Intimate Lubricant Options
A good intimate lubricant enhances your sexual experience, but there’s often a considerable stigma attached to its use. We’re here to dispel the myths around this essential component for a healthy sex life, and how it can help improve vaginal wellness.
Your vagina doesn’t self-lubricate on cue despite what we are led to believe. As you move into menopause, your natural vaginal moisture decreases due to hormonal shifts. Plus, sex toys and condoms require lubrication to avoid painful play and uncomfortable intercourse.
Our goal is to help women experience improved sexual function, and increased vaginal lubrication. Now that you know why lubrication is your friend, we’ll go through the different types of lubes available and who they work best for.
Women’s Intimate Health: What Types of Lubrication Should I Try?
Water-Based Lubricant
Most water-based lubes contain purified water, glycerin (provides slipperiness), and preservatives. Due to the glycerin, this lube is prone to becoming sticky after the water is absorbed or evaporates. You can reactivate the slipperiness by spraying a cool mist of water in your intimate areas (which is pretty fun). Water-based lubrication is safe for sex toys and condoms.
Silicone-Based Lubricant
If you tend to enjoy longer sessions between the sheets, a good silicone-based lube will be your best friend. This type of lube is the longest lasting as it doesn’t absorb in the skin. The larger silicone molecules stay on top of the skin to create a nice slick, lasting layer of protection. Most silicone lubricants are condom safe, but it’s always good to check the label. One caveat is silicone lubes are not compatible with silicone toys, so don’t mix the two.
Oil-Based Lubricant
Oil-based lubricants work great all over the skin. So if you want to move from massage to intercourse, oils work well. Certain food-based oils like coconut oil are great for intimate play. Though they last a long time, oil-based lubricant isn’t condom-friendly and may cause infection. We recommend doing a small test to see if you react before going all in.
Flavored Intimate Lubricant
Your vagina is naturally flavored, but flavored lubes invite something new to the bedroom. Though these lubes can be fun, we caution against using artificial ingredients that may offset your natural pH and lubricants made with sugar, as this can be counterproductive to your vaginal wellness. We recommend finding other ways to spice up the bedroom without the risk of vaginal irritation that may dampen your sex life for a while.
Ingredients to Watch Out For In Vaginal Lubricants
Some ingredients may cause more harm than good when it comes to vaginal health. Check the ingredient labels of your lubricant before applying it to sensitive vaginal tissue.
- Petroleum or petroleum-based ingredients
- Parabens
- Phenoxyethanol
- Propylene glycol
Women prone to irritation and infection may react to glycerin or silicone. We always recommend testing ingredients before using them during intimate play. After you find the perfect lube, have fun with it. Warm it up, pour it on and experiment with different ways to incorporate lube into your sexual pleasure.
