Let's Talk About Sex Baby

Let’s talk about sex, because...what other conversation would you like to have today?

It’s a physical activity that has many more *cough* intimate repercussions than your average gym visit. So how do we go about sex in a way that’s both healthier and safer for our bodies and the environment?

Part 1: Condoms.

As we all know, condoms are ALWAYS a good idea. Disclaimer: if you want to have sex but don’t have access to an eco-friendly condom, do not abstain from using one all together. Any condom is better than no condom.

Condoms are made when liquid latex is heated to a point of hardening, which is a process that naturally produces several carcinogenic chemicals called nitrosamines. Now, though these chemicals haven’t been proven to have any bad side effects on our bodies, it’s generally better to avoid as much chemical exposure as possible (and is detrimental to the factory workers inhaling these toxins).

We’d like to highlight three condom companies we love:

• Sustain
• Why We Love Them: Sustain actively removed nitrosamines. Their condoms are free of “chemicals of concern” and are vegan, non-GMO, and made from fair trade rubber. Sustain pays their workers reasonable wages and has a ban on child labor. They also donate 10% to women’s healthcare organizations around the US.
• GLYDE
• Why We Love Them: Glyde creates vegan, ethical, fair trade condoms made from natural rubber. Their packaging is made from recycled materials and natural inks. They do not participate in animal testing and have donated millions of condoms to prevent HIV/Aids
• Lovability
• Why We Love Them: Lovability has female-focused branding and produces vegan, nitrosamine-free, cruelty free condoms. They are free from dye and fragrances and use all-natural latex. Lovability also donates to Planned Parenthood, which is pretty darn cool.

Part 2: LUBE!

Lube can be a fun, slippery, necessity. It doesn’t matter you’re using it for personal care, or with your partner, it is still entering your body.

Personal lubricant is often made from petroleum, which is very far from being eco-friendly. Petroleum can be tricky to extract and can lead to oil spills, water waste, and release greenhouse gasses.

We are going to offer a few options for lubricant:

1. Sustain
1. Why We Love Them: it is free of petroleum, silicon, parabens, and glycerin. Sustain is an excellent company that makes across-the-board items for personal care, so if you want your lube, condoms, tampons, etc to be a one-stop-shop, they’re it.
2. Good Clean Love
1. Why We Love Them: GCL is made from aloe vera, xanthum gum, and agar.
3. Isabel Fay
1. Why We Love Them: This company makes water-based lubricant made for sensitive skin. It is both paraben and glycerin free AND is made in the USA.
4. Aloe Vera OR Coconut Oil
1. If you are willing to vere away from a manufactured lubricant and go all-natural, you can grab either of these beautiful options are your local store. For Aloe Vera, make sure you grab the clear gelatinous version, not the green goo you use for sunburns.

Here’s the thing, if you are really committed to being eco-friendly, I would avoid the larger lubricant companies for the pure sake of excess plastic consumption. Personal lubricant often comes in plastic bottles that are difficult to recycle.

Part 3: Toys! (oh boy)

Toys are a fun part of the sexual experience for either your own pleasure, or to spice things up with your partner. There are several environmental impacts of sex toys that arise from the fact that most are made from phthalates, which is a substance used to soften hard plastics. On top of that, most toys are difficult to recycle as they are not plastics #1-#7.  (insert sick laughter as we realize there might be an entire landfill filled in tossed out, sad, dildos). 

1. LeafVibes
1. Why We Love Them: this company creates phalate-free toys with rechargeable batteries. They also ship all their products in recycled materials.
2. Solar Powered Vibrator
1. Why We Love Them: this bad boy charges itself up to give you a solid hour of fun. 8 hours in the sun and wham, bam, thank you mamme! So, if you have a discreet area to charge this vibrator (and don’t mind waiting a few hours), this is the one for you!
3. Luminous Glass Dildo
1. Why We Love Them: these bad boys are beautiful, and immediately make you feel fancy/fabulous. Luminous is a hand-blown with soda lime glass and can be both heated and cooled for extra pleasure.