Crystal Dildos & Yoni Eggs

Get Educated About Natural Stone Sex Toys

Natural stone and crystal sex toys such as jade eggs (yoni eggs), rose quartz, black obsidian, and even amethyst dildos are made by brands such as Le Wand and Chakrubs. They are often sought out not just for sexual pleasure but for healing and spiritual power as well. However, there has been a great deal of debate surrounding whether they are safe to use. This natural stone sex toy guide will address some of those concerns so that you can determine if they are right for you.

Most people know about rose quartz dildos and other natural stones used to create stone sex toys, but not everyone knows what a yoni egg is (often referred to as jade eggs), and there is confusion about its origins.

What Are Yoni Eggs?

Yoni is a Sanskrit word meaning source or womb, so essentially, these are vagina eggs. They are never to be used anally as they would easily be unretrievable as there is nothing to stop them from traveling up the rectum. Women have long used yoni eggs by inserting a stone egg (often made of jade, quartz, or obsidian) to increase the strength of pelvic floor muscles (the group of muscles that support the vaginal floor, uterus, and rectum) by holding onto the weight of the egg using those muscles. Also, see our How To Do Kegel Exercises and How To Use Kegel Weights guides.

How Long Have Yoni Eggs Been Used?

Many sellers of yoni eggs claim they date back to over 5,000 years ago to ancient China, where the first women to use them were concubines who used them to strengthen their vaginal muscles and make their sexual allure more irresistible to men. However, the length of time they have been around has been debated. Despite claims that jade yoni eggs were used thousands of years ago in China, a 2019 study that searched online databases of four major Chinese art and archeology collections in the United States found no evidence of jade yoni eggs. The origins and how long they have been around remain undetermined.

Why Yoni Eggs Are Used

They are used vaginally for a variety of reasons. Mainly to increase the strength of their pelvic floor muscles. The point of increasing the strength of the pelvic floor muscles is to:

• Increase the intensity of orgasms
• Increase the internal vaginal grip during penetrative sex
• Reduce the chances or symptoms of incontinence (urinary leakage)
• Reduce the risk of uterine prolapse
• Provide vaginal restoration after childbirth

Some also claim that yoni eggs can soothe menstrual cramps, balance hormones, and reduce symptoms associated with PMS. In addition, some people believe that there is a spiritual component of the stones that provide healing or positive energy to the wearer. Some even claim that it increases sexual energy, helps heal emotional trauma, and connects them to their feminine power.

They are often suggested to be put inside the vagina for a few minutes to hours. The longer you have them in, the more chance bacteria may build inside the vagina, so it may be wise to insert them for short periods. In addition, creating too much pelvic floor tension can create excess strain on the muscles.

Stone Sex Toy & Yoni Egg Critics

Microabrasions & Microtears Concerns

Critics of stone sex toys have indicated that they might cause microabrasions or microtears. They claim that these stones are porous, which is not entirely accurate; this is covered in more detail later in this article. It is true that a stone sex toy or yoni egg may cause microabrasions or microtears, but so can any sex toy, tampon, fingers, penis, or anything put into the vagina without enough lubricant.

Bacterial Build Up Concerns

How clean something is when inserted into the vagina is an essential factor that brings us to the next concern expressed by critics of yoni eggs. They worry that yoni eggs can introduce bacteria into the vagina, but again this is also true for any sex toy, penis, fingers, tampon, etc.

If you are immunocompromised or have other health pre-existing health conditions that could make you more sensitive to bacteria, mold, or fungi, then using a sex toy that is made of solid metal, glass or silicone may be a better choice for you as those are entirely nonporous.

Toxic Shock Syndrom (TSS) & Bacterial Vaginosis Concerns

Claims of Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS) and bacterial vaginosis are unsubstantiated; no data indicates this as a likelihood. However, common sense dictates that long-term, extended use or misuse of these products may increase one's chances, but that would be true of a tampon or menstrual cup as well.

Cleaning & Care Concerns

Regarding health risks, there are factors to consider, such as how long an item is in the vagina, how clean it is, and its porosity. Manufacturers of these stone sex toys say that it is more a matter of being educated enough to know how to use a sex toy properly, meaning that there is ample lubrication and that you take precautions to disinfect your sex toy by cleaning it and using it properly.

Length Of Time In The Vagina Concerns

It should be noted that putting anything in your vagina for too long is not healthy and should be avoided. This includes menstrual cups, tampons, and any sex toy. That is why we provide helpful sex toy guides on properly cleaning sex toys as well as information on how to use them while making your health a priority.

There are risks to anything inside a vagina (including a penis or fingers) that can introduce harmful bacteria that can cause infections. The truth is that there are no studies; there is nothing that we can look to other than the personal experiences shared by the women who use them.

Below are some safety precautions you can take should you decide to use one:

• Use yoni eggs that have a string on the bottom to allow you to retrieve it after it is inserted more easily.
  
  
• Start with a smaller-sized egg and move up to large eggs only when you feel ready. If the egg causes discomfort once inserted, it is most likely too large.
  
  
• Disinfect the yoni egg after each use and store it in a cool, dry place.
  
  
• Use lubricant when inserting a yoni egg by putting the lubricant on your vaginal opening as well as the yoni egg. You can use any type of lubricant with a stone sex toy as it will not damage the toy. However, be aware that oil lubricants can hold on to bacteria longer. See our Lubricant Guide for more information.
  
  
• Inspect your yoni egg before using it each time to ensure that it has not cracked, chipped, or degraded in any way.
  
  
• Do not use it for more than 20 minutes at a time, and do not sleep with it inside you.
  
  
• Do keep them in the vagina during penetrative sex play. It can cause injury and risk infections.

Pelvic Floor Tension Concerns

Critics of yoni eggs are also concerned about too much tension caused by them, which may be a concern to factor into the risks. It is crucial to understand that proper pelvic floor training requires the contracting and relaxing of the Kegel muscles. If you continuously contract the pelvic floor muscles for too long by using a yoni egg, you may inadvertently be causing too much tension in them.

Symptoms With Pelvic Floor Tension:

• Constipation
• Pelvic region pain
• Pain during vaginal penetration
• Pelvic floor muscle spasms
• Lower back and abdominal pain

Porosity Of Crystals & Natural Stone Sex Toys

With crystal sex toys, many wonder if crystals like rose quartz, jade, and amethyst are porous. This concern is because pores in sex toys create places for bacteria, mold, fungi, etc., to grow. It does not matter if a material is natural like stone or synthetic like silicone; porosity is a factor in properly cleaning and using a sex toy.

The Simple Porosity Answer

Crystals like rose quartz, jade, and amethyst are nonporous in that they will not allow bodily fluids and lubricants, to pass through them, but they do have tiny pores on the surface that could collect moisture, harbor bacteria, fungi, and mold, etc. However, if there are any pores, they are typically so small, it is unlikely they would harbor much if anything.

Other crystals may be porous or have "closed porosity," meaning that pores lay on the stone's surface but would be very difficult for bacteria to seep through to the center. With proper quality standards from a reputable manufacturer, a quality inspection is done to ensure the smoothness of the stone.

To err on the side of caution, it is always a good idea to clean them carefully in between uses, and a practical option is to use a condom over them, especially if shared with a partner while practicing safe sex.

The More Advanced Porosity Answer

While the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) indicates that stones such as rose quartz, jade, and amethyst are typically nonporous because they're single-crystal materials, this does not mean they do not have pores. The definition of a single-crystal implies that the stone is continuous and unbroken with no grain boundaries. In terms of a crystal or stones, porosity is the collective space between the grains of sediments regarding how much water can be held within them. However, many factors can affect how porous a stone is, and the truth is that the answer to whether or not the stones are porous is an ambiguous phrase because they do have pores but are not considered porous.

Are Crystal Dildos Safe For Your Vagina?

Similar fears are expressed by critics of yoni eggs regarding stone sex toys which are primarily crystal dildos. The same concerns around bacteria and porosity of the crystal dildos come up in articles across the web with a great deal of emotive language, which is wording that is intended to create an emotional response in people. The articles often use words like "deadly" or refer to bacteria as "gross little critters."

There are health concerns, and they should be addressed, as well as safety precautions that should be adhered to should these products be used. However, it is more ethical to simply present factual information than emotionally charged writing when discussing health.

Buy Stone Sex Toys From A Reputable Brand

Stone sex toys may be prone to chipping or flaking, so buying from a reputable source where only quality stones are sold is worth it. Also, only buy stones manufactured by companies that ensure they only source conflict-free stones and that their harvesting has a minimal environmental impact.

How To Use A Stone Sex Toy

Most stone sex toys can be used externally and internally. They are typically cold when you first pick them up, so you can warm them by holding them next to your skin before inserting them. You can use any type of lubricant with them, although oils can hold onto bacteria in the vagina longer, so something to keep in mind. For more information on lubricants, see our Types of Lubricant Guide and How To Use Lubricants Guide.

It is important to lubricate both the opening of the vagina and the stone sex toy before inserting it to prevent microtears from pulling on fragile vaginal tissue.

Warming & Cooling Your Stone Sex Toy

You may warm up your stone sex toy with your body heat, but it is not recommended that you heat it or freeze it as the stone can crack with sudden temperature shifts. It is not recommended to boil a stone dildo to clean it either.

Quench Crackling Stone Dildos & Yoni Eggs

If your sex toy has gone through quench crackling (many do not) to make it look more fractured, it can change the solidity of the stone. Quench cracking gives the appearance of cracks throughout the stone, making it sparkle more when in light. Sometimes dyes are added to the water the stone is placed in, allowing the color to go inside to create a richer color.

The quartz stone is heated to 1832 - 2192 degrees Fahrenheit for 3-4 hours and then put into cold water to achieve quench crackling. The sudden temperature change creates cracking in the stone. Once the cracks are made, they can be filled using a polymer to seal them. If they do not, they will be much more porous and may have surface cracks that can easily harbor bacteria, mold, fungi, etc.

How To Clean Stone Dildos & Yoni Eggs

Manufacturers say to clean their products by using sex toy cleaners or antibacterial soap to wash them. You should not boil them. It is essential to store them in a cool, dry place to breathe so that bacteria, mold, or fungi do not grow on their surface in between uses.

Spiritual & Energetic Use Of Stone Sex Toys

Some people use crystals for spiritual sex, which include receiving vibrational energy from the crystal. For those who use it for this purpose, it is typically recommended that you cleanse it prior to use in water or sea salt-infused water and hold the intention to remove all energy from others that have previously handled your stone sex toy. This is done to remove any negative energy it may hold. You can also use the smoke of dried sage to cleanse it or sage it. To charge it with positive energy (ground it), you may lay it in sunlight or moonlight to charge it.

In Closing

Using sex toys responsibly can be pleasurable and healthy. Make sure as a consumer that you understand any health concerns regarding sexual products that you use and consider your personal health issues when you factor in whether a sex toy is suitable for you. For more helpful information make sure to see our Toxic Sex Toys Guide.