You read the label on a moisturiser. You know roughly what is in the things you eat, and you have opinions about it. The same attention rarely extends to intimate products, not because people don't care, but because the category has never given them the information in a form worth reading.
It is worth reading. What a product is made of determines how it behaves, how it should be cleaned, what it can safely be paired with, and how long it lasts.
This is the short version — the four things that actually matter, and where to read further on each.
One: the grade of the silicone, not the word
Most well-made intimate products are silicone, and the word on its own tells you very little. The distinction that matters is the grade.
Medical-grade silicone is non-porous, which is the property that does the work. A non-porous surface does not harbour bacteria within it, which means it can be cleaned thoroughly rather than only superficially. It is also inert: it does not react with skin and does not leach into the body.
Porous materials are the opposite. Jelly rubber, PVC and the softer materials used in cheaper products cannot be fully cleaned, because bacteria sit within the surface rather than on it. They frequently contain phthalates, plasticisers worth avoiding against the body. A porous product has a limited life and should be treated as disposable. A non-porous one, cared for properly, does not.
The word "medical-grade" is only meaningful when it comes with a standard attached — USP Class VI or ISO 10993. Why the grade is the whole claim, and how to check one.
Two: the base of the lubricant
Lubricants come in water-based, silicone-based, hybrid and oil-based, and the difference is practical rather than a matter of taste.
Water-based is the most versatile: compatible with condoms and with every toy material, washes away with water, suits most bodies. It dries out and may need reapplying. Silicone-based lasts considerably longer and works in water, with one firm rule attached. Oil-based is best kept to massage.
The one rule worth memorising: silicone lubricant should never be used with silicone products. The two react and the surface degrades. With silicone, use water-based.
Beyond the base, the label is worth reading for pH, osmolality, glycerin and added fragrance. What's actually in a lubricant, ingredient by ingredient.
Three: what degrades what
Three compatibility facts cover almost every situation.
Silicone lubricant degrades silicone products. Oil degrades latex condoms — any oil, including the ones in your kitchen. Water-based lubricant degrades nothing, which is why it is the safe default when you are unsure.
Everything else is detail.
Four: how it is cleaned
Non-porous products are cleaned with warm water and a mild, unscented soap, dried, and stored somewhere clean and dry. That is genuinely the whole of it.
The instinct to over-engineer this — harsh cleaners, boiling, alcohol — usually does more harm than good, particularly to anything with a motor or a coating. Mild and regular beats aggressive and occasional. Store items apart from each other where possible, since some silicones can react on prolonged contact.
The longer version, including storage, charging and what the warranties actually cover.
The standard worth holding
A skincare brand will tell you the concentration of an active and explain why it chose one formulation over another. The intimate category has rarely extended its customers the same respect, and the result is a market where people buy on price and packaging because they were never given anything better to buy on.
The better basis is the material. What it is made of, what it can be paired with, how it is cleaned, how long it lasts. These are not difficult things to understand. They have simply, until recently, gone unsaid.
