FAQ – Desert Island Toys

The adult toy industry is largely unregulated, so we believe in being specific about the materials we use rather than relying on the term "body safe" alone.

All Desert Island Toys products are made from platinum cure silicone, a material known for being body-safe, non-porous, and hypoallergenic. We specifically source our silicone from Smooth-On, a company which has had its platinum cure silicone formulations tested by an independent lab for skin safety per the OECD TG 439 certification method (this is a method for testing for human skin safety without animal testing).

Platinum cure silicone is the standard material used in medical and food-grade applications. Unlike tin cure silicone, it doesn't degrade quickly over time, and unlike vinyl or "jelly rubber" blends often used in cheaper toys, it contains no plasticizers/phthalates and can be fully sterilized.

And while we're on the topic of cheaper toys, we'll acknowledge that our toys (like other platinum cure silicone makers' toys) are not going to be the cheapest toys available to you. Platinum (a precious metal) is involved in the chemical reaction which fully cross-links the silicone polymers leading to its non-porous nature. It's a premium material, and it does come with a premium cost, but when properly taken care of these toys should last decades if not a lifetime (manufacturers estimate 20-45 years). See our Toy Care Guide for more details.

Our toys are coloured/pigmented in one of two ways:

Our "flat" pigments are another Smooth-On product specifically made for pigmenting silicone, and also lab tested as skin safe certified with no animal testing.
Our other pigments are cosmetic-grade mica sourced from ethical suppliers. What does that mean? It means we only use mica which:

Is approved for cosmetic use on both lips and eyes
Comes from suppliers who ensure that child labour is not involved in the mining, factory work, transportation, sourcing, or any other work involved in the process of the making of the mica product.
Is not tested on animals.

Each toy is degassed before curing to remove air bubbles, and every toy is poured by hand.

We want you to feel good about the products you are putting in or on your body, and we want to feel good knowing that the toys we sell you are safe. You can count on us never to compromise on your safety.

We currently offer four silicone firmness options, using the industry-standard Shore hardness scale:

Extra Soft (00-20 Shore hardness)
Soft (00-30 Shore hardness)
Medium (00-50 Shore hardness)
Firm (A-10 Shore hardness)

We also plan to add "Near Clear" silicone to our lineup soon too. Those options would be:

Near Clear (00-31 Shore hardness)
Near Clear (00-45 Shore hardness)

Near Clear is more translucent than our standard silicone, which makes it especially well-suited to specialty pours like colour shifts or inclusions. What can we say, we like to have a large palette to work from.

Not every toy is available in every firmness — some shapes and designs are better suited to a narrower range. Check the individual product listing to see which options are available for that toy. If you're absolutely certain you want a toy poured in a silicone firmness we don't normally offer, drop us a message and let's chat.

A note on what these numbers actually mean: Shore hardness is measured using a flat sample of a specific size and shape, not the toy itself. Once silicone is poured into a more complex or unusual shape, the toy can feel softer or firmer than the labeled Shore value would suggest — a larger toy in Soft may feel similar to a smaller toy in Medium, for example. Pigment load and other additives can also slightly affect firmness. When we label a toy's firmness, that's the silicone we poured it with — not a guarantee of how it will measure on your trusty home durometer.

If you're not sure where to start: Softer silicone (Extra Soft, Soft) tends to feel more giving and conforms more to pressure, while firmer silicone (Medium, Firm) holds its shape and detail more distinctly and can offer more noticeable texture or rigidity, depending on the design. Softer silicone is also generally more prone to surface marks or indents over time than firmer silicone. If you're ordering your first toy from us, Medium is a reasonable default for most people — it sits in the middle of the range without leaning hard in either direction.

We're also working on offering silicone sample "pucks" so you can feel the difference between firmness options yourself before ordering - stay tuned.

If you have a specific firmness preference, feel free to reach out before ordering and we're happy to help you choose.

We work with two types of pigment:

Flat colours are skin-safe silicone pigments that produce solid, opaque colour, though used lightly they can also create a semi-translucent effect.
Mica colours use cosmetic-grade mica for a shimmering, metallic finish.

Many of our colourways combine both, layered or swirled together for added depth.

Some Flat pigments fluoresce under UV/blacklight — these are called out on our colour chart as "UV Flat" pigments.

We also offer glow-in-the-dark additives (strontium aluminate based), which charge under light exposure and emit a soft glow in the dark.

A "flop" is a toy that doesn't pass our full quality inspection but is still completely safe to use. This can include minor cosmetic issues like surface texture irregularities, small air bubbles on the base, or pigment inconsistencies - none of which affect the safety of the toy, but which don't meet our standard for a perfect cast.

Flops are sold at a discount, and the specific issue is always disclosed in the listing.

As with all of our toys, flops are final sale. That said, if you discover an issue that wasn't disclosed at the time of purchase, reach out to us and we'll make it right.

If your toy wasn't listed as a flop and arrives with a flaw, please reach out to us. We'll take a look and work something out with you.

If your toy was purchased as a flop, the disclosed issue in the listing is exactly what you're getting. We're unable to offer any remedy for a flaw that was already disclosed at the time of purchase.

For hand-painted toys, we apply details and designs directly onto the mold with a small paintbrush or other tools before pouring the rest of the silicone. The "paint" itself is silicone thickened with a skin-safe thickener, allowing it to hold fine detail without running.

Getting this technique right takes care - the painted layer and the poured silicone need to bond properly so they don't delaminate over time. Because of this added complexity, hand-painted toys are priced at a premium compared to our standard colourways.

It depends on what you mean by "custom" — here's how we handle the most common requests:

Custom colours: Yes, absolutely. Choosing your own colour combination from our pigments is standard and something we do regularly. See any of our Made To Order listings.

Custom sizing: This is more involved, since a different size means creating an entirely new master model and mold. It's not a flat no, but it's a significant undertaking and priced accordingly. If you're interested, reach out and we can talk through what it would involve.

Casting from your own anatomy: This isn't something we offer.

A toy based on your original idea: We'd love to hear it. Reach out and tell us what you're picturing. Keep in mind that taking a new concept from idea to finished mold is a long process with significant cost involved.

Producing a toy from your own 3D model: It could be possible. Reach out and we can discuss the details.

Desert Island Toys sells adult products intended for customers aged 18 and older. By entering our shop and/or placing an order, you are confirming that you meet the legal age of majority in your region. If you are under 18, please leave the shop — there's nothing here for you until you're of age.

We currently ship to Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. We're working on figuring out shipping to the EU (so many importation laws, VAT, etc. to figure out 🥵).

Basically if you get to the checkout and shipping options appear, then we ship there. If you find we don't currently have shipping configured for your country, feel free to drop us a line and we can look into what it would take to add your country.

Please note that it is your responsibility as the buyer to know whether the importation of adult products is legal in your country or region. We are not able to advise on the laws of individual countries, and we cannot be held responsible for packages that are seized or refused at customs due to local regulations. When in doubt, please research your local laws before ordering. There will be no refunds in these cases.

You'll receive an automated order confirmation email shortly after your order is placed. If you haven't received one within 24 hours, please contact us — there may have been a typo in the email address provided. We pride ourselves on our customer service, and aim to keep our customers informed about that status of their order at every step along the way.

In-stock items ship quickly, typically within the same week.

Custom or made-to-order toys are poured by hand, so they take a little longer. You can expect your toy to be poured within 1–2 weeks of ordering, though this may vary depending on our current workload.

Once your order ships, you'll receive a separate email with tracking information. All orders are shipped in discreet packaging.

Custom or made-to-order toys are poured by hand, so they take a little longer to be ready for shipping than our In Stock toys.

You can expect your toy to be poured within 1–2 weeks of ordering, though this may vary depending on our current workload. If the workload is heavy, an alternative pouring timeline will appear in the banner across the top of our site (what a nice problem to have that would be).

We do our best to represent our products accurately, but colour can vary depending on your screen's calibration and display settings. The colour you receive may differ slightly from what you see on your monitor or phone. Most customers find the in-person colour to be even nicer than what's shown in our photos, as with Mica pigments particularly it's difficult to capture the shimmer effect in a photo.

It should also be noted that the addition of glow-in-the-dark pigment, if selected, will change the colour slightly too.

If colour accuracy matters to you, reach out and we can discuss mailing you a sample swatch (this isn't free). We're also working on firmness sample pucks that could be poured in your colour of choice, so you can see — and feel — before you commit.

You should receive an automated order confirmation email shortly after your order is placed. If you haven't received one within 24 hours, please contact us — there may have been a typo in the email address provided. We pride ourselves on our customer service, and aim to keep our customers informed about that status of their order at every step along the way.

We'll pour your toy in the model, size, firmness, colours, and pour style you choose. That said, silicone has a mind of its own — even with the same colours and technique, no two pours turn out identical, so we can't guarantee the final result will match your mental image exactly.

Once your toy is finished, we'll send you photos before it ships. If you're not happy with how it turned out, we'll do one repour attempt at no extra cost. At that point, one of the two toys becomes yours — we're not able to offer further repours or refunds beyond this.

For "In Stock" toys, yes. The toy you see in the pictures is the same one you will receive if ordered. If we were ever to deviate from this it will be clearly stated on both the product photos and description that the image is just an example.

Some photos in a listing which serve more of an informational purpose may be of a completely different toy (eg. a photo showing the product dimensions may be reused for every toy of that model). In general this should be clear though, as the listing's description and the majority of the photos will be of the toy you are going to get.

For "Made to Order" toys, no, the photos are just a representation of one past pouring of the model. The whole point of a Made to Order toy is that you're going to get your very own custom beautiful toy. 😊

Yes. We take your privacy very seriously at Desert Island Toys!

After every toy is cleaned, it is heat-sealed in a bag and shipped in a plain, brown, unmarked box with no indication of what's inside or who we are. The return address name shows only "DIT" — not our full business name. Similarly, on your credit card statement, we use our initials, DIT.

For international orders, customs regulations require us to declare the contents. We declare our toys as "Silicone Sculpture." We file this declaration electronically with our shipper so that no paper copy of the customs declaration is attached to the box. That said, some countries' customs processes may add their own label or documentation which is outside of our control — but again, it will be no more descript than "Silicone Sculpture."

An example of our packaging.

Total time depends on whether your toy is an In-Stock toy or a Made-to-Order toy, plus shipping transit time once it leaves us.

In-stock items typically ship within 1-2 business days.

Made-to-order (customized) toys are typically poured within 1–2 weeks of ordering, then shipped once cured.

Shipping transit time varies depending on your location and the carrier handling your package, and is outside of our control. Once your order has shipped and you have the tracking information, any questions about delivery timing, delays, or a missing package should be directed to the carrier.

International customers assume full responsibility to pay all applicable taxes, fees, duties, VAT, or any other import/customs charges. This applies to all customers outside of Canada.

Once an order ships, Desert Island toys only has access to the same tracking information as you do, and is not responsible for issues during shipment, including but not limited to:

Delays due to customs.
Gaps in tracking information (generally once the shipment leaves Canada).
Loss in transit - Customer is responsible for filing a claim with the carrier.
Damage in transit - Customer is responsible for filing a claim with the carrier.
Theft - Customer is responsible for filing a claim with the carrier.

With regards to the customs declaration:

Our toys will be described as “Silicone Sculpture" on declarations.
We will always accurately represent the value of the shipped goods. We will never misrepresent the value of goods listed on customs forms or falsely state that they are gifts.
You are responsible for ensuring your name and shipping address are entered accurately at checkout.