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Whew. That was a long road we just went down… but one well worth the wait! For months and months we have been busy discussing whether or not we should continue to offer vibrators and dildos that contain phthalates. The issue was that we really believe in the importance of offering affordable options for all our customers. We don’t want our customers to feel like we aren’t serving their needs and we understand, some of us more personally than others, what it means to be on a budget.
We also know that we play an important role in peoples lives and we take pride in how we educate our customers. We want to provide all the necessary information for our customers so they not only leave our store prepared for their frisky fun-filled evening but we also want them to leave knowing about any important information about how to care for their new toy. This isn’t just limited to how to clean it but also whether it’s porous and if we recommend using a condom with it, what material is it made of and what products go great with it etc…
And so it makes sense that we are taking this step. No need to fret- we have plenty of amazing phthalate-free items just waiting to be added into our inventory. You won’t even miss the old ones!
Read on for our exciting press release!
Good Vibrations Announces a Phase-out Policy of all
Phthalate Sex Toys by Oct 1, 2007
SAN FRANCISCO (Feb 27, 2007): Good Vibrations, the Bay Area¹s legendary destination for sex toys, personal care products and accurate sexual information, announces a company-wide decision to eliminate any sex toy product containing phthalate plasticizers from our assortment and replace it with a safe alternative by Oct 1, 2007. Good Vibrations is currently working with our vendors to find comparable replacements of phthalate-free products.
About the Phthalate Issue
Phthalates are chemicals employed in the manufacturing process to soften hard plastics. These plasticizers are used in several everyday products including medical equipment, baby products, automobile products, food packaging, cosmetics and toys. The phthalate mixtures expire after a time causing products to get sticky, discolor and release an unpleasant odor. In 2004, health advocates banned the use of three phthalates (DEHP, DBP and BBP) from all products intended for children and prohibited the use three others (DINP, DIDP and DNOP) in items that can be chewed or sucked by children under the age of three. Recently, Greenpeace UK implied the earlier research extended to sex toys. Although there are no reported health implications about the presence of these plasticizers in sex toys, the Greenpeace website is riddled with terms like “toxic” and “hazardous” and has created global hysteria.
Is this a publicity scare tactic or a real health danger?
Good Vibrations has opted to be safe rather than sorry. According to Jonathan Plotzker, Senior Director of Merchandising and Operations for Good Vibrations, “Since we opened our first store in 1977, we have always recommended our customers use toy condoms on any toy made of porous materials. Although there is no real scientific proof, we would be loathe to discover in ten years from now that phthalates are in fact dangerous and that we did not do more. People from all over the world come to Good Vibrations specifically for accurate, up-to-date sex and sexual health education. We take that responsibility very seriously.”
Selling toys for any budget has also been an important policy at Good Vibrations. Understanding that the phthalate plasticizers are more commonly used in less expensive toys, many feared the policy change at Good Vibrations would affect customers of a lower economic status. “Not so.” According to Senior Buyer for Good Vibrations, Coyote Days,” because of materials like TPR (thermalplastic rubber) and silicone blends, we are seeing many inexpensive vibes on the market that don’t have phthalates. The fear that all phthalate-free items would have to be more expensive is thankfully being proven wrong. In addition to our luxury brands, Good Vibrations will continue offering our customers safe phthalate-free toys for all budgets.”
Currently, all non-phthalate Good Vibrations products have a phthalate-free icon on their re-packaging as well as on our website product descriptions at www.goodvibes.com. By Oct 1, 2007 customers can rest assured that any product sold by Good Vibrations will be safe and healthy.
About Good Vibrations
Good Vibrations is the San Francisco-based retailer trusted for nearly three decades to provide a comfortable, safe environment for finding sex-positive products and educational materials to enhance one¹s sex life. Good Vibrations offers its products through its retail stores, mail order catalog and on its ecommerce web site at www.goodvibes.com.
