Body-Safe Materials: What to Look For and What to Avoid
"Body-safe" is used loosely in this industry. It has a specific meaning: the material touching your body is non-porous, non-toxic, and can be cleaned to the point where nothing is living in it.
That distinction matters more than brand, price or features, because a porous toy cannot be sterilised no matter how carefully you wash it.
Porous versus non-porous
Non-porous materials have a sealed surface. Wash them and they are genuinely clean. Porous materials contain microscopic channels that trap fluid and bacteria below the surface, where soap does not reach. Over time that becomes a reservoir for bacteria and yeast, and it is a common cause of recurring infections that people blame on everything else.
This is why a R200 jelly toy is not a bargain. It has a use-by date measured in months and it should never be shared.
The four materials worth buying
These are all non-porous and, apart from motorised units, can be fully sanitised.
- Medical-grade silicone — the standard for most quality toys. Warms to body temperature, hypoallergenic, boilable when there is no motor. Requires water-based lube.
- Borosilicate glass — completely non-porous, compatible with every lube, and holds temperature for warm or cool play. Strong, but inspect for chips before each use.
- Stainless steel — heavy, effortless to sanitise, excellent for temperature play, and effectively permanent.
- ABS plastic — hard, non-porous and inexpensive; used for bullet bodies and handles. Perfectly safe, just less pleasant to the touch than silicone.
What to avoid
All porous, all impossible to fully clean.
- Jelly rubber and PVC — the classic cheap toy material, often softened with phthalates.
- TPE and TPR — common in strokers and affordable dildos. Usable if you accept a limited lifespan and never share it, but not a long-term buy.
- Latex — porous, and a genuine allergy risk for a meaningful slice of people.
- Anything unlabelled — if the material is not stated, assume the cheapest option.
Phthalates, in plain terms
Phthalates are plasticisers used to make hard plastic soft and floppy. They are not chemically bound to the material, so they leach out over time — which is why old jelly toys go sticky and smell. They are linked to endocrine disruption, and intimate tissue absorbs readily. There is no reason to accept them when silicone exists.
Three tests you can do at home
You do not need a lab to catch most bad products.
- Smell it. A strong chemical, plastic or vinyl odour out of the box means softeners are leaching. Return it.
- Feel it. Real silicone has slight drag and warms to your hand. Phthalate-softened PVC feels oily or slick and stays cool.
- Flame test (only on a solid, non-motorised toy, and only if you are willing to mark it). Genuine silicone chars white and does not drip; PVC melts, drips and smells acrid.
What Livio stocks
We prioritise medical-grade silicone, glass, steel and ABS from established brands, and every product page states the material where the manufacturer supplies it. Where a product is TPE — common for strokers, where nothing else feels right — we say so, so you can decide with the facts.
Common questions
- What does body-safe mean?
- The material touching your body is non-porous and non-toxic — typically medical-grade silicone, borosilicate glass, stainless steel or ABS plastic — so it can be cleaned properly and does not leach chemicals.
- Can I boil a silicone sex toy?
- Yes, if it is solid silicone with no motor or electronics — 3 to 5 minutes in boiling water sterilises it. Anything with a motor, battery or charging port should be washed with warm water and toy cleaner only.
- Is TPE safe?
- TPE is porous. It is acceptable for a personal, non-shared toy with a limited lifespan, and it is used in most strokers because it feels realistic, but it cannot be sterilised and should be replaced every 6 to 12 months.
- How do I know if a toy has phthalates?
- A strong chemical smell, an oily or slick feel that never warms up, an extremely low price, and no stated material are the reliable warning signs. Reputable brands state phthalate-free explicitly.
Where to go next
More guides
- Where to Buy Sex Toys in South Africa (Safely and Discreetly)What to check before you pay a South African store: real ZAR pricing, body-safe materials, local support, discreet packaging and your rights under the CPA.
- A Beginner's Guide to VibratorsA no-pressure walkthrough of your first purchase: what to buy, how to use it, and what nobody tells you.
- How to Choose a Vibrator in South AfricaBullet, wand, rabbit or clitoral? What each type actually does, how much to spend in rand, and which features are worth paying for.