Are your sex toys even vegan? Vibio claims world-first Vegan Society accreditation
NEWS: Level 10 vegans rejoice! Now your physical acts of self-romance or partnered playtimes can be certified, and most definitely bonified, vegan-friendly. The Vegan Society has breathed an emphatic sigh of approval to sex toy maker Vibio.
Vegans, we’re nothing if not mindful of what we put in our bodies. From giving flesh, eggs and dairy the old Dear John letter, to asking alcoholic drinks made with fish swim bladders to hand over their keys and move back in with their parents, our advancement through the ‘vegan levels’ certainly seems to correlate with the end of our romances with various sub-sets of animal-derived products.
Now, Vibio - a queer and women-owned sex tech company - has claimed a world first in bringing to market the only sex toys registered with the gatekeepers of all that is vegan, the Vegan Society, reports Vegonomist.
“We’re firm believers on the power of tech when it comes to creating change and positive impact in the world, and wanted to apply this to the sexual wellness space,” said Vibio co-founder, Patricia Cervantes Santana. “Our mission has always been creating an inclusive brand that would not only make tools to explore sexuality but combining them with content to guide people in their sexual journey. As a vegan myself, it was essential that our products be accessible to the vegan community as well.”
It isn’t the first sex toy company to focus on vegan creds - Vegan Toys, for example, has a dazzling array of fun things like bullet vibes, kegel balls and glass dildoes shaped like fruits and vegetables for all true plant lovers - but Vibio would be the first to gain Vegan Society approval to use the logo on its website and branding.
“Registering our first electronic personal toys with the vegan trademark is expressly exciting news for the team,” Vegan Society spokeswoman Ericka Durgahee told i.
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By way of an impromptu Explainer, readers confused about vegan-friendly sex may not be aware that many lubricants, toys and condoms contain animal-derived ingredients. Condoms, for example, can contain casein, a milk protein - the sale of which to condom manufacturers is highly profitable to the dairy industry - that is used to make the latex thinner. There’s also beeswax in some lubricants, and going back to condoms, so-called “natural membrane” versions are made with… wait for it… lambskin. Shudder.
Many non-vegan sex toys, lubes and other sex products are also tested on animals. Vegan Society certification for Vibio ensures that this isn’t a concern for vegans who want to be as compassionate to animals as they are to themselves.
All joking aside, there are already plenty of vegan-friendly brands of condom and lubes widely available, but very few sex toys that pass the ethical check upon closer scrutiny. That’s not to say vegans everywhere should immediately go through their bedside drawers and send their expensive Lelos and Rabbits to landfills, or that we should simply forgo acts of assisted self-love that can be hugely important for mental, emotional and physical self-care, but as with everything to do with the transition to an increasingly vegan lifestyle, accessibility is key. Now, we have more choice the next time we’re on the lookout for a little something extra in the bedroom.
Andrew Gough is Media and Investigations Manager for Surge.
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