Let’s talk about sex, baby.  No, not really, but let’s talk about sustainable, fair trade, nontoxic condoms.  Recently, I connected with Meika Hollender of Sustain, (her father, Jeffrey Hollender, founded the eco-friendly household product brand Seventh Generation) and she enlightened me on the subject of safer safe sex.

Here is what I learned:

• Did you know that most condom brands sold in the U.S. contain carcinogens called nitrosamines?  In 2010, the World Health Organization and the UN Population Fund called on condom makers to address this toxic risk, but their call to action fell on deaf ears.  Today, Sustain is one of two condom manufacturers that is free of any detectable nitrosamines.  They are also vegan and are never tested on animals.
• Sustain only uses natural, Fair Trade latex from one of the most sustainable rubber tree plantations on the planet.  It is located in southern India, and it’s banned child labor and provides a community of 180 rubber tappers and their families with higher wages, education and healthcare.
• This rubber plantation is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, which is the gold standard in sustainability.  It means that indigenous rights, the local ecology, water resources and the long-term well-being of adjacent communities are all supported and protected.

Girl Power: another awesome thing about Sustain is that while their end-consumer is male, their target market is female.  Why?  Women influence over 70% of condom purchases, but account for just 40% of sales.  They report feeling awkward or embarrassed when buying safe-sex essentials.  Sustain’s message, product and packaging is one that women can feel comfortable with.  Now, we can all breathe easy in the checkout line; the packaging basically looks like that of breath mints.

I also love that Sustain has made a commitment to women everywhere.  They donate 10% of their pre-tax profits to organizations focused on increasing access to reproductive healthcare and family planning in the U.S. (think The Breast Cancer Fund and Planned Parenthood).

Buying condoms might not be on my mind on a daily basis, but now that I know the facts, I know which brand that Bare Beauty will endorse going forward.  You can purchase Sustain at FreshDirect, Earthfare, Harris Teeter, Amazon and most major pharmacies nationwide, and of course, on their website.

You may now get back to your regularly scheduled Summer lovin’.

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