Be a material girl: Know your lubricants...for fun and good health

By Searah Deysach, owner of Early to Bed

searah deysach of early to bed A note from the Editrix: Welcome back to Chronically Sexy, our column in which the fabulous and knowledgable Searah Deysach answers your questions about sex and sensuality for ChronicBabes. As always, we remind you that our articles are meant to help you start your own research and should not be considered medical advice. Do your homework, Babes!

Meet your new friend: Lubricant

As women, we have an awesome ability to self-lubricate when we are turned on (or even when we are not!). But there are a lot of factors that can keep us from being as juicy as we want to be: stress, prescription medications, menopause, having had a baby, hormonal changes in your monthly cycle... just to name a few.

When women aren't as slippery as we'd like to be, we sometimes suffer some pain in order to enjoy sex with our partner (or ourselves). And if you are using sex toys or participating in more intense penetrative activities (i.e. anal sex) you might find that being dry is no fun at all. But don't fret, because anyone can easily make sex more slippery by grabbing a bottle of commercial lubricant.

sliquid sizzle vegan warming lube - just one of many safe lubes for chronicbabes For many people, busting out the lube can feel awkward at first. Maybe you don't want your partner to think they aren't turning you on, or maybe you don't want to interrupt the "flow." But let me reassure you that most people who are worth having sex with will welcome lube into the activities if it makes sex more enjoyable for you.

If you are nervous about using it the first time, you can try to find a way to incorporate it in a sexy way, rather then a more clinical way. Use the lube first on your partner's genitals for a slippery fun hand job. Get flavored lube for a fresh taste during oral sex. Or you can try a sexy massage with silicone lube, which can then easily lead into using the lube on your girlie parts.

Personal lubricant is widely available at drug and grocery stores, so it is easy to toss into your basket the next time you are stocking up on other "feminine" products (they are usually in the same aisle).

But before you grab the first thing on the shelf, here is a handy dandy guide to types of lubes available and why you would want to use one over the other.

Water-based lubricants

In general, water-based lubricants are the top choice because they clean up easily and can be used with any sex toy or safer sex item. They are the most widely available type of lube and come in many different formulas. All water-based lubes will eventually dry out, so you'll want to keep the bottle handy to reapply when you need it.

Glycerin-free water-based lubricants

Glycerin-free water based lubes are what I generally recommend for most women. These lubricants come in many different formulas with varying ingredients. The one thing they don't have is glycerin, which, if you are prone to yeast infections, can increase their likelihood.

sliquid h20 water-based lube Glycerin is also an ingredient that some women find irritating to their delicate genital tissue. If you have sensitive skin or have had irritation from glycerin-based lubes, you might find that glycerin-free lubes are what you are looking for.

Some glycerin-free formulas like Slippery Stuff are cheap, odorless and thick like a gel. Others, like Liquid Silk, are more lotion-like and may have a slight bitter taste. One of our favorites is Sliquid H2O which is inexpensive, light, and has almost no taste.

You’ll probably need to go to a nicer sex shop or try a web store to get glycerin-free lubes. If you can get to a shop where you can try them out on your fingers, that will help you figure out what kind of texture you like.

Water-based lubricants with glycerin

While the glycerin in these can be a deal-breaker for many, there are some awesome lubes out there that contain glycerin and are loved by many people who have no problem with them. These are also the lubes you are most likely to find in the drug/grocery store.

o'my water-based lubricant with glycerin Wet Light and AstroGlide are probably some of the best-known lubes on the market and have a very loyal following (and AstroGlide just came out with a glycerin-free formula for more sensitive folks).

If you are looking for something tasty, most flavored lubricants will have glycerin because it adds sweetness. I would recommend O’My lubricants if you want something to add spice to oral activities. They are all-natural and come in lots of yummy flavors (cappuccino being my favorite). They also contain hempseed, which discourages fungi and bacteria growth so people who have had problems with other glycerin-based lubes are often ok with O’My lubes. (They're even vegan!)

Silicone-based lubricants

Very few lubricants on the market are designated to be hypo-allergenic. The only place we usually see that claim is in silicone-based lubricants.

pink silicone-based lubricant These are super-duper slippery lubes that stay wet for a long, long time. Completely synthetic, silicone lubes are very gentle on the body and can be used under water. We like to suggest them to people who have had bad reactions to water-based lubes or who just like to go at it for hours on end.

Eros is probably the most well-known silicone lube and one of the most concentrated. We also love Pink lube for its classy glass bottle and soothing aloe.

Unlike water-based lubes that you can just rinse off, you will find that you need a good scrubbing with soap and water to clean up after silicone lubricants. Silicone lubes are safe to use with latex condoms.

The only real caveat: Some silicone lubes can "melt" some silicone or CyberSkin toys, so either avoid using them together or do a patch test first.

Oil-based lubricants

These are the lubes that female-bodied people want to avoid. There are commercially made oil-based lubes designed specifically for male masturbation. And some folks like to use olive or almond oil for getting slippery while staying all natural.

But oil in any form (lube, hand lotion, Vaseline, massage oil) not only makes condoms (and any latex safer sex items) useless, but the oil is not so great for your body. Oil sticks around inside of you and can clog your delicate pours and possibly lead to infections. Oil is also a no-no with many sex toys (it can't be cleaned off completely), so to be on the safe side, leave the olive oil in the kitchen and the hand lotion for your skin.

Have any questions for Searah?

We hope you enjoyed this overview of lubricants, and that you can use this information to enjoy a fun sex life—something we know is healthy for any Babe, Chronic or not. If you have more questions about lubricant or any other health-related sex issue, email us and we'll publish Searah's answers.

Posted: 1/5/2008 in Chronically Sexy

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