Madeeha Syed

Explore the essential information on lubrication. Learn types, uses, benefits, and more in this comprehensive guide. Your go-to source for lubrication facts.

Everything You Need To Know About Lubrication

This article or video has been recorded by a subject / domain specialists with a proven track record of excellence in their area. 

Overview

There&rsquo;s often a misconception that those who fail to naturally self-lubricate, such as older woman, are the only ones who need to use any lubricants. However, that is not the case.

Personal lubricant or lube is a liquid or gel used to prevent friction during sex. The lubrication it provides can add to a much more smoother and pleasurable experience as well. It can enhance all kinds of sexual pleasure from penetrative sex to toys and even masturbation. It can even help with alleviating dryness associated with women going through menopause.

When it comes to lube you have several options out there but knowing which one is right for you takes some research. The wrong choice can do all kinds of harm from destroying your pH balance down there to ripping up your condoms. 
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Options For Lubricants

These are the options we have when it comes to lubricants: &nbsp;

<ul>
	<li>Water Based: These are the most common ones and come in two different formulations: with glycerin and without glycerin. It&rsquo;s relatively thin and easier to rinse off and goes super well with toys. However, it may give up on you while you&rsquo;re in the throes of passion and multiple applications are required. They are cost effective, readily available, safe to use with condoms, don&rsquo;t stain sheets and the glycerin-based ones cause less vaginal irritation. 
	Some of these may have added sugar which can lead to yeast infections so read label before buying. 
	&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Silicone Based: These last longer than the other types, are safe to use with condoms and they&rsquo;re hypoallergenic. What&rsquo;s more is that they can last even under water if you&rsquo;re looking for some fun in the shower, however, this does make them harder to wash away. There&rsquo;s just one caveat, don&rsquo;t use this with silicone toys as they&rsquo;ll damage the material. They can also stain your sheets sometimes so caution is advised. 
	&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Oil Based: These are thicker than the water and silicone-based lubes but can&rsquo;t be used with latex condoms as they can break down the material. Natural oil-based lubricants such as avocado, coconut, vegetable or olive oil are great for genital massages and all types of sexual play. They&rsquo;re also safe to eat. 
	Synthetic oil-based lubes such as Vaseline or baby oil can lead to vaginal irritation. 
	&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Organic Or Vegan Lubricants: These are free of paraben, a notorious ingredient whose side-effects are well-documented and made with natural eco-friendly material but may have a shorter shelf life. 
	&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

Turns out that a woman&rsquo;s ability to self-lubricate varies with monthly cycles, pregnancy and <a href="https://merisehat.pk/disease/menopause">menopause</a>, use of <a href="https://merisehat.pk/disease/female-contraception">contraception</a>, medications such as antihistamines or antidepressants, chemotherapy, breastfeeding, autoimmune disorders causing dry skin and even stress levels. Needing a little extra help with lubes isn&rsquo;t a bad thing especially when it&rsquo;s been known to enhance your arousal as well. So, using or needing lube doesn&rsquo;t mean there&rsquo;s something wrong with your body or you aren&rsquo;t turned on enough.

Dr Sari Locker, a sexuality educator at Columbia University and author of The Complete Idiot&rsquo;s Guide to Amazing Sex says, &ldquo;Some women use a store-bought lubricant because they have issues with vaginal dryness, but many other women use lubrication simply for a new sensation during sex. Plenty of women have high desire, but they don&rsquo;t lubricate as much as they&rsquo;d like because of their <a href="https://merisehat.pk/disease/normal-menstrual-cycle">menstrual cycle</a>, menopause, or medication.&rdquo;

For men, you can use lube anytime you like, just avoid the oil-based ones while you&rsquo;re wearing a condom. For penetration other than vaginal, lube isn&rsquo;t optional as those area don&rsquo;t self-lubricate which means any penetration, no matter how gentle, can cause tears there.

This means long-term pain and discomfort which is something we&rsquo;d all like to avoid. There are special lubes out there designed for anal sex as well and they tend to not dry out as quickly but if you can&rsquo;t find those, then silicone-based lubes are the best option.

Now, we do have edible and flavored lubes for oral sex but they can be an acquired taste. These tend to taste a little off-putting because of the artificial ingredients and dyes and we generally don&rsquo;t advise swallowing them either. We also have tingly lube which as the name suggests adds one extra sensation, i.e. tingling, to your overall experience. 
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Conclusion

And last but not the least, if youre trying to conceive look for &ldquo;sperm friendly&rdquo; or &ldquo;fertility friendly&rdquo; labels on the bottle as some lubricants can negatively impact sperm motility. 
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