These days there seem to be a never ending array of different brands
and types of lubricants out there. If you dont know what you're looking for it
can be a daunting task walking in to the shop and seeing the selection.
What to choose?
This is especially difficult if you're sensitive.
I'm going to give you the lubricant low down so that the next time you stop in for
some lube you can feel confident and find just what you're looking for.
There are 4 main types of lubricants, each with their own variations.
I'm going to explain the differences between them.
Oil Based Lubricants
(This includes anything oil based. Whether it's oil based lubricant, massage oil, hand lotions & creams,
natural oils like coconut oil or almond oil - ANYTHING oil based - whether
it's made for intimate use or not)
- Anything oil based should not be used internally. It is great for external use only - such as hand jobs, massage, mutual masterbation, rolling around on a dollar store shower curtain etc. As long as it doesn't go inside, oil based is great. There are a few reasons for this that I'll explain.
- Oil based anything will eat away and weaken condoms, opening the gates to unplanned pregnancy and STI's.
- Oil based anything will also deteriorate any toys you may be using unless it is a hard plastic, glass or steel toy.
- During and after intercourse, the inside of the vagina is covered in microscopic tears. Since oil is not water soluble, it doesn't easily leave the vagina either. You know what sticks to the oil, bothering those little tears? Bacteria. So many women get little infections here and there and dont know why.... This is a common reason. A lot of people will use oils because they are "natural" (almond and coconut oils for example) but it's one of those "when good products turn bad" kind of moments.
- So please - Keep oils for external play like massage or jacking off only!
We don't sell oil based lubricants in the shop I work in for the reasons above.
Water Based Lubricants
Water based lubes are the safest and most versatile on the market.
There are many - literally hundreds of different types (I will go over the most common in a moment)
and all water based lubricants are safe with condoms, all kinds of toys & vibrators,
safe to use internally and even can come flavored!
Some people are sensitive to some ingredients in water based lubricants, so I will
go over what that is and the ingredients so keep away from.
Are you sensitive to some lubes? Have you ever had a reaction to a lubricant
that has caused an awful burning sensation or yeast infection?
If so, read on!
Animal Based Glycerin Ingredient
- Lower grade lubricants contain an animal based glycerin to give it it's slickness. These are typically the cheaper lubes, since it is a cheaper ingredient over the alternatives for the company. (Lube is definitely a "you get what you pay for" product).
- Unfortunately, animal based glycerin bothers a whopping 40% of women, causing that awful burning sensation, ruining the moment right at the worst time possible!
- If you have experienced this problem in the past, or have never used a lube before, I would either stick to glycerin free products or go with a higher grade plant based glycerin ingredient. Unfortunately though, for the most part, the person helping you at most counters dont know the difference, nor do they care (which is what makes Doctor Love so great - We know what were talking about!) and it very rarely says what type of glycerin is being used on the label. It usually just says GLYCERIN. If the person at the counter doesnt know what their talking about and you're not quite sure, stick to glycerin free.
Plant Based Glycerin Ingredient
- Plant based glycerin is a little more expensive than the animal based type, so typically these lubricants are a bit more expensive. It bothers far less women, sitting at 10 - 15% but still manages to bother quite a few. Most of the time people who are bothered by Plant based glycerin are very sensitive and usually have other allergies as well.
- There are quite a few nice lubricant brands that use plant based glycerin, some being very popular.
Some popular and nice higher grade water based lube using
plant based glycerin are:
Jo
I would have to say this is one of the most popular lubricant brands, they make a huge
variety of different types of lubricants from Glycerin free, silicone based lubricants, anal lubricants,
PH balanced and more. They are a trusted higher end brand and carries a lubricant for
every need. They even have a flavored line! However, they all include plant based glycerin unless
otherwise noted on the bottle, so if you are really sensitive do be careful which one you choose.
I do find Jo brand to be on the thinner side which makes it a little less tacky but more drippy
as well.
Another top brand that uses higher grade plant based lubricant is:
ID
ID also carries a wide range of lube types including "Millenium" which is their silicone line,
"Pleasure" which is their tingling lubricant, "Sensation" their warming lube line and "Glide" - which is their
regular water based lubricant. They have 2 lines of flavored lubricant -
"ID Juicy Lube" & "Fruitopia" which are quite different from each other but will explain that later on.
They have a few others but the main idea here is that they use plant based glycerin
opposed to animal based.
I do find ID brand to be a little on the thicker side, some people like a thicker lube since
it isnt as messy and for anal sex the thickness provides more of a cushion and is
more comfortable for some. I do find though, the thicker the lube, the tackier it gets so do
keep that in mind when lube shopping too! Dont be afraid to tip the bottles and
have a good look at the consistency while you are shopping around as well!
O' My
This is another popular brand, actually a lot of my more sensitive clients say that their
Doctors have recommended O' My 's "Natural" lubricant brand. It definitely is not the most natural
product out there, but it is vegan and it does contain plant based glycerin - for the more sensitive people
I would not recommend any products using any form of glycerin since it still bothers some.
However, if plant based glycerin doesn't bother you it really is a nice lube. They also have a very popular
clitoral stimulation gel as well.
O'My does have a flavored lubricant line, the flavors are very yummy!
Of course there are many more but I would say that in the store I work at anyways, these
are the most popular of the higher grade water based lubricants that use plant based glycerin.
Glycerin Free Lubricant Brands
For the most sensitive this is definitely the direction to go in. Even though I am not sensitive, I personally
prefer to stay away from common irritants either way myself. There are 3 great lube brands
all that I can highly recommend and I find are the LEAST tacky or sticky.
We will start with my absolute favorite and the lubricant that I personally use:
Pink Water
I Love Love Love this lube. I find it is the least tacky of any that I have come across and I
really like the bottle. Because it has a double locking pump, you can have it right on the bed with
you and you can accidentally roll on it and it wont make a mess!
(I have some issues with dryness so I like to have my lube bottle within reach)
Pink water is specially formulated for women and contains aloe vera and vitamin E which is
wonderful - As you may have read above, before and after intercourse the vagina is
covered in microscopic tears. The aloe helps to heal those up double time and the vitamin E helps
to soften and hydrate the skin. A very small number of people have an allergy to aloe, however this is
rare and usually something that you already know since it is a common ingredient in many products.
Pink has other lubes including a silicone line, a warming line, cream hybrid (half water, half silicone)
and a toy lube as well. This is the lube that I usually recommend to almost everyone.
Gun Oil
Gun oil is similar to Pink and actually owned by the same company. It is geared towards men but
also contains aloe and vitamin E. Gun oil adds a few other ingredients though, including ginseng and guarana to increase blood flow. These ingredients are not only beneficial to men, but women also.
The bottle is different and more appealing to men, it doesn't have a pump bottle but a flip cap
instead, some people prefer that but I like the pump style better. You can get a pump in the larger sized bottles, 16oz and 32oz but really, if you prefer the Gun Oil but want the pump bottle you can purchase
travel zized pump bottles from any dollar store or Wal Mart.
As with most of the other brands, Gun Oil is available in hybrids & silicone based as well.
Last but certainly not least, the cleanest of all lubes:
Water Slide
This is what I would recommend for people that seem to be allergic to almost everything - including Aloe.
Water Slide literally has only 3 ingredients: water and two plants - that's it.
Surprisingly enough, with so few ingredients it is quite slick and effective, totally vegan as well.
This is the purest of pure and if you are about all natural this is the lube for you!
I am quite surprised that Doctors recommend O'My brand over Water Slide with it's llack of chemical ingredients. One of the plants used in Water Slide is Carrageenan extract (red algae seaweed) which is natures microbicide, recent in-vitro studies are promising, showing that carrageenan actually inhibits HPV (Human Papillomavirus). Carrageenan has yet to be studied on humans but it's looking good.
So there's my round up of the nicest and most popular water based lubes, next up lets talk about the last main type - Silicone.
Silicone Based Lubricants
I do really like silicone based lubes and you can find them in all of the good brands above except for Water Slide and O'My. My personal favorite of course being the Pink brand.
There are pros and cons in using silicone based lubricants as they can only be used for certain things but I will start with the pros
Pros of using silicone based lubricant:
- Silicone based lubricant does not contain any sort of glycerin. People with sensitivities very rarely have any issues using silicone based lubricants since the ingredients are strictly silicones. Some have added aloe, ginseng or vitamin E but besides that it's rare to contain any irritants. The most sensitive people should not have any issues with silicone based lubricants - which is a common misconception, irritants are used in cheaper water based lubricants, not silicones.
- Silicone based lube never needs to be reapplied like water based, it will not dry out and lasts so much longer. A bottle of silicone lube should last you approximately 10 bottles of water based lubricant! A little goes a very long way.
- Never ever tacky or sticky, silicone based lube is always silky smooth and wont leave you with that "yuck I need a shower" feeling.
- Silicone based lube is very multi purpose - It is a far better massage oil than any oil based product out there. You can have a full body massage with silicone based lubricant and then literally put your clothes on and go to work - That is how non sticky it is, it leaves a silky smooth, hydrated feeling on the skin.
- It also is the same ingredients as expensive hair serums! You can use it to tame those fly aways and frizzy hair - this works wonders, a tip that a salon owner client of mine once gave me!
- Also, silicone based lube is an amazing skin and tattoo conditioner - Not fresh tattoos of course, when you put a dab of it on an older tattoo it hydrates the skin so nicely and really makes the colors (or black) pop. It really brings out the colors (I have 9 tattoos and keep a small silicone lube in my purse for this purpose and for my hair as well).
- For anal sex and anal play of any kind (except oral) silicone lube is really the best for the job. Since your ass does not self lubricate you need to use plenty of good lube. Since silicone lasts and lasts and is super slick it really is the best to use anally. Your ass cleans itself daily and since silicone will not absorb in to your system it is always safe to use anally.
- Silicone based lube is safe for use with condoms and will not deteriorate them.
The cons of using silicone based lubricants:
- You should not use silicone based lubes with your toys & vibrators. Most of the best toys are made of silicone and silicone reacts with silicone. It wont hurt you at all but using silicone lube will deteriorate your toys over time - which is why you should always keep your toys separate, even with two silicone toys in the same drawer touching, one will literally melt the other! Always keep silicones separate.
- Silicone does not leave the vagina easily. It is recommended to use topically, anally or any other way. It isnt harmful and wont leech in to the body but you dont want bacteria sticking to it either. A lot of women insist on using it anyways due to it's silky soft feel and lack of stickiness and yuck factor.
- Silicone based lubricants do not come in flavored options.
- Silicone is always more expensive BUT it does equal out in the long run since a bottle lasts so much longer than the alternative.
- Silicone based lubricants will stain! However, when used properly (you only need a drop or two!) you shouldn't need much at all and its shouldnt be on the sheets anyways. It is thinner and quite liquidy however, so be careful when pouring.
And last but certainly not least is Hybrid lubricants.
Hybrid Lubricants (Half water based and half silicone based):
Hybrid lubricants are a half and half mixture between water and silicone. Commonly hybrid
lubes are a creamy consistency and are supposed to have the washability of a water based lube with the slickness of a silicone based lube. The best of both worlds! Hybrids are quite nice and arent as tacky as water based lubes but not quite as slick and smooth as a silicone based. It seems to be
right in the middle to me, no matter what the bottle states.
Do keep in mind though, no matter what type of lubricant you choose to use depending on how
hydrated your body is, they can feel a bit different from one person to the next. If you are very dry and dont drink enough water, any water based may feel a bit sticky to you. It is best to try the testers in store
on your hands and see how they feel to you.
Using lube for Anal Sex
Texture of lube does make a difference, some people prefer a thick lube because it's less drippy and messy but with that comes a bit more stickiness. Anally some prefer thicker lubes because it provides more of a cushion and is more comfortable. When you see a brand like Jo, for example - on the shelf you will see the regular water based (as pictured way up above in the very 1st photo) and then you will see next to it, their "Anal" water based lube. There is no variation in ingredients, the anal is only slightly thicker for the cushion reason and that is it - So no need to purchase both unless you want thicker for anal.
Others prefer silicone since it lasts and lasts and is oh so slick and smooth. It really is a preference thing. Your bum clears itself out daily and the silicone is not absorbed in to the body so there is no need to worry about using silicone lube anally. Some find it too thin, others just right.
ID brand lubricant has recently come out with a new anal lube called "BackSlide".
BackSlide is a silicone based lube with a thicker texture to provide that cushion like feel that previously only water based lubes had. I havent yet tried it, it has just come in but it sounds great!
Some "Anal" lubes have a desensitizer in them. These will either use lidocaine or benzocaine and this is meant to ease the discomfort that anal sex brings to so many.
I will tell you why it isnt advised to use desensitizers anally - It is important for you to feel pain during anal sex. Yes, it can be uncomfortable but pain is a signal that something is wrong. The tissues there are so thin and delicate, it is very easy to have tearing - if you dont feel this and keep going then major damage can easily be caused. With proper warming up and ass foreplay, there shouldn't be pain.
It simply means you need to relax and slow way down.
I wrote a great article about anal sex and how to do it properly
HERE, please read it if you have difficulty with anal sex, it will benefit you and your partner!
If you already have an anal desensitizer at home and you are thinking oh no! I have a good alternative idea of how you can use it.
Lidocane and Benzocane are also used in desensitizers for men.
Men naturally get off far faster than women, so these desensitizers are great to use on the penis as well!
(You can get sprays or creams for this purpose with the same ingredients)
This will numb the penis a bit so that he feels less and takes a bit longer to get off - A great trick!
Be sure to use a condom though - you dont want it rubbing off on her!
That concludes the talk on regular lubricants, I will now talk a bit about specialty lubricants.
Flavored Lubricants:
All flavored lubricants will be water based, as they are safe to ingest and taste good (for the most part), silicone tastes yucky and you dont really want to ingest that - it doesnt absorb but I would shudder to think what it does to your ummmm... poop! So all flavored lube is water based.
Be sure that there is no sugar in the ingredients, as sugar helps yeast to grow and causes yeast infections.
All flavored lubes that I have ever come across do contain at least plant based glycerin - If you happen to know a glycerin free flavored lube please let me know! I would love to include the most sensitives on the yummy train!
No matter what, because of the sweeteners and/or sugars in flavored lube, they are going to be a little stickier than regular water based lube. You can use flavored for sex but I recommend non flavored for sex and flavored for oral only because of the extra tack.
A few of the most popular flavored lubricants, some facts and my opinions about them:
Jo Flavored
Jo H20 Flavored lube seems to be the most popular flavored lube by far.
It (like all Jo brand water based lube) contains plant based glycerin and tastes quite good.
With many many flavors to choose from, quite a few more than the photo above, there is a flavor for every taste. I find that it has a slight lubish aftertaste but not much at all and is the nicest smelling lube around.
They come in large bottles or tiny bottles which are great for travelling or just sampling.
It says on the bottle "silky smooth, never sticky, the only water based lube to feel like silicone" but I would have to beg to differ. It's not silicone, nor does it come close!
ID Brand Flavored Lube
ID Brand actually has two different lines of flavored lubricants.
First, I'll talk about ID Juicy lube:
ID Juicy Lube comes in 12 yummy flavors and is sweetened using 2 artificial sweeteners, saccharin & aspartame. I find it to be quite thick (with thick comes sticky but sticky is no be expected with a flavored lube). This is a favorite of many customers taste wise.
ID also has Fruitopia:
ID Fruitopia is 100% vegan and is the only flavored lubricant that I know of that does not use artificial sweeteners. Fruitopia is sweetened only by the natural juices of the fruit itself which is great. Be careful though, because this is a natural product please pay attention to the expiry date.
It doesnt contain the preservatives that others do.
I do like the fact that these are naturally sweetened, that is a bonus for me.
It isnt advised to use Fruitopia naturally if you are prone to yeast infections, as the natural sugars may trigger one for you. I am not prone to them nor have I had one in my life (fingers crossed!) and sugar does not seem to affect me like that at all. Some people are more sensitive than others and their PH can get knocked around easily causing yeast infections.
Last but not least My personal favorite flavored lube:
Sex Tarts!
OMG YUM!
I would have to say this is honestly the only flavored lube that I myself will purchase.
The taste far beats any other brand to me truly. If you like 5 cent sour candies this is the lube for you.
While I find that it tastes the best, it still is sticky like any flavored lube and is artificially sweetened so it wont promote yeast growth. If you are buying a yummy lube for scent though, these dont smell as nice as the Jo brand.
Warming, Cooling & Tingling Lubricants
Although these are quite stimulating, they are not for the sensitive as they are known to irritate some people.
They feel very nice to some, while others find the sensation just too much. I do recommend trying a small bottle first to see if these types of lubricants are for you as the feedback seems to be split evenly in two, you either love it or hate it.
Warming, cooling and tingling lubricants are available in both water based and silicone based varieties.
Use caution while practicing anal sex - the delicate tissues and nerve endings seem to multiply the feeling and it's quite unpleasant - keep the sensation type lubricants for anything but anal.
Try it on the nipples - It's quite nice!
That's pretty much all I have to say about lubricants at the moment....
I hope I have helped you decide on what lubes to try and to give you the knowledge to confidently walk in to any store knowing what you are looking at.
If you have any questions, please dont hesitate to ask me, or you can also ask for
*All photos used have been borrowed from the actual product's website*
