On November 1, 2026 (World Vegan Day), the Associated Press published a feature on two Dutch entrepreneurs building animal-free sexual-wellness businesses. Lieke Warmoeskerken runs LieLei, a Rotterdam webshop selling erotic products that are vegan, environmentally better and ethically produced. She told the AP she spends a lot of time explaining to customers that condoms, lubricants and even vibrators can contain animal products: "You think about what you put in your mouth, so why don't you think about what you've put on your body?"

Why It Matters

"Vegan" is becoming a real purchase filter in intimate care, much as it already is in cosmetics, and it reaches into ingredient sourcing (glycerin, casein, adhesives) that most sex-toy and lube brands have never had to disclose. Larger players have started certifying, such as [pjur's Vegan Society trademark on its ORGANIC line](/stories/pjur-organic-vegan-trademark). Small DTC founders like these are using the label as a way to stand out in a crowded European market. Expect ingredient-transparency claims (vegan, phthalate-free, platinum-cure) to multiply, along with scrutiny of whether they hold up, as the [microplastics study on "phthalate-free" toys](/stories/sex-toys-microplastics-phthalate-study) showed.

The AP spells out the hidden animal inputs. Latex in condoms is sometimes softened with a milk protein. Silicone itself is vegan, but glues and dyes used in toys may not be. Glycerin in lubricants can be animal tallow-derived, and massage candles often use beeswax. Simone Kuijer, 30, started her brand Aia after using coconut oil as lube and learning it could disrupt vaginal pH and damage latex condoms. Aia is entirely vegan, sustainably sourced and made about an hour from its Amsterdam headquarters, with a plant-glycerin lubricant and a beeswax-free massage-oil candle. The AP ties the trend to Dutch diet data: a Wageningen University study shows meat consumption in the Netherlands has fallen for the second year in a row.

Sources

Update — 2026-11-01

Initial entry — story first created.