The question of what something is made from seems basic. In most consumer categories, it has been basic for a long time. We check whether our cookware is PFAS-free, whether our children's toys are BPA-free, whether our cosmetics contain parabens. We have developed, over decades, a reasonable fluency in materials literacy.

Intimate products were the notable exception. For most of the twentieth century, they were made from materials — rubber, jelly PVC, latex composites — that would not have been acceptable in any other product category with comparable body contact. The reason was not ignorance. It was indifference. The category was considered disreputable, its customers were not organised as consumers, and no one was asking questions.

The problem with jelly rubber

Jelly rubber — the material that dominated the market through the 1980s and 1990s — is a category of soft PVC compounds that typically contains phthalates. Phthalates are plasticisers: chemicals added to PVC to make it flexible. They are also endocrine disruptors, meaning they interfere with hormonal signalling in the body. The European Union began restricting phthalates in children's toys in 1999. In intimate products, they remained common well into the 2000s.

The problem is compounded by the nature of the material. Jelly rubber is porous, meaning it cannot be fully sterilised — bacteria, fungi, and viruses can survive inside the material surface even after cleaning. It also degrades over time, releasing compounds as it breaks down.

Why silicone was the answer

Medical-grade silicone — the material now used by every premium manufacturer in the category — is chemically inert. It does not react with body tissues, does not leach compounds, and does not degrade under normal use conditions. It is non-porous, meaning it can be fully sterilised. It is soft, durable, and temperature-stable. It was already in widespread use in medical implants, surgical tools, and baby products.

The challenge was cost and manufacturing complexity. Medical-grade silicone is significantly more expensive than jelly rubber. Moulding it requires different equipment and higher tolerances. For manufacturers who had built businesses on cheap materials and high margins, the transition required genuine commitment.

The brands that made it early — Lelo in 2003, Fun Factory in the late 1990s — did so because their founders came from design and engineering backgrounds rather than the adult novelty trade. They were applying the same materials standards they would have applied to any other product. The category's history of disreputability simply did not register as a reason to lower the bar.

What to look for now

The good news is that the market has largely self-corrected in the premium segment. Any brand selling at a meaningful price point today uses body-safe materials as a baseline requirement. The challenge is in the mid-market and budget segments, where jelly rubber and unverified silicone blends remain common.

When assessing any product, the key questions are: Does the brand specifically state "medical-grade silicone"? Not just "silicone" — medical-grade, or platinum- cured silicone. Does the material meet ISO 10993 biocompatibility standards? Is the product phthalate-free? Can it be fully sterilised?

Every product in the Sable collection meets these standards. It is not a differentiator — it is a baseline. The only question worth asking after materials is whether the product does what it claims to do, as well as it claims to do it. That question is harder to answer. But it is the right question.