The Ultimate Lube Guide

If you are masturbating or having sex – you need to have lubes on hand.  Sexual lubricants are a necessary and fun part of sexual play.  There is a common misconception that “if you are aroused enough, you do not need a lubricant.”  Now, while you may not NEED a lubricant for sex, they still have a place in everyone’s bedroom regardless.  Lubricants are not one-size-fits-all though, and you need to know which lubricants are to be used in which situation.  Also, certain lubricants cannot be used with certain toy materials.  In short:  know your lubes.

 

 A Guide To Sex Toy Materials And Lubes

 

WATER-BASED LUBRICANTS:  The most common and versatile of all the lubricants are the water-based lubricants.  Water-based lubes are safe for ALL toys, condoms and are usually the least likely to cause any irritation with personal use.  They are clear and non-staining.  The downfall to water-based lubes is because they are easily absorbed into the skin they tend to require reapplications.  They also tend to get sticky and tacky after a while, but if you use some more the tackiness will dissipate.  Water-based lubes are the most popular choice for sex and for masturbation and are available everywhere over the counter.

 

Woman Under Covers SexySILICONE LUBRICANTS:  Silicone lubricants are the second most popular choice for lubricants and there are pros and cons to these as well. Silicone lubricants are made from a silicone base, but are completely safe for your body.  They do not get absorbed into the skin which means they are longer lasting.  Silicone lubes are super slick and are fantastic for longer sexual sessions and most especially for anal sex.  When you know you are going to be creating a lot of friction, silicone lubricants can help to avoid the need to reapply.  While these are wonderful attributes of silicone lubricants there are a few reasons NOT to choose a silicone lube.  You would not want to use silicone lubricants if you are going to have oral sex after applying the lube.  Silicone lubes are NOT safe for ingestion.  Secondly, silicone lubes can NEVER, EVER be used with Silicone toys.  The silicone lubricant tends to bond with the silicone molecules in the toy and this causes erosion.  You do not want to ruin your toys.  Silicone lubes can also react to certain jellies or cyberskin materials.  Therefore, unless you have a glass, hard plastic or metal toy do NOT use a silicone lubricant with it. 

 

FLAVORED LUBRICANTS:  Flavored lubricants are fun additions to oral sex. With infinite possibilities of flavors, flavored lubes are safe to ingest.  This makes them extremely popular for oral sex or for use with sex or toys when oral sex is soon to follow.  Usually, flavored lubes are water-based and they tend to run a bit on the sticky side because they have flavoring ingredients in them.  Also, the most important thing to remember with regard to flavored lubricants is that if sugar is used in the ingredients you want to avoid using the lubricants vaginally.  Sugar when introduced into the vagina can cause yeast infections so users beware!  Always read the ingredients of your lubes.

 

ORGANIC LUBRICANTS:  Over the last many years all natural lubricants have stormed the market.  Organic lubricants are excellent choices for people who are very sensitive to certain chemicals or who may just have sensitive skin.  Organic lubricants are made from all natural ingredients and often contain aloe or vitamin E, which are both great for the skin. As a result these lubricants tend to moisturize the skin as well as provide fairly long-lasting lubrication.

 

WARMING AND COOLING LUBRICANTS:  Some lubricants offer a temperature sensation as well.  Warming and cooling lubricants are very popular now and offer a little something different during sex or masturbation play.  Warming lubricants tend to use a minimal amount of Capsaicin (made from peppers) to provide the heat (think Ben Gay ointment).  This can be helpful in bringing the blood flow to the clitoris for increased arousal.  Conversely, the cooling lubricants utilize menthol or mint to provide the cooling sensation (think Mineral Ice or an Altoid).  This can be a very interesting sensation.  However, some people find these lubricants uncomfortable and even painful, so on first use go sparingly with them to see how you react.

 

ANAL LUBRICANTS:  While Silicone lubricants are the usual go-to anal lubes, there are specially made anal lubricants on the market now that boast an added ingredient – Benzocaine.  You may recognize this as a pain-relieving agent in some first aid creams.  The Benzocaine tends to provide minimal pain relief for the discomfort sometimes associated with anal sex.  Anal lubricants are also thicker and longer-lasting.  This is important with anal sex.  Keep in mind though, just because it states it has a pain-relieving agent will not eliminate the pain from anal sex which is not approached appropriately.

Never tried anal? Read our blog on why you should!

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