Celebrate Earth Day Every Day With Eco-Friendly Sex Tips
In addition to our fundraiser for Climate Ride and our feature on eco-friendly sex toys this month, we’re hosting several events in our stores in New York City and Seattle to share tips on how to green your sex life. We were especially excited to welcome Stefanie Iris Weiss, the author of Eco-Sex: Go Green Between the Sheets and Make Your Love Life Sustainable. Lucky customers got to meet her at an event at Babeland SoHo on April 19th and to hear her helpful tips about how to be eco-friendly in the bedroom.
Tell us about where you got the inspiration for you book, Eco-Sex: Go Green between the Sheets and Make Your Love Life Sustainable.
I was inspired to write Eco-Sex when I noticed a trend amongst my "greenest" friends -- they were doing the eco thing in every arena except their sex lives. They were recycling, buying local, talking about global warming, but they were still using lubes with parabens, and had old, phthalate-ridden sex toys. I wanted to deepen the discussion about the links between our health and the environment by bringing that awareness to our most intimate lives. This is something, sadly, that many people still aren't comfortable discussing. I also felt that more fun and pleasure were desperately needed in the enviro-space. It's kind of dire for the Earth right now, and sustainability advocates can be a bit dry and take themselves too seriously. If we're going to do this incredibly important work, we need to enjoy life, too!
In your opinion, what is the sexiest thing about Eco-Sex?
For me, Eco-Sex begins with your relationship to your own body -- what you put on it and in it. When you begin to develop consciousness about the personal care products you use--the stuff you slather on your skin-- you develop a deeper sensual connection to yourself. So Eco-Sex starts when you wake up in the morning and confront yourself in the mirror. Dedicating a bit of extra time to your health by making that holistic connection can massively improve your sex life. It makes you love and respect your body, and forces you to slow down. When you bring that added dose of sensuality and consciousness to the bedroom, it's pretty amazing.
What are your favorite eco-sexy toys?
Jimmyjane toys are my absolute faves! First of all, they're like beautiful sculptures. I always say that my Jimmyjane toys are best kept on top of the nightstand as art, not hidden away in the drawer. You'll want to show these babies off. Also, Jimmyjane has the highest standards when it comes to health and sustainability. All their (beautiful) design is done in-house and they only use the healthiest materials, like body-safe silicone.
What is your idea of a perfect eco-sexy date?
I like to start dates first thing in the morning -- long before meeting up. I make it into a whole Cleopatra-ritual from washing my face in the morning until the date itself. Cooking a vegan meal for your lover is hot, especially when you're using gorgeous, organic, locally-sourced produce. And definitely sneak some aphrodisiacs into your recipes to heighten the experience. In NYC, we're lucky, because most of our dates have the eco-imprimatur; we don't drive -- we take the train or walk. There are so many lovely eco-friendly, vegan restaurants in the city right now. Two of my faves are Pure Food and Wine and Candle 79 -- very sexy. And for first dates, Cocoa V in Chelsea is cute and romantic.
What is your top tip for greening your sex life?
Get into coconut oil -- it's a multi-purpose elixir that you can use all over your body. First of all, just smelling it makes you want to have sex. It's also a beautiful moisturizer, hair oil, makeup remover, and massage oil. And you can also put it in your smoothie. Just don't use it with a latex condom because it will cause it to degrade.
Sex Tips to Stay Green with Stefanie Iris Weiss
