Phthalates
By Misty • Sep 29th, 2006 • Category: BlogA few weeks ago, GreenPeace issued a press release calling for the ban of phthalates in adult novelties in the European Union. This is not the first time there that phthalates have been banned, but it is the first time the safety of sex toys, and sex toy material, has been discussed in such a public forum.
While the widespread release and attention the press release received was a surprise, the findings of GreenPeace were not. 
Within the walls of Good Vibrations we have been discussing toy materials and their safety for years. These discussions have led to many a staff memo, and are one of the reasons why we emphasize using condoms over porous toys. We have always had a commitment to educating our customers, and the public, about health and pleasure. We’ve also worked closely with our vendors—encouraging them to utilize non-porous materials, and have stressed the importance of non-porous, non-toxic materials.
More recently we’ve created a “phthalate-free” icon that will be used on our packaging, on our web site and in our catalog.
Last week, I was back home visiting my mother while she recovered from surgery. I was sitting by her bed in her hospital room while a nurse administered relief via pain medication. She was talking to the nurse when she blurted out “my daughter sells dildos for a living”. (I should be used to this by now since this is what my family does. If we are in a situation where we are mildly uncomfortable we deflect the attention to somebody else rather than talk about our own discomfort. It’s textbook.)
I smiled at the nurse and said “Hi, I’m the Senior Buyer for Good Vibrations” and proceeded to hand her a catalog. She smiled at me and said she’d bring it to the nurses’ station to share with the others. As she left, I called after her to be sure and let the nurses know that if they had any questions they should feel free to ask me… I’d be there for a while.
Not 10 minutes later, a nurse walks in… catalog in hand. Already a customer, she was super-excited to have the new catalog, and proceeded to ask me tons of questions about our new products. As she flipped through the catalog and asked questions about all the different products, my mother mentioned that my high school picture was on one of the pages. The nurse flipped right to it and saw that my quote was about her favorite vibrator!
She leaned in and asked me “Does this vibe have phthalates in it?”
I was totally surprised at her knowledge and how quickly word spreads. I assured her that her favorite friend is happily phthalate-free. Then I looked down at the surgical tubing carrying my mother’s medication from the bag to her vein, pointed at it and said to the nurse “but that isn’t”. She smiled warily at me and went back to flipping through our catalog.
That’s the odd part. In this world of environmentalism and awareness we still aren’t aware of all the ways things affect us. We are surrounded by items with phthalates and use products that contain them everyday. I fully understand that children biting on their phthalate-full toys, or adults inserting theirs, can pose very specific risks. I just wish that my saran wrap, and my mother’s surgical tubing, carried the same health information as our sex toys do.
Misty >> Since starting at Good Vibrations in 2003, Misty has worn many hats. Starting in sales she brought her queer sensibilities (2nd generation!!) to the merchandising department in 2005 and continues to branch out into different parts of the company. Fiercely femme, she enjoys wearing tight clothes, screening queer porn, getting her nails done, spending time with monsters and changing the world one day at a time.
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Word count for this post: 566
As Misty’s mom I would just like to clarify her statement that I just blurted out the information that my daughter sells dildoes for a living. I was, indeed, under the influence of mouth altering drugs. The truth is that in a less altered state I would have politely said (as Misty’s grandmother does) my daughter is a toy buyer for an educational company.
Jack