Lubricants are Essential

Lubricants were first designed for medical purposes, but it wasn’t long before people started using them for sexual purposes as well.  Lubrication is an essential part of sex play, whether it is for partner sex or masturbation.  Personal lubricants turn all sex play into an erotic adventure by adding extra wetness to reduce friction and dryness, enhance pleasure and sensation, and allowing all of your sexual parts to slide.

For Anal Play

For anal sex, lubes are essential as the anus does not naturally produce its own lubricant like the vagina.  Anal lubes are usually thicker than regular lubes and formulated specifically to reduce friction when having anal intercourse or using anal sex toys.  A popular anal sex lube is Anal Lube.  Silicone lubes are also popular for anal sex play as they stay slick much longer.  Some anal lubes contain desensitizing agents that numb the anus like Orajel that numbs a baby’s gums during teething.  Although this may work well for poor baby, I don’t recommend numbing agents in the anus as you are unable to feel pain associated with injury.  Anal play is supposed to feel good and not hurt.  Therefore, if you experience pain during anal sex then you are most likely taking in something too big, too fast.  It is important to be patient and take anal sex slow especially if you are an anal virgin or novice.  Relax, use plenty of lube and remember it is not a race.

For Women Only

Many women need added lubrication at least some of the time for various reasons regardless of age.  Most women need a longer warm-up time before intercourse and lubes can be used as a fun part of foreplay.  As women age, the vagina begins producing less natural lubricant, so adding additional lube during sex or masturbation is important for enhancing those experiences.  Many personal lubricants are formulated especially for women and there are those on the market for everyday use to help eliminate dryness.  For masturbation, lubrication is important as many sex toys both made for insertion and external stimulation tend to by drying. Women who are sensitive or prone to yeast infections should avoid lubes that contain sugars or glycerin which may alter the PH of the vagina.  Lubes with added parabens which can cause irritation and rashes should also be avoided by women who have sensitivity issues.  Nonoxynol-9 is another ingredient that is sometimes added to lubes.  It is a popular contraceptive gel ingredient and has been promoted as a protection against HIV.  However, N-9 is a harsh detergent-like compound that creates tiny abrasions in the mucous membranes of the vagina and anus, creating a greater risk for the transmission of HIV and other STDs.  All women should avoid oil-based lubes as these are not formulated for women’s genitals.  The best lubes for women are water-based and silicone.  Moist Personal Lubricant and Pjur Eros - Body Glide Women are specially formulated for women’s sensitive parts and are available in both water and silicone-based formulations.

Lubes for Guys

For men, there are several types of lubricants available for different types of sex play.  Silicone lubes are great for anal play and/or vagina penetrative sex and include popular brands like Wet Platinum and ID Millennium.  Oil-based lubes like Boy Butter and Elbow Grease are popular lubes for hand-jobs.  Oil-based lubricants are NOT latex condom compatible, however, so shouldn’t be used in penetrative sex (either anal or vagina) unless a polyurethane condom like Trojan Supra or Durex Avanti is used.

To Spit or Not to Spit

While spit can lubricate the genitals at first it dries out quickly and it’s a dirty habit.  Seriously.  The human mouth contains more germs (oral flora and bacteria) than most animals and can cause irritation and infection.  Saliva, like other bodily fluids is capable of transmitting STD’s, herpes and AIDS as well.  So while you may have seen spit-swapping in adult films, remember not everything your see in movies is recommended for real life experiences.

Cooking Oils as Lubricants

Okay, we’ve all heard of people using cooking oils like Crisco and other household products like WD40 as sexual lubricants.  I’ll even admit that I used vegetable oil once for a night of slip-and-slide sex on a plastic sheet.  But, cooking oils and other household lubricants are not formulated for the skin and especially the genitals.  These oils can cause serious irritation, clog pores, don’t allow the skin to breathe, are not condom safe and should never go anywhere near the vagina.  So let’s just leave those cooking oil sex stories to the stupid-human-tricks archive, for we know better in this day and age and don’t need to repeat our parents dumb mistakes.  Never use Crisco, WD40, Vaseline or Baby Oil on your precious private parts.

Personal Lubricants for Sexual Pleasure

Water-based

Water-based personal lubricants are the most versatile for all types of sex play.  They feel more natural and are therefore great for a variety of penetrative sex.  Water-based lubes are water soluble which means they won’t stain fabrics and wash away easily from the body.  They are also compatible with condoms and other latex products so perfect for safe sex practices and won’t ruin your sex toys.  On the downside, water-based lubes dry more quickly than silicone and oil-based lubes, sometimes leaving a sticky residue. Because of this they need to be reapplied often during partner sex or solo play.  Many water-based lubes also contain sugars or glycerin so should be avoided by women who are prone to yeast infections.  Water-based lubricants are also not compatible with water sex play in the bathtub, pool or hot tub as they will wash away.

Oil-based

Oil-based lubricants are the best types of lubes for men who want to jack’n off their beanstalk.  These lubes are super slick, water-resistant and long lasting.  They are also great for anal sex when used with polyurethane condoms.  They should not be used with latex condoms, however, as oils break down latex and make them unsafe.  I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: oil-based lubes should stay clear of the vagina as they can attract bacteria and cause infections.  Oils will also stain fabrics and cause dyes to run in sex toys.

Silicone-based

Silicone-based personal lubricants have been promoted as being superior to that of water and oil-based lubes.  This is because they are hypo-allergenic, condom and latex safe, are very long-lasting, and water resistant.  Silicone lubes are great for partner sex, penetration, masturbation and even sensual massage.  These lubes stay on top of the skin creating a slippery glide that will not absorb or dry out.  For this reason, they also don’t wash away as easily as water-based lubes.  They are also not recommended to use with silicone or Cyberskin sex toys as they will cause a chemical reaction that will melt the toy.

Flavored Lubes

These days personal sexual lubricants come in every flavor imaginable from Bubblegum and Watermelon to Pina Colada and Passion Fruit.  Tangy, fruity lubes are a great addition for oral sex and foreplay, making your lover taste juicy and sweet.  ID Juicy Flavored Lubricant is my personal favorite as it contains no sugars or dyes, is water-based and latex compatible.  It comes in a variety to flavors and is not as sickly sweet as some of the other flavored lubes.

Stimulating and Desensitizing Lubes

Some lubricants have stimulating properties that create pleasurable warming, cooling or tingling sensations on the genitals.  Many stimulating lubes or gels are formulated for women to enhance clitoral sensitivity by increasing blood flow to the genitals, but can also be used by men.  Desensitizing lubes containing Lidocaine are formulated for men to prolong erections.  Some stimulating lubes can be very strong and may cause a burning sensation on some people, so caution should be used when trying them.  ID Sensation Warming Liquid is a gentle, pleasant warming lube that enhances sex and masturbation play.  Stud Delay Spray is a popular brand of desensitizing spray for men and I have been told by men that it acts almost instantly so is ready when you are.

Natural Organic Lubes

More and more people are buying organic lubes or all-natural lubricants as alternatives to pharmacy based products.  As people become more concerned about what kind of foods they put into their body, they are also becoming concerned about what they put on their body.  After all, skin is the body’s largest organ and is capable of absorbing 60% of all chemicals you put on it which eventually ends up in the blood stream.   Lubricants may be absorbed through the mucus membranes of the vagina and anus even more so because there is no barrier for protection.  Most certified organic lubricants also contain no irritating parabens, fragrances, chemicals or sugars, so will not cause rashes or yeast infections.  My favorite all time lube is Yes® water-based personal organic lubricant which is currently only available through their website.

Domina Doll is a sex writer who writes articles and reviews for various magazines, zines and adult toy stores.  Visit her sexuality blog CherryBoxxx at http://cherryboxxx.wordpress.com/.

1 Comment »

1. [...] I have a new article up at blog.vibrator.com called Personal Lubrication: A Guide to Wetter, Hotter Sex.  It is a thorough guide to the various types of lubes available on the market.  Here’s an excerpt: Many women need added lubrication at least some of the time for various reasons regardless of age.  Most women need a longer warm-up time before intercourse and lubes can be used as a fun part of foreplay.  As women age, the vagina begins producing less natural lubricant, so adding additional lube during sex or masturbation is important for enhancing those experiences.  Many personal lubricants are formulated especially for women and there are those on the market for everyday use to help eliminate dryness.  For masturbation, lubrication is important as many sex toys both made for insertion and external stimulation tend to by drying. Women who are sensitive or prone to yeast infections should avoid lubes that contain sugars or glycerin which may alter the PH of the vagina.  Lubes with added parabens which can cause irritation and rashes should also be avoided by women who have sensitivity issues.  Nonoxynol-9 is another ingredient that is sometimes added to lubes.  It is a popular contraceptive gel ingredient and has been promoted as a protection against HIV.  However, N-9 is a harsh detergent-like compound that creates tiny abrasions in the mucous membranes of the vagina and anus, creating a greater risk for the transmission of HIV and other STDs.  All women should avoid oil-based lubes as these are not formulated for women’s genitals. [...]

   Pingback by Personal Lubes 101 | Pop My Cherry — September 12, 2008 @ 5:54 am

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