Introduction
Walk into any adult retailer - physical or online - and you'll find shelves lined with products in every shape, size, and color imaginable. What you won't always find is transparency about what those products are actually made of. For decades, the sex toy industry operated with virtually no regulatory oversight, leaving consumers to navigate a marketplace where cheap, potentially harmful materials were commonplace and rarely disclosed.
Introduction
Walk into any adult retailer - physical or online - and you'll find shelves lined with products in every shape, size, and color imaginable. What you won't always find is transparency about what those products are actually made of. For decades, the sex toy industry operated with virtually no regulatory oversight, leaving consumers to navigate a marketplace where cheap, potentially harmful materials were commonplace and rarely disclosed.
That's changing. Driven by a growing wave of consumer awareness, independent safety advocacy, and a new generation of manufacturers who prioritize health as much as pleasure, body-safe materials have moved from a niche concern to an industry standard - at least among brands that take their responsibility to customers seriously.
At Mr. Hankey's Toys, material safety has never been an afterthought. It has been built into our manufacturing philosophy from day one. In this guide, we'll break down what body-safe really means, why it matters for your long-term health, and how to make informed decisions when choosing sexual wellness products.
Note: This article is intended for educational purposes. If you have specific health concerns related to product materials or chemical sensitivities, please consult a qualified healthcare provider.
Why Material Safety in Sex Toys Matters
Unlike many consumer products, sex toys are used in direct, prolonged contact with some of the most sensitive and absorptive tissues in the body. The mucous membranes of the genitals and rectum are highly permeable - meaning that whatever a product is made of has a direct pathway into your body.
Despite this, the sex toy industry in the United States is not regulated by the FDA in the same way that medical devices or food-contact materials are. There is no federal requirement for manufacturers to disclose the full chemical composition of their products, and no standardized testing protocol that all brands must meet before bringing a product to market.
This regulatory gap has historically allowed products made with phthalates, latex, heavy metals, and other potentially harmful compounds to be sold freely - often marketed with vague, reassuring language like "skin-safe" or "body-friendly" that carries no enforceable meaning.
Understanding what goes into the products you use intimately isn't just a matter of consumer preference. It's a matter of health.
The Materials You Want - And the Ones You Don't
Body-Safe Materials
Platinum-Cure Silicone Platinum-cure silicone is widely considered the gold standard for insertable sex toys. It is non-porous, meaning bacteria and pathogens cannot penetrate the material's surface. It is hypoallergenic, free from phthalates and latex, and can be fully sterilized by boiling or using a 10% bleach solution. High-quality platinum-cure silicone is also exceptionally durable, maintaining its integrity over years of use when properly cared for.
Every silicone product in Mr. Hankey's Toys lineup is made from platinum-cure silicone - not blended silicone, not silicone-feel materials, and not "silicone-like" compounds. When we say silicone, we mean the real thing.
Stainless Steel Medical-grade stainless steel is non-porous, fully sterilizable, and extremely durable. It also offers a firm, weighty sensation that many users find uniquely satisfying. Steel toys can be boiled or cleaned with a bleach solution and are compatible with all lubricant types.
Borosilicate Glass The same material used in laboratory glassware, borosilicate glass is non-porous, hypoallergenic, and temperature-stable. Glass toys can be warmed or cooled for temperature play and are fully sterilizable. When manufactured to proper standards, borosilicate glass is extremely resistant to breakage.
ABS Plastic Hard, non-porous ABS plastic is body-safe when used in its pure form and is commonly found in the external components of vibrators and other toys. It is easy to clean and free from the chemical concerns associated with soft, jelly-like materials.
Materials to Avoid
Phthalates and PVC "Jelly" Materials Phthalates are chemical plasticizers used to make PVC soft and flexible. They are also classified as endocrine disruptors - compounds that can interfere with the body's hormonal systems. Jelly rubber toys, which are made from PVC with phthalate plasticizers, are porous, cannot be fully sterilized, and have been associated with irritation, allergic reactions, and potential long-term health concerns with repeated exposure.
Despite increased awareness, phthalate-containing products are still widely available. Many are sold without any disclosure of their chemical composition.
Blended or "Cyberskin" Materials Marketed under trade names like Cyberskin, UR3, or Futurotic, these blended materials attempt to mimic the feel of human skin. While the tactile sensation can be appealing, these materials are porous, difficult to clean thoroughly, and often contain undisclosed chemical compounds. They degrade over time, becoming sticky and harboring bacteria even with regular cleaning.
Rubber and Latex Natural rubber latex can trigger allergic reactions ranging from mild irritation to severe anaphylaxis in sensitive individuals. Rubber toys are also porous and difficult to sanitize effectively.
How to Verify a Product's Material Claims
Given the lack of regulatory oversight in the industry, consumer vigilance is essential. Here are practical steps for evaluating any product's material safety:
Ask for transparency. Reputable manufacturers should be able to clearly state what their products are made of - not just in marketing language, but in specific, verifiable terms. If a brand can't or won't tell you exactly what their products contain, that's a significant red flag.
Look for certifications. While no universal sex toy safety certification exists, some manufacturers voluntarily submit their products for third-party testing. Look for references to RoHS compliance, REACH compliance, or FDA-grade materials as indicators of a higher standard.
Do the flame test with caution. A commonly cited DIY test involves briefly touching a flame to silicone - genuine silicone should leave a white ash residue rather than melting or turning black. This is a rough guide only and is not a substitute for manufacturer transparency.
Trust established brands. One of the simplest ways to protect yourself is to purchase from brands with a documented, long-standing commitment to material safety. Mr. Hankey's Toys has built its reputation on exactly that commitment - and we're proud to stand behind every product in our collection with full confidence in what it's made of.
Why Mr. Hankey's Toys Has Always Put Safety First
The adult toy industry has not always been a place where safety and quality were prioritized. For much of its history, it operated as an unregulated novelty market where low cost and high margins mattered more than consumer health.
Mr. Hankey's Toys was founded on a different set of values. From our earliest products, we made the decision to use only platinum-cure silicone - a more expensive, more demanding material that requires greater manufacturing precision but delivers a product that we can stand behind without reservation. That decision wasn't just a business choice. It was a statement about what kind of brand we wanted to be and what kind of relationship we wanted to have with our customers.
As awareness of material safety has grown in the broader sexual wellness community, we've seen more brands make the shift toward safer materials. We welcome that shift. A healthier industry is better for everyone. But we also believe that the brands that made that commitment early - before it was fashionable or commercially necessary - are the ones whose commitment to safety runs deepest.
When you purchase from Mr. Hankey's Toys, you're buying into a standard of care that has defined our brand since the beginning.
Conclusion
The rise of body-safe materials in the sex toy industry represents something genuinely important - a shift toward treating sexual wellness products with the same health standards we apply to everything else we put in and on our bodies. It's a shift that's long overdue, and one that Mr. Hankey's Toys has been part of from the beginning.
Whether you're a first-time buyer or a longtime member of our community, we encourage you to make material safety a non-negotiable part of every purchase decision you make — not just with us, but across every brand you consider. Your body deserves nothing less.
Explore our full range of platinum-cure silicone products at mrhankeystoys.com, and shop with the confidence that comes from knowing exactly what you're getting.
This article was written for educational purposes. Mr. Hankey's Toys does not provide medical advice. Please consult a licensed healthcare provider if you have specific concerns about chemical sensitivities or material-related health issues.
