Three predictions for 2022 from Unbound CEO Polly Rodriguez.

As part of our ongoing Future of Sex Expert series, Polly Rodriguez, CEO and Co-founder of sexual wellness company Unbound, shares her predictions for the sex tech industry in 2022.

Product safety and consumer protection

With the recent passing of ISO 3533, I think the majority of the industry is genuinely excited to see formalized standards when it comes to vibrator, dildo, and insertable products’ materials and manufacturing processes.

Having this standard is an amazing first step that will continue to hold manufactures and retailers accountable when making claims around body-safe materials. Now that the ISO standard is instituted, I’m hopeful that brands will continue to do the work of educating consumers on the vital importance of using body-safe materials.

Sexual wellness as part of the beauty vertical in mainstream retail

As the category continues to erode the taboos that have plagued it (and wrongly so) for far too long, we’re seeing mainstream beauty retailers start to build out their wellness vertical, within the more traditional vertical of beauty and makeup, to include vibrators, lubricants, and accessories.

I think this is an amazing shift in both finally accepting the category as part of a holistic definition of wellness, but also because of what it says about the definition of beauty—that beauty is inclusive of wellness, and sexual wellness is an important component of overall wellbeing. 

But still the industry faces massive hurdles and barriers

I don’t foresee the supply chain issues getting easier any time soon, with shipping and freight forwarding continuing to double and triple in both timeline and cost. In addition to supply chain woes, we still face the unwavering discrimination of not allowing sexual wellness brands to advertise or even exist on the majority of social platforms.

I’m hopeful that if we continue to raise our voices that we’ll eventually see change, but it’s disheartening to still see sexual wellness accounts shut down on social media every single day. 

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