Education, Guides

Let’s Talk Lube

April 25, 2015 | By Erika | Tags: lube, videos

This video is all about LUBE!

Lube (sexy, sexy lube) is super awesome and important, but it’s something a lot of people don’t give much, if any, thought to, which boggles my mind. So let’s break it down— what it is, what it does, the different kinds, and ingredients you should watch out for.

Lube is a liquid applied during sexy situations such as intercourse or masturbation to make things nice and slick in order to reduce friction, aid in penetration, etc. Vaginas, when aroused, will produce their own natural lubrication, but the amount will vary from person to person and even situation to situation, so lube is great for keeping things as comfortable and pleasurable as possible at all times. It’s also really good for penises (like keeping things slippery during masturbation) and absolutely necessary for any sort of anal play.

Lots of people use random household products— lotion, hand cream, Vaseline— as lube, but the problem with that is that none of those things are made to come in contact with your nether regions. They can cause infections and a whole host of other problems, and in a lot of cases they’re not nearly as effective as lube made specifically for sex. Lube is easily accessible anywhere you can buy condoms, and it can make your sex life so much better.

There are several different types of lube out there, but these are the most common: water-based, silicone-based, hybrid, and oil-based.

Water-based lube is probably the most widely available type of sex lubricant. They come in a huge range of textures from thin and watery to more of a heavy gel-like consistency, and many of them try to mimic the feel of natural vaginal fluid. Water-based lubes are super versatile, in that they’re compatible with literally any body part, safe sex barrier, or sex toy. They can dry out during use, but are easily reactivated with a little bit of water (which can include saliva), or you can just reapply. Though they aren’t great for any sort of bathtub or underwater use because they’re water-soluble and will disperse.

Next we have silicone lube, which is the second most common variety and includes a lot of the lubricants available on condoms. These lubes are waterproof, long-lasting, and ultra-slippery. The only downside is that they’re not recommended to be used with silicone sex toys because “like dissolves like” and certain silicone lubes can break down certain silicone toys depending on the types and qualities of silicones you’re dealing with.

Hybrid lubes are a bit less common. They’re water-based with a little bit of silicone added to enhance longevity and slickness. They’re a bit safer to use with high-quality silicone toys (though I’d always recommend doing a patch test first), and they’re especially great for combatting vaginal dryness.

Finally we have oil-based lubes, which are very long-lasting and slippery. These lubes are not compatible with latex or polyisoprene condoms, dental dams, etc., nor are they great for vaginal use because they can clog pores or sometimes cause infection. That said, oil-based lubes are fantastic for penises and/or anal play. Which is why you’ll most often find them at male and LGBT+ oriented sex shops. Seriously, if you’re not using condoms (or only using polyurethane ones) and sticking things in your butt, oil based lube will be your best friend. And it’s totally compatible with silicone sex toys!

Now, when shopping for lube, there are some things you should look out for.

One is parabens, which are a common preservative in all sorts of products that some people are wary of and some EU countries have banned due to a potential breast cancer link.

Another is glycerin, a sugar alcohol present in many, many water-based lubes. It’s great for helping lubes last longer and keeping them slick, but it’s not great for vaginas and can cause yeast infections in people prone to them. So watch out for that.

Also, numbing agents. You’ll see lots of lubes advertised as desensitizing, made for numbing the anus to reduce pain during anal sex. The problem there is that there shouldn’t be significant pain during anal sex; that’s a sign that something’s wrong, you’re tearing the tissue, and you need to slow down or stop. Pain is an important signal from your body, and using a numbing lube or cream to ignore that signal is likely to cause physical damage to the orifice. So don’t do that.

I’ll link some recommendations for different types of lube down in the description.

In other news: If you follow me on social media, you may have seen me talk about this, but I’ve finally bit the bullet and got a Patreon page. Patreon, if you don’t know what it is, is this really cool website that’s similar to a Kickstarter/Indiegogo kinda thing where you’re pledging for perks, but rather than funding one big project you’re pledging a small amount per month to fund an ongoing project, like this series. The thing about sex ed content on YouTube is that it’s not “brand safe” so the types of ads that can be played on it are limited and the revenue is a fraction of a fraction of what non-sex ed content would make. So contributing on Patreon is a great way to help make this series possible— and you’ll get stuff in return! So do check that out if you enjoy The Ins and Outs.

Thanks for watching, and I’ll see you next time!