March 2006
Back to the Garden
Chemical-Free Alternatives
for Organic Love-Making
By Lou Bendrick
Three and a half years ago, Nancy and Jason Fleming, organic mushroom farmers from Northern California, were worried about the effects sexual lubricants might be having on their own delicate ecosystems.
“We couldn’t find any that were organic, not even ones without chemicals,” says Nancy Fleming.
Among the many chemicals lurking in popular lubricants, the Flemings discovered several members of a class of compounds called parabens. Preservatives commonly used in cosmetics, parabens mimic estrogen — a natural hormone that has been linked to certain cancers. The prevalence of such decidedly mood-killing chemicals struck the Flemings as particularly troubling because lubricants are applied to some of the most sensitive areas of the body.
“And one of the most sacred areas of the body,” adds Nancy.
Left without chemical-free options, the ambitious couple created their own product line. Their company, Sensua Organics (sensuaorganics .com), now offers a variety of organic, water-based personal lubricants. Sensua hopes to get the word out about the chemicals present in many conventional sensual products.
“Read the label and be careful of the word ‘natural,’ which is now meaningless,” advise the Flemings. “If you see an ingredient you don’t recognize, don’t use it. There are alternatives now.”
And lubricants aren’t the only sex aids taking on a greener tint. If the demand for green sexual products — that is, friendlier to the human and natural environments — follows the demand curve for, say, hybrid cars or organic food, then healthy sex may someday be defined not only as safe, intimate and consenting, but also as chemical-free and Earth-friendly.
When it comes to sex toys, those who prefer a natural product are no longer limited to organic carrots. While most sex toys are made out of plastic, latex rubber or silicone, a more natural (and recyclable) alternative exists: glass.
“Many people like the heat retention characteristics of glass,” explained Christophe Pettus, president and supplies buyer for Blowfish (blowfish.com), a supplier of sexual and sensual products. “It holds heat nicely, especially if you warm it in water first. The toys themselves are beautiful to look at.” The downside, explained Pettus by e-mail, is that glass can break, and it’s hard. “If you don’t like a very hard toy, glass isn’t right for you.”
If glass doesn’t light your fire, but you still want to take care of the planet’s needs as well as your own, consider two unusual vibrators offered by California Exotic Novelties (calexotic.com), the nation’s largest manufacturer of sex toys. The vibrators, in bullet-style and strap-on from Solar Sensations, are rechargeable by sunlight and artificial light.
This Californian solar initiative may not be as well-publicized as Gov. Schwarzenegger’s Million Solar Roofs program, but it is more significant than you might think: California Exotic Novelties ships over one million toys a month, and most toys require two to four batteries. Those batteries aren’t easy to recycle, and are apt to be replaced frequently.
A sex toy is not like a flashlight, says Al Bloom, marketing manager for California Exotic Novelties. “It’s more like an electric toothbrush. It’s going to get used every day.”
Finally, no discussion of sex and the environment would be complete without mentioning birth control. Some condom critics (yes, there is such a thing) have tarred the venerable rubber as a form of un-recyclable waste. Latex condoms, for their part, contain casein, a milk product eschewed (but definitely not chewed) by vegans. Lambskin condoms, which are sometimes touted as natural, have a significant drawback: Unlike Latex, they’re too porous to prevent the transmission of HIV.
If you prefer a chemical solution, the choices, from the Earth’s point of view, aren’t great. Synthetic hormones from birth control pills and patches — which humans excrete into waste water — eventually end up in rivers, lakes and the ocean. These hormones have been implicated in the mutation of hermaphroditic frogs and reduced fertility in certain fish.
Spermicides can be a wee bit irritating to vaginal tissues and potentially contain chemicals like parabens (yes, they’re everywhere) or nonylphenol. Meanwhile, the chemmie-free rhythm method is about as easy to master as cold fusion. So what’s a hot-blooded greenie to do? Answer: Go slip into something less comfortable. The better the barrier, the merrier! Sure, a condom doesn’t seem natural, but the human and environmental side effects of birth control methods pale in comparison to the consequences of a lethal STD or an unplanned pregnancy. Talk about an invasive species: Since 1950, the world’s population has added more members than in the previous four million years combined. The bedroom, it can be easily argued, is where all of the planet’s environmental woes begin.
So when it comes to your bedroom, play in the daylight or conserve energy by turning off the lights. Consider organic fiber lingerie, or if a bustier is more your speed, choose pleather over leather. That bedside candle? Make it soy or beeswax, with a cotton wick, to minimize indoor air pollution. Lastly, check the ingredients on your bottle of massage oil.
Feeling relaxed? Perhaps after thinking so hard it’s time for a glass of (organic) wine. And try to remember: sex is one of the most natural of all human acts — and great sex, like caring for the Earth, is in the details.
Lou Bendrick prefers to use organic carrots for salads.
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