Science of Sex: Lube

April 11th, 2017

Welcome to the second installment in a new feature on Of Sex and Love: Science of Sex. In this feature, I plan to discuss the science of sexuality in an easy-to-digest format that’s accessible to the casual reader. I will also follow up with some extended reading material for people who want to know more about the subject of each post.

Enjoy!

science of sex lube

I am not the first person to write about lube, and I doubt I’ll be the most effective. But lube is so interesting from a scientific viewpoint, and I believe we can never talk about it enough.

Lube should make sex better, but it doesn’t always. For example, lubes that contain the spermicide nonoxynol are quite abrasive to sensitive tissues, resulting in micro-tears that actually facilitate the transfer of infections. Multiple studies have shown that Nonoxynol-9 contributes to HIV transmission.

Osmolality

Depending upon its osmolality, the measurement of particles per KG in a solution, lube may be doing unseen damage to your vagina or anus that increases the likelihood of an infection, too. Many lubes have a much higher osmolality (greater than 1,000 mOsm/Kg) than the vagina (~275 mOsm/Kg) or anus meaning there are more particles in the lube than the tissue it comes in contact with.

Osmolality is also important when it comes to sperm, which have a different measurement than vaginas, anuses, saliva and many lubes. By default, nearly all lube proves to be an inhibitor to sperm, so you’ll want to look for sperm-friendly lube when it comes to TTC.

Lube pH

If your lube has a pH that differs from your body’s natural pH (between 4.5 and 7 for most vaginas; pH varies during your cycle and life), you might find yourself dealing with a yeast infection while your body seeks balance.

Other Problematic Ingredients

And personal lubes that contain L-arginine, which is typically used to encourage sensitivity and arousal, can cause a herpes breakout. Sensation lubes (warming or cooling) typically rely on menthol or capsaicin to produce the desired effect, and every body responds to these chemicals differently.

Numbing agents such as lidocaine or benzocaine are sometimes found in anal lubricants. However, experts recommend against numbing the area because it both reduces pleasure and makes it harder to tell if you’re being too rough, which could lead to damage.

Lube and Your Toys

Even if lube is good for your body, it may not be compatible with your toys, which is the case with low-quality silicone lube and silicone toys. Using them together can cause an interaction that increases the porosity of your silicone toys, so they’re not as body-safe as they once were.

Further Reading

Did you enjoy the second installment of Science of Sex? Do you have further questions or suggestions for next month’s subject? Leave me a comment!

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Categories: Science of Sex

5 Lubes I Totally Recommend

July 22nd, 2013

Lube is lube, you know? Most people pick something from the pharmacy and run with it, no matter how awful it was. I used to be one of those people. I know. What I have discovered as a sex toy reviewer and blogger is this: I do not like writing lube reviews. Some of them are terrible. Many of them are just a little bit different from the next one. Most of them do the job without complaint. Few stand out. Even trying to make this list in my head was a little difficult because lubes tend to blend together in my memory. However, a few lubes have stood out from the bunch.

  1. System Jo Premium Women Lubricant
    The only silicone-based lube on this list is by System Jo. I’ve liked several of their products, but this one stands out. Silicone lube feels, to me, like wearing a plastic bag. It’s how a condom feels to men. I hate it. Add in incompatibility with so many of my toys and the general thinness, and it’s out. System Jo Premium is thicker than most silicone lubes, and it’ll last you forever if using for penetrative sex. It can also double as a massage glide.
  2. sliquid lube cubeWet Naturals Beautifully Bare
    The thing about lubes is that they’re not made from my body, and I can feel the difference. I hate it, to be perfect honest. So when I tried this lube from a company that I didn’t think was necessarily spectacular, I was surprised to note that it does feel like more of my own lubrication, at least in the water-based formula. Just don’t confuse the silicone lube and ruin your favorite VixSkin toy, guys.
  3. Maximus
    This is the go-to lube for anal lovers. It’s thick and long lasting. It’s compatible with silicone toys. Unlike most water-based lubes, it isn’t sticky. Once I tried it, I understood why everyone loved it.
  4. Frolic
    While I enjoy thicker lubes, I don’t want them to be solid. They need to come easily out of the bottle. I shouldn’t have to feel like I’m forcing a solid into my vagina. I’ve had that exact experience, so don’t think that I am exaggerating in the least. Frolic has a handy pump bottle that has a cover to lock it. It’s thick enough to stay in place but thin enough to spread, and it’s affordable.
  5. Sliquid Naturals Lube Cube
    Sliquid’s Lube Cube isn’t one lube, but it’s this awesome sampler pack that lets you try various flavors and formulas. The sweet flavors are the best I’ve ever tasted, and most people love Sliquid lube. The company actually makes four different cube options, but I reviews Sliquid Naturals.

What are your favorite lubes for activities like toy play? Vaginal and anal sex? Massage? Let us know in the comments!

 

 

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Wet Naturals Beautifully Bare

May 26th, 2012

Wet Naturals Beautifully Bare

Wet Naturals Beautifully Bare
from

This is an archived review of a discontinued product.

You’ve probably tried Wet Naturals. I say this with confidence because sex toy retailers like PinkCherry frequently send sample packets with your order. In fact, I have a few random flavored straggles in my nightstand. In fact, it was a packet of the silicone-based version that ruined my Spur. Third-world problems.

I’m not overly fond of the packets. They’re not super easy to use, and I can never get the right amount of product, so I was glad to try a full-sized bottle when the opportunity to work with Wet arose.

Let me preface this by saying I enjoyed the Beautifully Bare lube when I first used it. It was an interesting experience. My toys felt lubricated, but I couldn’t necessarily feel the lubrication. It was the most natural feeling lube I’d used. However, I just didn’t love it as much the second time around. I think it’s because it’s a thinner lube, and it winds up running down my toys and hands, making a mess. I’ve definitely come to like slightly thicker lubes better for playing with toys. When you consider that all my play involves toys these days, you can see how this would affect how I feel about this lube.

Although thin, it feels pretty slick at first. Unfortunately, it dries up right quick with a little friction. I don’t need a necessarily super long-lasting lube, but this will be a dealbreaker for some. There are longer-lasting water-based lubes, and, of course, silicone-based lubes will last much longer. The company does make a silicone-based variant in the Wet Naturals line, which has just five ingredients.

On the other hand, if you like a light lube, this one might do the trick. It’s compatible with all types of play and toy materials. It has no odors or colors, and the push-top bottle is easy to use, with a little indentation on the side, which makes it easier to hold. The embossed “Wet” logo adds to that, even if your hand is full of runny lube.

The ingredients list doesn’t include any sugars or parabens, but Wet Naturals does have a lot of natural extracts, including grape seed extract and aloe vera. Wet Naturals is also slightly cheaper from most retailers than other organic or sensitive lubes, so this might be a good alternative if you’re into that.

Compared to some of the other natural or organic lubes I’ve used, I like this a bit better. This is mostly because it’s truly tasteless and odorless and has no funky color. It’ll more than do in a pinch, but it’s not my favorite lube either.

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Categories: Lube, Reviews

Sliquid Lube Cube

March 27th, 2012

Sliquid Lube Cube

Sliquid Lube Cube
$15 from Sliquid

It’s about time I got down to writing this review. I’ve had the lube cube for long enough. Sadly, I haven’t had great opportunities to try all of it but I really like the idea. You see, this sampler set includes pairs of several of Sliquid’s lube, including Sliquid H20, Sliquid Sassy (for anal), green apple, blue raspberry, cherry vanilla flavored lubes, and Sliquid silver (silicone). Each comes in a square foil package that features a different color. H2O is blue, for example, apple is green so on and so forth. The packets fit perfectly into this little cardboard box. Generally, I dislike packages inside packages, but this just works so well. Plus, it makes sense.

The box itself is also cute. Mine has a purple-to-blue gradient that I love. There’s also a white flower on the front. It’s super classy, y’know, for lube. The box itself is only a little over 1″ thick, so it would fit in my purse perfectly. I actually like this as a portable lube sample. I mean, if I forgot it at someone’s house, I’d be less upset than if I forgot a whole bottle of lube. Not that I’m getting any of have any need for portable lube. Whatever. It could happen.

I’ve tried the water-based lube mostly. It’s a bit thin for toy play, in my opinion. It also seems to get a bit sticky. I’ve heard good things about Sliquid so I was a bit disappointed. Sassy is a thicker water-based formula that’s compatible with all toy types. I’m pretty sure it’s geared for anal sex, but I like gel lubes for masturbation with toys. As you would expect, the silicone-based lube is slicker and thin. It’s good for PIV sex but not great with silicone toys. Especially not VixSkin ones. Le sigh.

The flavored lubes are pretty tasty, especially the cherry vanilla. The mix of two very common flavors produces something more exciting. I would definitely buy a bottle of this. The blue raspberry tastes a little powdery to me. It’s not my favorite, even though I usually enjoy that as a flavor. The green apple is sweet and a little artificial but good nonetheless. All of the flavored lubes are clear and water-based. They contain not sugar, so I’d think you could use it for penetration, if you performed oral beforehand and there was some lube leftover.

I’ve purchased flavored lubes in the past and not only was it syrupy tasting, but it was incredibly sticky. This does make for a stickier hand job; however, it’s not as sticky as I expected and slicker than I expected. You’ll want to wash your hands of course, but it wasn’t unbearable like my past experience. Oddly enough, the flavored lube seemed to develop something of a film when I used it to stroke. This looked.. weird, but it didn’t impede the function of the lube.

As is the case, packets are always too much or too little. The inclusion of pairs means you get a much better experience with these products, which I like. I actually don’t use a lot of lube so the packets are more than enough for my tastes. Even after sampling every flavor, I still have a bunch left to use. As your box winds down, you can easily grab a few packets and toss them in your bag. I’d maybe keep them in a baggie, because there’s a pre-cut notch that makes for easy opening and could potentially lead to tearing.

I don’t usually give a flying eff about lube, but the Sliquid lube cube manages to be impressive.

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Categories: Lube, Reviews

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Maximus

September 2nd, 2011

Maximus

Maximus

This is an archived review of a discontinued product.

Maximus is a water-based lube that has long been touted by fans of anal sex because it’s thick and more or less stays where you put it. Although I can’t even remember the last time when I ventured into anal territory, I enjoy thick lubes that stay where I put them because I’m a toy fiend. There’s nothing worse than lubing up a toy, only to have it drip all over your hands, or erotica book, or partner or floor or bed (see my point?) on its way to your target destination. So I like my lubes a little thicker.

Yet, in the past, I’ve used lubes that were so thick that they not only stayed exactly where I put them but they felt solid and thus lacked in any lubricating goodness whatsoever. This is not the case with Maximus, which is a thin, gel-like lube. It’s definitely not a liquid, but it does move, eventually. If you hold a toy upright, the lube will slowly obey the forces of gravity. But not so much that I wind up covered in it, which I enjoy. It’s actually thinner than I would expect, and the opening in the bottle is a little thicker, so it came out faster than I was ready for. I’ve got it down now.

Texture-wise, Maximus is pretty silky and it just keeps going and going. I generally test between my fingers when I write a review so I can give you an idea of how long it takes for a lube to dry up and whether it gets sticky as it does. My fingers are starting to become sore from rubbing together and they’re still silky, although not as slick, and not sticky at all. Perhaps this is the benefit of being a “high glycol” lube.

Because this is a water-based lube, it’ll wash right away with water. This is bad in showers but good when it comes to washing off your body or toys after playtime. I didn’t taste it, but it has no recognizable smell. It’s completely safe for internal play and with your silicone toys as well.

In summary: Maximus might be the best water-based lube I’ve ever use. But because of FDA regulations, became difficult to obtain, and parent company Bodywise no longer seems to make it.

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Categories: Lube, Reviews

Battle of the BabeLubes

April 21st, 2011

BabeLube Natural / BabeLube
$6+ from Babeland

While Babelube Natural is no longer available, you can still buy the regular version.

I think we all know that I am not exactly a lube connoisseur. Generally, as long as a lube doesn’t irritate me or have some characteristic that I cannot stand (such as being silicone-based), it will go in my nightstand and whichever I happen to reach for is fine. I don’t usually do comparison reviews, but I figured it would be a good format for writing my review for BabeLube Natural, Babeland’s natural and “organic” version of its water-based lubricant.

There’s a major difference between ingredients. BabeLube actually has a shorter list but it includes chemicals like polyoxyethylene, sodium carbomer, Phenoxyethanol, and ethylexyglycerin. Glycerin, as you probably realize, is one of those ingredients that can cause irritation in some folks. On the other hand, BabeLube Natural’s slightly longer list consists of purified water, plant cellulose, aloe babadensis, vitamin E, carrageenan, extracts of hibiscus, flax, green tea and sunflower seed, citric acid, and potassium sorbate. The list definitely sounds more natural, and I know both aloe and vitamin E are common in products that are touted as natural. I’ve also heard of a few lubes with carrageenan. But does that make it a better lube?

In use, I found the BabeLube Natural to be slightly thinner, but it still has a gel-like consistency and won’t drip all over when you’re applying it to yourself or a toy. Regular BabeLube is a bit thicker and I actually find it difficult to apply. Both lubes come in a squeezable bottle with a press-top cap, and BabeLube doesn’t like to move. I have to take the cap off and stick a finger in or bang it around for a few minutes so it becomes mobile.

I did a quick rub test for both of these and the result was that, while BabeLube felt fairly slick, BabeLube Naturals felt even slicker and was longer lasting in terms of lubrication. As BabeLube dried, it became a little tacky but, once completely dry, I could no longer feel the tackiness and didn’t need to wash it off. BabeLube Natural, however, was tackier and remained tackier for a while. Eventually, you won’t notice but you may want to wash it off at first.

Because of its thickness and slickness, I’d opt for BabeLube Natural but I’d probably enjoy regular Babelube a little better for clitoral stimulation as I am quite bothered by tackiness around my vulva. Both are compatible with all sorts of materials and activities but neither is going to do you a lick of good in wet situations because they’re water-soluble. For those activities, you’ll want a silicone-based lube. I recommend Uberlube (read my review).

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Categories: Lube, Reviews

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Pink Frolic Lube Review

October 12th, 2010

Frolic

Frolic
$15.99 from Of Sex and Love Store

Frolic is a water-based lube from the same company that makes Pink and Gun Oil. I decided to give it a shot because it’s attractive and water-based. The former isn’t a requirement, but I definitely prefer water-based lubes over those that contain silicone.

The Frolic bottle is very similar to the bottles in which Pink Lube comes. It’s a semi-opaque, white bottle with magenta text, but the label uses a different font for the product name. Frolic states that it is a toy lubricant, especially for women, and it is also glycerin-free. Glycerin-free lubes, lotions, and potions are becoming increasingly common, and while I do not have any adverse reactions to the chemical, I know some people will appreciate that.

The ingredient list is fairly free of issues (as far as I know) and if you’re curious, includes:

  • water
  • hydroxyethylcellulose
  • sodium benzoate
  • potassium sorbate
  • propylene glycol
  • PEG-8
  • grapefruit seed extract
  • polyethylene polymer

I was curious how this lube differs from Pink Water, so I looked up that ingredient list, too. Frolic does not contain parabens like Pink Water. Pink Water also has many more extracts. The two still share the same pump-style bottle, complete with a little cap to prevent accidental spills. I like the cap, but it’s not super tight, so it comes off easily, and every time I take it off myself, my cats decide it’s a perfect plaything. I will probably never see mine again.

The pump is incredibly easy to use and makes using lube much less messy than other bottle styles. Frolic really isn’t a messy lube to begin with, though. It’s one of the thicker lubes I’ve used–not quite a gel but significantly thicker than ToyFluid or Hydra. Frolic stays where you put it and I love that in a lube. Eventually, gravity will put it down but you don’t have to worry about lubing up your toy and having it all drip down on your hand before you can put the cap back on the bottle.

Furthermore, Frolic feels pretty damned silky on the fingers. It’s surprisingly silky for a water-based lube. It perhaps feels a bit more synthetic than some other water-based lubes I’ve used but it dries without being surprisingly sticky.

It’s hard for me to say how long Frolic lasts, as I’ve only used it with toys despite the claim that this is more concentrated than other lubes. I do love that I can use it with any toy, even my silicone ones (as that collection is growing). My toy sessions never last as long as sex did, and I don’t trust as much as I find the right spots and press, but one pump of Frolic has been sufficient for every session thus far.

The Pink website says that the grapefruit seed extract has anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties. I don’t know if I buy it but if that’s true, awesome! A lube that does double duty is a-okay in my book.

My verdict? Frolic really lives up to its name. I’ve been using a lot of thinner lubes with sex toys and they just don’t cut it. Frolic does, and I can see myself reaching for it frequently.

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Categories: Lube, Reviews

Image © MisterUnlucky; used with permission.