“Is there a difference between Platinum Silicone and Silicone? If so, what is it? I love silicone, can I use it with toys?”
Silicone lube is absolutely phenomenal for so many reasons. You can use it in the shower because it’s not water soluble, it lasts forever, it doesn’t get tacky, it’s great for folks with skin sensitivities, you can use it to get your door to stop squeaking (yes, really), Buuuuuut, one major drawback is that silicone lube doesn’t play well with some toy materials – most notably (and ironically) silicone. The reason for that being silicone bonds to silicone. When this happens, the silicone lube turns your expensive silicone toys into a sticky, ruined mess. But that doesn’t always happen … so what’s the deal?
Raw silicone material is a sticky, gelatinous goo that needs to be cured, vulcanized or catalyzed to make it usable as a toy material or lubricant. How that process is carried out often effects the final product’s quality. When we say something is a “platinum grade” silicone, what that means is that it is cured with the addition of platinum as a catalyzer (yes, as in the precious metal). Platinum grade silicone toys are considered to be of the highest quality and are far less prone to warping, tearing, bubbling … and being broken down by high grade silicone lube. The problem, however, is that there isn’t a way to tell if your silicone is platinum grade or not. Most reputable companies such as Tantus, Happy Valley and Vixen, will state that their toys are Platinum grade but many other companies (I’m looking at you Cal Exotics) will just state “Silicone” and you will have no idea what grade of silicone was used (if it even is silicone … which is an issue for another post entirely). So make sure you choose your toys with care and do research on the grade of silicone used.
Now, moving on to the lube component of your question. Unsurprisingly, not all silicone lube is created equal. A high quality silicone lube should really only have 3 ingredients at the most – Dimethicone, Dimethiconol & Cyclomethicone (though this has been replaced by Cyclopentasiloxane in most lubes). We do sell some with the addition of vitamin E or aloe but, in general, the less ingredients, the better. You should also look for a lube that lists Dimethicone as the first ingredient, such as Sliquid Silver or Uberlube. Dimethicone is the highest grade of silicone used in lubricant (also the priciest) and helps it stay velvety and a bit more viscous. Lubes with Dimethicone as the first ingredient also tend to have a better track record of playing well with premium silicone toys.
So, if you choose platinum grade silicone toys and high grade silicone lube you should be able to combine them with no ill effect but it isn’t a guarantee. You should always do a spot test on the base of your toy (or an inconspicuous area if you aren’t using a toy with a flanged base). Place a drop or two of your chosen silicone lube on the toy and wait a few minutes. If the lube stays slick and, well, lube like, you are good to go. If it begins to gum up and you have to scrape at it to get it off, don’t use that lube with that toy. You can always use a good water base / silicone hybrid lube like Sliquid Silk if you want to be on the safe side.
It should be noted that silicone lube NEVER plays well with cyberskin based toys and often causes problems with TPE/TPR based toys so avoid those combinations. However, hard plastic, metal, acrylic and glass toys are excellent materials to use silicone lube with so have fun!
______________________
Want to read more about how silicone is created? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silicone_rubber
Secret Pleasures Boutique 
Thank you so much! I realize it’s almost three years after this post was made but I’m so thankful that someone answered the why and how.
LikeLike
We’re so glad you found it to be helpful! 🙂
LikeLike