants (including massage oils) with these toys, as they will break down the toy quickly.

PLASTIC: Firm, non-porous and easy to clean, plastic toys are also very common in the world of sex toys. Many vibrators are made of plastic. This material also provides a high vibration, more so than most soft toys. Plastic is considered to be non-toxic and is latex-free. It is not necessary to use a condom with these toys unless you are wanting to practice safer sex with a partner or you are sharing your toy.

Care and Maintenance: Wash with soap and water. Do not boil. These toys cannot be sterilized, do not use alcohol, bleach or any other harsh chemicals to clean them. Covering these toys with condoms is not necessary if using on your own but highly recommended when using on with a partner and even on your own. Store your toy in a cool place away from other toys, in a plastic bag. Jelly rubber toys have a tendency to melt together if stored close to other jelly toys. You do not need to use a condom with these toys when used on your own. When practicing safer sex with a partner use a condom.

Which lubricants are OK? Any water-based or silicone-based lubricants are good with these toys. Oil-based lubricants will not harm most plastic toys but we do not recommend oils for genital use.

Common Terms:

Phthalates

Pthalates are a material used as plasticizers, substances added to plastics to increase their flexibility. Phthalates are mainly used to turn PVC (polyvinyl chloride) from hard plastic into a flexible plastic. Sex toys made of latex or jelly rubber are often made with phthalates and since there is no official body governing sex toys, the safety of this material is in question. Many toys are now being made "Phthalate Free" and at Good For Her we are always trying to replace our toys with this safer option. Phthlates are in many household items, such as nail polish, adhesives, paint pigments, shower curtains, perfume, modern pop-culture electronics and medical applications such as catheters. Phthalates are controversial because high doses of many phthalates have shown hormonal activity in rodent studies. The Dutch office of Greenpeace UK sought to encourage the European Union to ban sex toys that contained phthalates. Using condoms on toys made of unknown materials creates a barrier that reduces your risk to possible harmful effects.

WATER-RESISTANT/SPLASH-PROOF

When referring to vibrators, these toys are water-friendly and can be used in the shower. Do not submerge. Water-resistant toys are also easier to clean since they can go under the tap.

WATER-PROOF

These toys can be submerged. Be sure to read the packaging carefully and ensure the battery compartment/cap is firmly closed. There is usually a little rubber washer to "seal" the battery compartment, you must ensure the washer is intact and not coming loose. If you lose the rubber washer, either replace it or do not submerge. After you use it in water, dry off your toy and open it up to air it out just in case any water got inside.