Yep, I am starting with the basics. Lube is the secret that is NOT passed down from father to son, or mother to daughter (though the latter is more likely). Lube is also what can make a complicated and intense night actually NOT painful. Lube is... the best thing to have in your sexual arsenal. Like so many things all lubes are not created equal. Lets discuss the major types of lube.
Oil based- Ok, this one I have to take a pass on. I tried it on my inner arm once, ended up with hives. Tried another brand... same result.. and another.. and another... and another.. You get my point. It is not condom safe (even the non latex condoms don't like it that much) and it tends to cause more irritation in more people.
Water based- Water based runs the board for good and bad. Some of the worst lubes are water based, so are some of the best and most non-reactive. The number one thing to watch out for in water based lubes is glycerin. Glycerin is what makes water based lubes become sticky messes that will annoy even the most in-to-things couple. They are totally joyless for your quality alone time as well. Water based lubes also lend to a variety of flavoring, coloring and perfuming options. Personally, I usually, avoid all of these things due to very sensitive skin.
Silicone-This stuff is amazing. No, amazing does not even cover what this lube is... unless... you happen to like silicone toys. Then it is a dangerous interaction waiting to happen. Silicone lube breaks down silicone toys, it literally dissolves the surface of the toys. Also, mixing water based lube and silicone can cause irritation on skin. (I learned that by accident, the hard way.) Silicone is very long lasting, hardly ever gets sticky, and it allows you to play for hours. All in all, if you are not using any silicone toys, (harder and harder to do these days with all the wonderful silicone toys, but that is another post) I highly recommend it.
There are a huge range of things that I have heard, or seen, used as lubes. Things like butter, shortening, olive oil, etc. All of the ones I mentioned can work, but have some major health and safety drawbacks. They can all go rancid. They can also carry contaminants that just do not make for safe play. While cheap and readily available I cannot think of any other really good points.
Now, even if you have sensitive skin, it is worth trying the scented and flavored lubes. I recently went to a "Pure Romance Party", where they actually let you try some of the products. There were several flavored and scented options that I could use, and boy do they allow you more flexibility in play options. I love not having to plan "ok, we can do this, then that, then that other thing" because of nasty tasting lube. Having good lube should increase your spontaneity, not decrease it.
There is another choice out there for each of these major categories. Liquid or cream. Part of that is personal preference and part of it is how much... friction.. you can expect from that activity. A lot of anal lubes are cream for that reason, they tend to stay in place better and the thicker formula decreases friction even more.
There are also specialty lubes, things that warm or cool or even plump the tissues. Most of these use mild irritants, stimulants or additives such as menthol. They can give some very interesting sensations. Once again, if you have sensitive skin or allergies, you will need to be careful with these. I react badly to most all of them. I also get reports of not liking the intensity caused by a lot of these lubes. One friend mixes a water based warming lube with her regular water-based lube so that it wouldn't be so hot.
Here it is, a basic primer on the types of lube available. Go out, find a store with testers, or buy small test packets, try them, have fun with it. It is worth spending money on the small sizes or the one-time test sizes. In the next post I will get into specifics of products I have tried, liked or disliked. I just wanted to start out with a general idea of what I am talking about.
No comments:
Post a Comment