Do you still trust DocJohnson after the "phthalates-scandal"?

Contributor: veggieguy veggieguy
I have to say that one of my favorites dildos is the Jeff Stryker dildo by Doc Johnson. Great girth, great length, great material.

However, I have now learnt that most sex toys are not safe as they contain phthalates. Unfortunately - also does the Jeff Stryker dildo.

Now their website states that some dildos are phthalates-free such as the new James Deen dildo but an independent website tested the dildo and it DID contain phthalates. To be honest, I trust the independent website more than the manufacturer. So I am very sceptical and avoid their products right now.

What are your opinion on this topic?
08/09/2013
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Contributor: GingerAnn GingerAnn
Helpful topic info on Doc Johnson Dildo:

What is your favorite Doc Johnson Toy?
I'm looking to add to my collection

Mood Flirty vs Mood Fantastic
which is better?

Great products
I have looked at alot of products. My favorite ones are Doc Johnson. I like that most are phaylate free.

has anyone else used?
Has anyone else used any of the realistic mens toys? if so what did u think was good/bad about it?

What is this toy?
A while ago, my (now Ex) boyfriend ordered some stuff for us on edenfantasys. I've been using the free gift from that order, but I don't know what it
08/09/2013
Contributor: Wicked Wahine Wicked Wahine
Quote:
Originally posted by veggieguy
I have to say that one of my favorites dildos is the Jeff Stryker dildo by Doc Johnson. Great girth, great length, great material.

However, I have now learnt that most sex toys are not safe as they contain phthalates. Unfortunately - also does ... more
There are very few manufacturers I am more likey to trust about the ingredients in their products...Vixen and Tantus, Lelo, etc.That's not to say I totally trust even them, I don't! I do not trust Doc Johnson, Cal Ex, or any other mass producer of so many different items. The industry is so unregulated that it's a huge problem! They can either claim as a medical device and have to go through rigorous testing, or they can claim their products are novelties and basically get off Scott Free.

The independent testing is so darned expensive, but it's necessary, which is why Dildology was founded. They intend to independently test and publish the results in a public database. They are the ones who had the James Deen dildo tested and here are the results. Please note the letter from Doc Johnsoon disputing the results and what they say does sound convincing enough to warrant another test. Six days ago Dildology wrote, "After much thought, we've decided to test another Deen, to make sure our lab isn't wrong, and/or that the supply chain wasn't compromised..."

I have had irritation from some 100% platinum silicone toys and none from some TPR ones. It's interesting and I rely on my own body to determine what I can tolerate, despite what the manufacturer claims. Right now, the only thing I never have a problem with is glass! I look forward to more independent testing and in the meantime, buy the safest toys I can based on consumer experience. Doing this has resulted in very few toys I have any issues with and I am a crazy sensitive individual. Thank God for Eden's return policy and all the reviews where people can really get educated about materials and any problems people have with them!
08/09/2013
Contributor: Sincerely yours, N Sincerely yours, N
I lost faith in everything after Shamwow....

But, putting that aside, I think that the problem is that there is no regulation in the sex toy industry, government or industry-wide. Nobody will come after them if they put "phthalates-free" on something that has them, especially if they prove that a certain part of them does indeed lack phthalates. It's just like how, in food, "all natural" strawberry jam does not mean it is made of strawberries, just that it's not made of petroleum based products (and it is probably made of corn instead).

I feel that, to an extent, you get what you pay for. Luxury brands are less likely to mislead you, while cheaper brands should have what they say taken with a grain of salt.
08/09/2013
Contributor: peppermintgal peppermintgal
I try to buy glass and premium brand silicone if possible (I like my Lelo toys). As others have mentioned they are unregulated.
08/09/2013
Contributor: veggieguy veggieguy
Yes, it is a shame that the industry is so unregulated. But I am sure it will change within years. Dildology is a good start. It shows that a company such as Doc Johnson claimed their dildos were phthalate-free when in fact they weren't.
Every company only has got one reputation!
08/10/2013
Contributor: Sincerely yours, N Sincerely yours, N
The problem even with things like Dildology is doing is that people still won't really care. People still buy jelly dildos, and most don't know what phthalates are.
08/10/2013
Contributor: veggieguy veggieguy
Quote:
Originally posted by Sincerely yours, N
The problem even with things like Dildology is doing is that people still won't really care. People still buy jelly dildos, and most don't know what phthalates are.
Yes, that's true. But at least there are some resources for people that do care, like Edenfantasys for example. I think it's great that they arrange their list according to the safety of materials.
08/10/2013
Contributor: Wicked Wahine Wicked Wahine
As much as I want proper laws to protect us, I also do not want the government in my bedroom, or telling me what to eat. I want that happy medium where GMO's and sex toys, etc. are labelled and at least regulated as to having to indicate what is IN them.

The problem is regulatory agencies are flawed. The FDA has unleashed hundreds of unsafe, improperly investigated drugs while supposedly watching out for us. That's just one example. They are deeply flawed, but better than nothing which is what we have now with sex toys. Self-regulation by the people who profit is historically a bad idea, so I LOVE that Dildology was recently started and that people are getting more educated, as well as some businesses attempting to supply safer items.

However, there will always be people who choose cheaper as the bottom line, for valid reasons, or not, you never know someone's circumstances. It galls me that these are items that can affect the future biology of the human race (GMO and other food ingredients, as well as sex toys). They are affecting our ability to function (hormone disruptors such as triclosan & pthalates) and our ability to reproduce, which affects future generations, our very DNA for goodness' sake!

But, I hold out hope that people will get educated about these issues, just as they have about many things "green" and, unfortunately, as more people present with problems from "mysterious" sources (you know, the increases in so many diseases and conditions, e.g asthma, autism, ADHD, chemical sensitivity disorders...I am not getting into other reasons for these conditions, just giving some possible examples).

#veggieguy, you posted a comment while I was working on mine, so I didn't see it until after I posted. I agree, the availability of resources such as Eden are increasing every day. The Internet has been such a huge influence on access to information whenever we want it (good, or bad) and I like that we don't have to rely on TV, or publishers of magazines and newspapers to spoon feed us info according to their agenda(s). More info than ever is accessible to more people than ever before in history and I happy to be alive to experience it!
08/10/2013
Contributor: Sincerely yours, N Sincerely yours, N
Quote:
Originally posted by Wicked Wahine
As much as I want proper laws to protect us, I also do not want the government in my bedroom, or telling me what to eat. I want that happy medium where GMO's and sex toys, etc. are labelled and at least regulated as to having to indicate what is ... more
Oh, I agree entirely with this. I don't want the government to approve or deny products, just to mandate ingredients lists like we have on food and lubricants/cleaners anyway. This way it would be easier for informed consumers to stay away from certain products. A mandated WARNING: CONTAINS PHTHALATES would be nice as well - we have such labels for Phenylalanine on soda, which isn't even harmful for the majority of the population, so I feel that phthalate labeling isn't too out there.

I agree entirely with your comment on the FDA. I've had my share of health conditions and things that have worked for me aren't FDA approved and thus nearly impossible to get in the States, and yet the approved treatments are downright dangerous and possibly lethal. (My method isn't an illegal drug by the way, just a ridiculously common Russian pill that apparently can't be approved for some stupid reason).

I still feel that it is possible to find cheap toys that are safe for our bodies. There are plenty of inexpensive silicone vibrators, and though they're not luxury brand quality they are at least free from all of the harmful chemicals. Mandated labels could help people in these cases. I was about to buy a cart full of jelly dildos elsewhere (fine, three, but close enough) and was excited, but then looked one of them up to help me pick which one out of more expensive two I wanted more and found EdenFantasys. I was mortified when I actually learned what phthalates are. Had there been a label or comment, I would not have been in this situation.

I hope that as well. People are slowly becoming educated about High Fructose Corn Syrup, so anything is possible. I have my own issues with the "green" campaign, but that's just because some of the words used in it are poorly defined and other things are just hype -coughGlutenFreecough- (And I agree entirely)
08/10/2013
Contributor: C&K0143 C&K0143
Regulation will not help with this issue at all. If the last 130 years of government regulation should should teach anything is that it doesn’t help the consumer but only protects those wealthy and powerful enough to gain governmental favor.
08/10/2013
Contributor: Wicked Wahine Wicked Wahine
Quote:
Originally posted by C&K0143
Regulation will not help with this issue at all. If the last 130 years of government regulation should should teach anything is that it doesn’t help the consumer but only protects those wealthy and powerful enough to gain governmental favor.
I have trouble disagreeing with you because you're absolutely right. But I realize we are stuck with the existing system for now and instead of an all or nothing approach, there has to be more that can be done than the status quo on this. Of course the problem is with the slippery slope of legislation...

Funny you mentioned this, I was about to reply to SincerelyN's comment above about the FDA and why she can't get that Russian pill. I was about to say that the reason it's not available is because Big Pharma can't patent a naturally occurring ingredient, or they have own their alternative and thus won't let your's into the market place - to be honest, they might as well control the FDA. As most things are run in government, financial interests come first.
08/10/2013
Contributor: Sincerely yours, N Sincerely yours, N
Still, some regulation is better than no regulation. I like reading ingredients of things that I buy and have slowly become a more and more natural eater.

...but y'all are 100% correct otherwise.
08/10/2013
Contributor: Wicked Wahine Wicked Wahine
Quote:
Originally posted by Sincerely yours, N
Still, some regulation is better than no regulation. I like reading ingredients of things that I buy and have slowly become a more and more natural eater.

...but y'all are 100% correct otherwise.
I agree, the alternative, meaning no regulation, or even no government, is never going to happen and I think it would, in fact, be a disaster. I meant by my reply that you don't throw the baby out with the bath water. In other words, absolutely, something needs to be done to at least give people a better chance of making an educated decision. Not everything about our regulatory agencies is a hopeless mess.

Yes, the lack of regulation on green stuff, such as using the words natural and organic, is a problem and just an example of how even with regulation, companies try to obfuscate in order to dupe consumers into buying their products. But, at least I have a fighting chance because I know the laws, such as only a certain percentage has to be organic in order to call the entire product organic, so I know to look for every ingredient to be listed as organic on the label. But as long as companies can buy their way out of lawsuits and influence not only the enforcement of laws, but the making of them, we are going to have a long hard battle. That does not mean that I think we should ever give up.
08/11/2013
Contributor: veggieguy veggieguy
Well since we know that phthalates are so harmful I think manufacturers should have to say whether the dildo was made with the help of phthatales or not!
08/14/2013
Contributor: Wicked Wahine Wicked Wahine
Quote:
Originally posted by veggieguy
Well since we know that phthalates are so harmful I think manufacturers should have to say whether the dildo was made with the help of phthatales or not!
Agreed! And I hope they start more serious investigation into other chemicals we come into contact with like that!
08/14/2013
Contributor: Sincerely yours, N Sincerely yours, N
Quote:
Originally posted by Wicked Wahine
Agreed! And I hope they start more serious investigation into other chemicals we come into contact with like that!
They really should. I understand the stigma, but things like phthalates are such a risk while being so easy to avoid - it makes a lot of sense to warn consumers about them.
08/14/2013