Everything You Need to Know About Sex Lubricants
When it comes to sex, regardless of what you enjoy, you can generally play by the rule: the wetter the better. During sexual arousal, a woman’s vagina normally self-lubricates. Nevertheless, many women often experience vaginal dryness when their lady part doesn’t lubricate enough, and this leads to discomfort or pain. For this reason, women and their partners opt for lubes for sex.
However, even when the vagina lubricates enough, many women prefer more lubrication than their bodies can provide. They say that when using an artificial lubricant their sex is better. So, aside from practising all the other ways that make sex life hot, for many women, additional lubrication makes sex more comfortable and enjoyable. If this product is new to you, here’s everything you need to know about lubricants for sex.
Contents
What Is a Lubricant?
In cases when women experience vaginal dryness due to different reasons, a lubricant can greatly help. A sex lubricant, also known as lube, is a liquid or gel which women and their partners use during sex in order to make the vulva, vagina, or the anal area wetter. Even though it’s mostly used by women, lubricant can also be applied to the partner’s penis or a sex toy to make them more slippery.
Different Types of Lubricants
Water-Based Lubricant
When choosing a lubricant sex enhancer, water-based options are the most common type of sex lubes and your safest bet to start with. It can be used for all of your sexual needs, including masturbation, penetrative sex, and sex toy play. You can find it in two variants – either with glycerin, which has a rather sweet taste or without glycerin. It washes off pretty easily and doesn’t stain sheets. The water-based lubricant is ideal for women with vaginal irritation or people with sensitive skin. There’s only one downside of this type of lube – it may not last as long as you would like it to and you might need to reapply it during sex to maintain moisture.
Silicone-Based Lubricant
If you’re looking for a long-lasting lube that will provide a longer sex session, then silicone-based lube is the right choice for you. This is a slippery lube which doesn’t require frequent reapplication. It doesn’t wash away so easily as the water-based one and it’s great for shower sex or masturbation in the shower. However, when you’re not in the shower, you will need soap and water to clean it afterwards. Also, know that you shouldn’t use silicone-based lubes with silicone-based sex toys because they can break down the rubber over time. Fortunately, there are many sex toys made from other materials (hard plastic, steel, and glass) which aren’t off-limits with silicone-based lubricants.
Oil-Based Lubricant
Oil-based lubricants are another type of lubes that provides a slippery feel that’s pretty long-lasting. They are ideal for hand- or toy-masturbation, penetrative unprotected sex, and water-play. You can also use them for sensual massage. However, they should be used with caution and you can’t use them with latex condoms, because they will weaken the latex, making the condom more likely to leak or break.
There are two types of oil-based lubes – natural (butter or coconut oil) and synthetic (Vaseline or mineral oil). Both types can be more difficult to clean off sheets and your body.
Natural Lubricant
The group of natural lubricants includes natural oil-based lubricants that also contain a small number of other ingredients and organic or vegan lubricants made of botanicals or other eco-friendly ingredients. A popular choice of natural oil-based lube is coconut oil. Natural lubricants are usually free of paraben, which is a frequently used preservative with established health risks.
Ingredients to Avoid
When shopping for sex lubes, you’ll come across a range of options – natural, flavoured, tingling, warming, etc. And yes, they can all be fun, but it’s important to always look at the ingredients and the pH value. A healthy vagina should maintain a pH level of 3.5 – 4.5, which means that the lube you use should also be around these levels. Also, some ingredients should be avoided because they may cause inflammation or irritation, especially in people who are more sensitive. Such ingredients are glycerin, nonoxynol-9, petroleum, propylene glycol, and chlorhexidine gluconate.
How Do You Apply Lubricant?
There really isn’t a right or wrong way to use lube. You can apply as much as you want and where you want or need it- be it the vagina, anus, or penis. After you’ve found the lube that works best for you, it’s good to warm it up a little bit in your hands before applying. You can also use your chosen lubricant sex enhancer as a part of foreplay to boost arousal. Apply it right before penetration. Be liberal when applying it so that your vulva and vagina are sufficiently wet.
