All You Need To Know About Lube

Lube can be hard to navigate especially for those who haven’t used it before. Searching for a lube that will be right for you and your partner can be overwhelming - what brands to trust? What type to use? What ingredients to look out for? 

We believe that lube is a necessary item that every sexually active person should have, whether it’s for solo sex, partner sex, or anal sex. A good quality lube is a must.

Why Use Lube?

There are many reasons why someone may choose to use lube.

You may need a little extra lubrication. Vaginal dryness can happen because of a number of reasons. If you’ve noticed changes to the amount of lubrication that you have, lube is a great product to introduce. Oftentimes the changes in your natural lubrication are due to hormonal changes. Perhaps you’re postpartum, are breastfeeding, or going through menopause - these can effect the estrogen your body is producing and lead to less natural lubrication (this is nothing to be ashamed of). Cancer treatments can also affect your natural lubrication both during and after treatments. Certain medications can affect your body’s ability to self-lubricate as well.

You want to mix things up in the bedroom. Lube oftentimes will make your sexual experiences more pleasurable. If you’re looking to explore anal sex with a partner, we definitely recommend using a lubricant to avoid any tearing or damage.

You want to have a quickie. Sometimes we just want to have a quickie with our partner and don’t have the time to get fully aroused or lubricated. Lube will help tremendously in this situation.

Types of Lube

There are three different types of lube that you can use, each with their own pros and cons.

Silicone-based Lube: 

Pros: Long-lasting, very slippery, recommended for anal sex, non-irritating, safe to use with condoms, doesn’t encourage bacterial/yeast growth that often leads to UTIs or yeast infections.

Cons: Can destroy some of your sex toys (so be sure to test out small areas before fully using it), can be difficult to wash off your skin because it’s designed to stay slippery.

Water-based Lube:

Pros: Safe for all sex toys and products, easier to clean than silicone.

Cons: Doesn’t last very long and needs to be reapplied, can sometimes leave behind a stick residue, may find it irritating because of the ingredients, not recommended if you’re prone to UTIs or yeast infections because it can affect your vaginal PH levels.

Oil-based Lube:

Pros: Moisturizing, creamy and thick.

Cons: Will degrade condoms and sex toys, and not safe for preventing pregnancy.

What You Need To Know About Lube

Whether you choose to use lube or not, or the type of lube you choose to use is dependant on the context of your sex life and what you’re using it for.

Like we mentioned, if you’re participating in anal sex, lube is a must-have. It’s also important to note that if you’re trying to get pregnant, avoid water-based lubricants as they can impact sperm mobility.

Make sure you’re looking at the ingredients because some lubes contain ingredients like glycerin, parabens, fragrances and other irritating chemicals that can cause harm to your mucus membrane and alter your vaginal PH. Pay attention to how you and your partner’s bodies feel about trying a new product - if there’s any irritation, itching, infection or discomfort, it’s best to try something else.

Jordin recommends starting off with a high quality silicone-based lube, then exploring other options if that doesn’t work for you.

Great Sex Is Just The Beginning

You need to start making an effort to have the kind of sex that’s worth having for both you and your partner. Changing it up in the bedroom and adding some excitement to your sex life can be as easy as ordering a new bottle of lube to try.

It’s time to redefine what pleasure means to you, because great sex is just the beginning.

For better sex and more connected relationships, work with us. We’ll help you learn that you’re not broken, what you’ve been taught is. Visit thepleasurecollective.com/programs to learn more. 

Listen to episode #49 of The Pleasure Principles Podcast on Apple or Spotify.