Lubricants

Did you know some lubes are dangerous for your health, can cause yeast infections, and can cause condoms to break? So how do you know which ones to use?

First, there are two types of lube you should never buy: anal desensitizing lube, and lubes with Nonoxynol-9 (N-9). There are many sex toy stores that sell these lubes, and you should never purchase from these stores. Anal desensitizing lube can cause real internal damage by numbing you to pain intended to warn you something is wrong. Lubes with N-9 claim to help prevent against pregnancy and HIV, but actually increase the risk of HIV and STDS by creating tiny tears and abrasions inside the vagina and anus. Some good stores that don't sell these lubes and care about their customer's health are Babeland and Good Vibrations.

There are three main types of lubricants: water-based, oil-based, and silicone-based.

Water-based lubes are thinner, safe for your body, and easy to clean afterwards. They are safe to use with condoms and other latex products, as well as with sex toys. Sometimes, however, they can be too thin and dry out too soon for anal play.

Oil-based lubes aren't safe to use with condoms or latex. Oils can also disrupt the amount of healthy bacteria in the vagina, causing infections.

Silicone-based lubes feel more like oil, but are safer for your body. You can use them safely internally, and they tend to be thicker and longer-lasting, so better for anal play. You can't use them with your silicone sex toys, though, or the chemicals will react and melt your toy! Also, these can be harder to wash out afterwards.

Sweet or flavored lubes often have their fruity, sweet taste because they contain glycerin. This sugary lube can cause yeast infections in some women, since sugar disrupts the balance of healthy vaginal yeast. So women, be wary of sweet-tasting or fruity lubes!

Also, "do-it-yourself" lubricants are usually not a good idea; stick to water- or silicone-based lubricants from a store. Crisco, baby oil, hemorroid cream, vaseline, and other over-the-counter oils may seem like a good idea because they feel slick, but the oil inside will cause your condoms to fail, and can cause infections when used vaginally. They are also really hard to clean out afterward. Spit dries out too fast and leaves your skin even drier than before.

If you self-lubricate a lot during vaginal intercourse; congratulations! Stick with a thick lube (like Maximus) for anal and you will be set. If you need vaginal lubrication, too, you might want to buy a thinner lube as well, or consider buying a lube sampler from Babeland.

Be safe!