Health Knowledge

Your Guide to Lube for Intimacy

Are you on the lookout for a new natural lube to spice up your sex life? If you are, you may need some assistance. Is there a best type of natural lube for toys? What about natural lube for sex in the shower? And are there any extra tips you might want to be aware of while searching for natural lube?

 

We might be able to help you find a fantastic natural lube to meet your personal needs and morals. So if you have any questions about the best kind of lube for you, allow us to break everything down in our guide to lube for sexual activity.

Water-Based Lubricant

There are a few different types of lube you can use during sexual activity. One of the most common types is categorized as water-based. There are many water-based lubes, including natural lubricants made with naturally-derived ingredients.

 

Water-based lubricant is one of the most well-rounded lubes, as you can safely use it in many different scenarios. In addition to increasing the amount of pleasure from added lubrication, it’s also easily absorbed by the body, either through the skin or in the vagina itself.

 

Water-based lube is great if you want to play with penetrative toys, including butt plugs, dildos, vibrators, or even fingers! This type of lube is also compatible with many materials used to make sex toys.

Oil-Based Lubricant

There are also oil-based lubricants, which has an incredible amount of natural versions. Oil-based lube is fantastic if you’re looking for something that won’t dry out your skin during or after sex, can be absorbed by the skin in many cases, and is generally long-lasting.

 

However, if you’re trying to prevent the spread of STIs, STDs, or pregnancy, you may want to look for something else. The primary issue with oil-based lube occurs if you are currently using non-hormonal forms of brith control, particularly condoms, dental dams, or anything latex-based. This is because oils can cause these physical barriers to erode fairly quickly, making condoms far less effective.

 

If you’re not using one of these physical barriers, you may have a lot of luck with oil-based lube. However, depending on the type of oil included in the lubricant, you may want to continue with caution; oil can be difficult to clean, potentially requiring you to use cleaners or other products that may not be body or toy safe. So, unless you are prepared to deal with cleaning oil-based lube and doing your fair share of research, we recommend sticking to the water-based variety instead.

Silicone-Based Lubricant

There are also silicone-based lubes available on the market, which can be extremely long-lasting. People who plan on having sex while in the shower or otherwise submerged in water typically gravitate toward silicone lubricants; unlike water-based lube, silicone is less likely to be removed by water.

 

Additionally, if you’re interested in using a more long-lasting lubricant, silicone-based lube may require fewer applications during your intimate activity. Because this is the case, you may find yourself using less lubricant during each session. However, silicone-based lube is also generally more expensive than other varieties, so keep this extra cost in mind.

 

You should also be relatively cautious with silicone-based lube, especially if you plan to play with toys during your sexual activity. While silicone lubricants are suitable for use on most hard toys, like glass or metal. However, if you have any silicone-based toys, it would be best to avoid allowing your silicone-based lube to get into contact with them. 

 

When silicone-based lube touches silicone toys, the two can become reactive. They can fuse together, reach high temperatures, and result in serious internal or external burns, depending on whether you penetrate the body with the toy. If you’re unsure about your toy’s material, it’s best to err on the side of caution and exercise a few of the below tips we have for practicing lube safety.

Conclusion and Tips for Lube Safety

If you’re ever uncertain about the materials in your toys or your lubricants, it may be necessary to conduct tests before inserting new toys and lubricants into your body. You might be able to do this simply by applying lube to the new toys or doing a patch test. 

 

If you don’t trust the materials of some of the toys you have, it doesn’t hurt to use protection on these. You can do so by putting a condom onto any toys you choose to insert or place near any orifices on your or a partner’s body. You can potentially do this if you have silicone toys you want to pair with silicone-based lube, for example.

You may also want to be careful while looking for lubricants, especially if you’re worried about an allergic reaction. Be sure to check ingredient lists thoroughly, even if you’re only interested in using natural lubricants; natural lubes may include some ingredients that people are commonly allergic to..

 

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