Lubricants have pros and cons. Water-based ones are good for sensitive skin. Silicone and oil-based ones last longer but can damage toys and condoms. Natural options like olive oil can be used but also come with potential risks.
A quick look at the best lubes
- Best water-based lube: Blossom Organics Natural Moisturizing Lubricant
- Best silicone-based lube: Wet Platinum Pure Silicone Lubricant
- Best oil-based lube: AH! YES OB Plant-Oil Based Personal Lubricant
- Best natural lube: Aloe Cadabra Personal Lubricant & Moisturizer
- When it comes to sex, no matter what you enjoy, you can usually play by the rule: the wetter, the better. This logic works, well, fluidly when it comes to lube, because wetter is exactly what you’re getting.
And if you associate lube with vaginal dryness only, it’s time to step out of the box. Instead, think less friction, smoother skin, and all around better sex — no matter your gender, age, or stage in life.
In fact, according to a 2009 Indiana University study of 2,453 women, participants reported that, more than 70 percent of the time, lube made sex more pleasurable and enjoyable.
Carli Blau, LMSW, a sex and relationship therapist in New York City, confirms that “needing a lubricant does not mean that you’re not interested in your partner.”
So let’s get rid of the idea that lubrication is the only indication of arousal, and let’s start trusting our partner’s words.
Think of lube as encouragement to your bits — or a way to save time, because you were supposed to be out the door 5 minutes ago. Here’s the before-play to foreplay with lube.
What is lube, anyway?
Personal lubricant, or “lube,” is a liquid or gel that’s intended to prevent unwanted friction during sex.
You can use it for many types of sex, including penetrative and anal sex, as well as masturbation. Some types are also safe to use with toys.
Our Vagina makes its natural fluid or natural lubricant. The fluid keeps the vagina elastic and healthy. When women are sexually aroused, their vagina produces extra fluid. This fluid helps to reduce friction and makes putting anything into the vagina easy and comfortable. This also helps make sex feel more pleasurable.
When the vagina does not produce enough fluid, it causes vaginal dryness. In normal times, the hormone Estrogen helps the vagina stay lubricated. This keeps the lining healthy and elastic. When the Estrogen levels drop, it can bring in vaginal dryness. Stress, anxiety, and certain medications can also contribute to intimate dryness.
Dryness in the Vagina over time can cause pain, burning, itching, and may lead to a higher chance of getting an infection in your vagina as well as a higher chance of getting an infection in your Urinary tract (this includes your urethra, bladder, kidney). It’s important to keep your vagina moist, even if you are not having sex.
What is a lubricant?
Vaginal lubricants help to enhance your vagina’s natural moisture. Vaginal lubricants are commonly referred to as personal lubricants, body glide, sexual lubricants, and lube.
Why use a lubricant?
Using a vaginal lubricant helps in the following. It reduces friction, increases sexual pleasure, reduces the risk of STIs and improves effectiveness of a condom by preventing tears.
Types of Lubricants-
Water-based Lubricant: Water-based lubricants are the most common type of sexual lubricants. They can also be used to make it easier to insert dilators or tampons into your vagina. These are also the easiest kind of lubricants to find in a store.
Water-based lubricants are the best option to use with condoms, diaphragms (a cup-shaped device inserted into the vagina to prevent pregnancy), rubber dams (a small thin rubber or latex sheet used as a barrier to help prevent sexually transmitted infections during oral sex), other barrier ways of preventing pregnancy and infection. Water-based lubricants come in liquids, gels, and lotion options. They can safely be used with vibrators and other sex toys.
Silicone-based Lubricant: A Silicone-based lubricant stays slippery much longer than a water-based lubricant. This is because, unlike water, silicone does not dry up in the air, absorb into the skin, absorb into the bloodstream. It stays on the surface of your body and inside your vagina, making it last longer.
Silicone-based lubricants can be used during sexual pleasuring (including penetrative sex) and for massage. It can be applied to any part on the body that you want to caress or massage. A Silicone-based lubricant is a good option for women who have sensitive skin. Silicone is hypoallergenic (will not cause allergies). In those who often get yeast infections,this is a good alternative .. Silicone will not change the pH level in the urinary tract (urethra, bladder, kidney), so it does not increase your chance of getting a urinary tract infection.
Oil-based Lubricant: Oil stays moist and slippery for a long time because it does not absorb easily into your skin. They are also useful to use for manual stimulation (sexual stroking using the hand and fingers) of the penis and clitoris. Manual stimulation with a lubricant often feels very good for both men and women. Oil based lubricants however can degrade latex and reduce the efficacy of condoms and other latex protection. It is not advisable to be used with them. Many oil-based products are very hard to wash off or to flush out of your body. Synthetic oils can stay in your vagina for days.
This can change the pH (acid) level in your Vagina, making it easier for germs to grow. It can lead to infections in your vagina and urinary tract. One example of synthetic oil is petroleum jelly (Vaseline). Natural oils (e.g. natural coconut or almond oils) are often safe to use inside your Vagina as they are easier for the body to clear, but they should not be used with latex condoms or sex toys.
Fertility-friendly lubricants: Fertility-friendly Lubricant is a high-quality lubricant that mimics fertile cervical fluids to support sperm on their journey. Unlike most other lubricants, the fertility-friendly lubricant is pH-balanced and isotonic, so sperm can swim freely. Fertility-friendly should be sulfate and paraben free and glycerine free or ones that don’t have high viscosity.
One should always make sure that one is adequately lubricated during sexual intercourse, to prevent trauma to the lining of the vagina or urethra and also prevent infection. Certain products are natural that are great lubricants including jojoba, coconut oil, and aloe. A vitamin E suppository may be an additional option.
The use of lubricants is a matter of personal choice. The right lubricant can prevent pain and injury, and minimize the chance of condom breakage. To avoid a cold shock, squeeze the lube onto your hands first. Rub them together, and then apply to your body. You can warm your lube in a mug of hot water. If you’re prone to yeast infections stay away from lubricants with glycerine and avoid using flavored, pre lubricated condoms in your vagina. The compound can irritate the Vagina and kill good bacteria, triggering an infection. If you’re trying to conceive, look for a lubricant that says it’s ‘fertility-friendly’ on its packaging.
Research shows lubricants are used by approximately one in four couples during procreative intercourse. Lubricant use does appear to vary by female age and education level among pregnancy planners.
How To Apply Lube
You can apply any amount of lube to your or your partner’s vagina, penis, or anus. No matter where you place lube, it will help reduce any friction. This can make sex more pleasurable and alleviate any pain you may experience during sex from dryness or friction.1 Also, consider the following:
- Apply the lube where needed. If you’re using condoms or a sex toy, apply non-oil-based lube to the latex condom, dental dam, diaphragm, or sex toy (make sure to skip silicone-based with silicone toys, too).
- Communicate what you like with your partner. This can help you decide where to use lube and how much works for you.
- Use lube to make sex comfortable. You or your partner may be experiencing vaginal dryness due to hormonal changes from menopause, for example. You might also enjoy anal sex but lack lubrication and could experience anal pain or tearing. In either case, lube can add the needed lubrication for comfortable sex.
Use With Condoms
Using lube with condoms may help decrease your chances of contracting STIs because it allows for less friction that can tear or break a condom.1 However, you must pick the right lube or risk damaging the condom.
Oil-based lubes should never be used with latex condoms. Stick to a water-based lubricant or silicone lube when using barrier protection made with latex.4 Avoid using oil-based lubes with non-latex polyisoprene condoms made of isoprene rubber. Oil can weaken this material as well.
If you use non-latex synthetic condoms made of polyurethane or natural membrane condoms made of lambskin, it is safe to use oil-based, water-based, and silicone lubricants.
Use for Oral Sex
You can use lube for oral sex, but you’ll want to check your lube to see if it’s safe to ingest. Although getting poisoned from a personal lubricant is unlikely, avoiding ingredients like lidocaine and benzocaine is best. You may also deal with nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea if you ingest an oil-based lube; some lubes may taste bad.
Use for Solo Sex
Lubricants can be an excellent addition for solo masturbation. It’s all about decreasing friction and increasing the glide, making self-love more wet, slippery, and pleasurable.
Applying any personal lubricant will help make masturbation slicker and faster. This is also an opportunity to use oil-based lubes since you don’t have to worry about condoms breaking down. A nice bonus is that you can use oil-based lubes to self-massage other areas.
If you’re using a sex toy, stick to water-based lubes to help increase the slip without increasing your risk of infections from bacteria due to toy breakdown. If you’re not using toys, choose the lube you like best.
Products and Ingredients To Avoid
Petroleum jelly is a thick, petroleum-based gel used to moisturize the skin that some might think of using as a personal lubricant.6 However, that should be avoided.
One study of 141 women found that those who applied petroleum jelly inside their vagina were more likely to get bacterial vaginosis.9 Other petroleum-based oils like mineral and baby oil can also cause vaginal irritation.
International Society for Sexual Medicine.
What is a lubricant?
Within products that are strictly used for lube, there are still ingredients you may want to consider avoiding, such as:
- Chlorhexidine Gluconate: A chemical that harmed “good” and “bad” vaginal bacteria and healthy cells in a lab setting. This could translate to a greater risk of bacterial infections like bacterial vaginosis.
- Glycerin: A sugar-alcohol added to water-based lubes to help them retain moisture and give them a thicker texture. The ingredient may negatively affect the “good” and “bad” organisms in the vagina. Research has also shown that high concentrations of the ingredient reduce the skin barrier and damage vaginal tissue.
- Nonoxynol-9: A type of spermicide—a chemical that kills sperm—that some lubes might have. The chemical can be irritating and disrupt good vaginal bacteria.
- Parabens: A type of preservative that may disrupt bacteria and healthy cells in the vagina
- Propylene Glycol: A preservative that’s a common allergen and can irritate sensitive skin. Similar to glycerin, studies have shown it damages vaginal tissue and can reduce the skin barrier.
A Quick Review
Lube can also be a great addition to your sex life, even if you’re not experiencing pain or dryness. Adding more glide to partnered sex, mutual masturbation, or solo sessions can make sex pleasurable. As a bonus, using lube also reduces your risk of contracting STIs when used with condoms.
Remember that oil-based lubes should not be used with condoms or sex toys. Silicone-based lubes will also break down silicone surfaces and should be avoided with most sex toys. Also, look on the box for ingredients that may irritate your genitals before buying any lube.