Can silicone sex toys and oil-based lubricants be used together?

Today, silicone toys are available in a wide variety, and for good reason.

Dildos made of silicone rubber became popular in the 1990s. In our region, the popularity of silicone products arrived a little later. Back then, store shelves were filled with much cheaper goods imported from China. Few people understood why they should pay such crazy prices for a dildo when a similar one was available nearby for five times less.

Now we know that many of those toys were of poor quality—toxic, deformed, emitted odors, accumulated bacteria due to the porosity of materials, and reacted with oil-based lubricants. Because of their external resemblance to silicone, a persistent myth emerged that products made from "silicone-like" materials are damaged by exposure to oil. Let’s debunk this myth.

What is silicone, and what is a silicone sex toy?

Lelo, silicone sex toys

Silicone is resistant to accidental damage, non-porous, easy to sterilize, non-reactive, odorless, stable, and resistant to extreme environments, temperatures, and contact with oils and acids, while maintaining its properties. All of this makes silicone dildos more durable and hygienic compared to dildos made from other soft materials. Silicone sex toys conduct vibrations well and can be used in combination with a vibrator.

Due to its low toxicity, medical-grade silicone presents a minimal risk of adverse biological reactions and has thus been approved for food and medical applications.

Silicone products

In reference to silicone, terms such as "industrial grade," "food grade," "medical grade," and even "implant grade" are often used—terms that are not universally defined and usually depend on a particular supplier’s classification. Medical-grade, food-grade, and implant-grade silicone are considered safe for prolonged contact with food, share similar characteristics, and undergo thorough purification from volatile substances. People often forget that silicone exists outside of sex toys. That’s why I always give this simple and illustrative example: silicone baking molds, silicone kitchen spatulas, and silicone brushes for applying oil are things we use regularly, and we know they do not react or get damaged from exposure to oils. The technical properties of food-grade and medical-grade silicone are identical. Silicone is a polymer chain consisting of alternating silicon and oxygen atoms. The attached organic groups modify the properties of silicone. We reached out to a manufacturer of silicone rubber and industrial silicone products to ask whether there are any differences between medical and food-grade silicone. The response was that, essentially, they are the same—the only difference is the testing process and more thorough purification from volatile substances for medical products. So, the example with the silicone spatula holds true.

Lelo, silicone sex toys

Another issue is that although some countries have organizations that regulate the quality and classification of silicone (such as the FDA in the United States), the production of sex toys itself is not regulated. Each silicone product manufacturer has their own raw material supplier. The quality of raw materials and trust in the manufacturer remain the responsibility of the manufacturers themselves. Since this is an unregulated industry, no one requires companies to pay attention to material safety in their products or to conduct compatibility tests with other materials. The label "body-safe" has no official meaning other than the company's claim that the material is safe. While I am almost certain of the quality of sex toys from Fun Factory, Dame Products, Lelo, We-Vibe, and Unbound—and as a manufacturer myself, I believe that companies can produce truly safe sex toys—this trust is purely my personal opinion. So, before using oil-based lubricants with your sex toy, make sure that it is genuinely made of silicone. Many types of silicone contain additives such as plasticizers or dyes that can pose a health risk. Others may be porous, accumulating bacteria. Therefore, the word "silicone" does not necessarily mean "safe."

My advice: avoid toys made from Cyberskin, Elastomer, Fanta Flesh, FauxFlesh, Futorotic, Jelly, Neoskin, SEBS, silica gel, TPE/TPR, TPR-silicone, and UR3. It doesn’t matter if you use them with oil-based, water-based, or silicone-based lubricants—they are either toxic, porous, or both.

There is also a subtle ethical point: medical-grade silicone undergoes mandatory testing on animals. This means that sex toys and menstrual cups made of medical silicone cannot be considered ethical. Silicone intended for prolonged body contact (implants) undergoes even more rigorous testing on animals. If you are vegan or simply an animal lover, keep in mind that all medical silicone toys are linked to animal testing. Additionally, silicone is difficult to recycle.

Ёska oil-based lubricant

So, using oil-based lubricants with silicone sex toys is possible and completely safe for both your toy and yourself. However, you must ensure that you are dealing with an actual silicone product (either food-grade or medical-grade). Since the industry is unregulated, manufacturers are not required to be accountable for quality or conduct additional compatibility research. The quality of raw materials depends on the supplier's choice. While many companies produce high-quality silicone rubber, just as many use various additives to cut costs. The quality of a product depends on the manufacturer’s decision.

The same applies to oil-based lubricants. If the label states that it is an oil-based lubricant, check the ingredients to make sure the manufacturer has not added mineral oil, paraffin, or petroleum jelly (which can not only damage your toy but also disrupt vaginal flora). These are not plant-based oils but petroleum-derived products.

Independent sex bloggers have conducted experiments, submerging their silicone toys in oil for an extended period, and the toys emerged unscathed. The Ёska team and our colleagues in Russia have conducted similar experiments and confirmed that oil-based lubricants can be used with silicone sex toys. Try it yourself!

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Video provided by high-tech sex boutique Play-partner / Can oil-based lubricants be used with silicone sex toys?