Elastomers/phthalates: Elastomer is a compound that we use that does not contain phthalates. As you may already know, phthalates are plasticizers that are used to soften PVC vinyls. If a vinyl does not have any softeners, it is basically very hard PVC plastic. There are different grades of vinyls- from food grade, which is used for plastic food storage containers and baggies, to economical grade, which is used in some lower-end athletic shoes and other products. The smell of a product tells you the grade of the vinyl and the quantity of plasticizers (phthalates) used to manufacture it. The more smell the product smells, the lower the grade, and the higher the quantity of phthalates used. You are probably aware of the terrible chemical smell that many of the jelly vibrators give off. This is basically the vinyl giving off large amounts of phthalates. The adult industry is not regulated by the FDA or EPA, so there is no established set of standards to be followed. These government agencies do regulate children's toys, and they no longer allow phthalates to be used in children's toys or pacifiers. We feel that this standard needs to be applied to personal intimate products as well, so we are minimizing the use of phthalates in our manufacturing and are focusing on a nontoxic alternative - elastomers. Elastomers are a completely different material. They start out soft, and product is added to make them harder. This product is then removed by high vacuum so there are no residual hardeners. No solvents are used in this process, and there is no latex. This type of material is ideal for manufacturing a variety of textures. Our Softwear Skin vibrators such as the Velvet, Sweet Spot, and Thunder Cloud are made of Elastomer, as are our Butterfly, Quiver, and Rock Your World. Each one is made of the same compound, but they are cured differently so that each feels different.