Personal lubricants are liquid gels used to reduce friction during sexual intimacy and medical procedures. They can be found at health-care facilities and pharmacies.
Certain lubricants contain ingredients known to nourish the skin and are safe for use with condoms and toys, while others are specifically formulated to maintain vaginal pH balance and support the body’s microbiome.
Safety
Lubricating intimate experiences heightens sensation and pleasure while making movement easier, helping both of you focus on each other more fully. Before purchasing any lubricant product, however, be sure to read its ingredients to make sure it is suitable for you and avoid supermarket varieties with excessive glycerin or propylene glycol content that could increase susceptibility to thrush as well as unbalancing vaginal pH balance.
Glycerin and glycol contribute to the osmolality of personal lubricants, which may cause cells in the vagina to absorb water and become dehydrated, leading to irritation as well as increased susceptibility for infection and transmission of STIs. For optimal performance and effectiveness, water-based lubricants are the best choice, as they mimic your natural body lubrication best; water-based products also come in handy with latex condoms as well as kegel weights/pelvic wands/pelvic weights/pelvic wands so you don’t need worry about cleaning after each use! Finally, rinse cleanly between applications and removals!
Side effects
Personal lubricants are used by people of all ages, gender identities and sexual orientations during intimate activity to reduce friction and enhance comfort and pleasure. These liquid gels contain humectants (glycerin and propylene glycol) as well as thickeners, preservatives and antimicrobials for added safety and pleasure.
These substances help keep water from evaporating too quickly, but can also trap too much moisture that causes irritation of vaginal tissues and increases vulnerability to sexually transmitted infections.
Supermarket lubricants often contain irritating substances like glycerin, propylene glycol, spermicides and petroleum oil that can harm the delicate balance of vaginal ecosystem. Such products may lead to thrush infection as well as increase susceptibility. Some lubricants also include ingredients to enhance sensation like warming agents, capsaicin for tingling sensation and peppermint extracts which may cause itching for some people; perfumed or flavoured varieties may cause further problems – it would be wiser for individuals to choose natural alternatives with no perfumed/flavoring ingredients as this will likely reduce risks for any potential issues associated with perfumed/flavoring ingredients that would come directly impactful effects for them personally.
Ingesting
Personal lubricants are designed to relieve vaginal dryness or friction during intercourse for increased sexual pleasure, but they can also make oral sex more pleasurable for everyone involved. There are various forms available – water-based, silicone-based and oil-based options; fragranced versions even contain lidocaine or benzocaine for anesthetic relief!
When selecting a lubricant, always read its label carefully to avoid products with preservatives and glycerin that could irritate genital skin. Also avoid products containing animal fat glycerin as this changes your natural vaginal pH balance and increases risk for infections such as bacterial vaginosis and urinary tract infections. Iso-osmotic lubricants mimick our bodies natural lubrication better; or look for ingredients such as menthol, capsaicin, Niacin or caffeine to further enhance sensations for an enhanced experience or stimulating effect.
Choosing a lubricant
There is a wide selection of lubricants on the market today, so the best thing is to experiment and find one that best meets your needs. Lubricants enhance sexual pleasure, heighten sensation and reduce pain during sexual intimacy and anal penetration – they’re also fantastic tools for use with toys, dilaters and kegel weights!
Two RCTs and an observational study both concluded that using lubricants was associated with an improvement in female sexual well-being (low to moderate certainty evidence).
Some water-based lubricants contain additives to enhance sensation, provide flavor or scent enhancement or increase osmolality of their formulation, but these added substances can increase vaginal discomfort by raising its osmolality level and potentially increasing vaginal irritation and discomfort.
Many women find a low osmolality, iso-osmotic lubricant more comfortable. This is because these types of products tend to release less moisture into the vaginal canal and less likely to cause irritation by doing so. Furthermore, selecting one with a pH level similar to vaginal pH is important, since an imbalanced pH could result in infections like yeast or bacterial vaginosis.
