 Adding lubricants to sex and foreplay can give a whole new touch and feel to love-making. Nevertheless, many people seem to dislike the notion of using lubricants for sex. Find out the truth behind lubricants, what’s good, bad and ugly! Which lubricants you should steer clear of, which ones you shouldn’t miss, which ones are great for anal sex?
Even though every other person knows about the pleasures of personal lubricant for sex, only a few people use it. Most people believe they have a satisfactory sex life and don’t need to use it. Many people who use a lubricant admit they don’t need it but use it because of the sheer pleasure they get out of it. So why is there so much argument about something as simple as a lubricant, which helps reduce friction and increases pleasure?
Personal lubricant is nothing but a substance designed for reducing genital friction, making sexual intercourse smooth, enhancing pleasure for both partners, relieving vaginal dryness in some women (especially middle-aged) and preventing tearing of condoms due to rough riding.
Why use personal lubricant and how to choose the right one?
A survey conducted by a leading sex toy manufacturer asked their respondents if they used lubricants. A startlingly low percentage (26%) of them replied in affirmative. The most misleading notion among all women was that lubricants are for those women who have a medical condition called vaginal dryness. However, this is not the truth. Many sex therapists and experts recommend use of personal lubricant even if the women do not experience any dryness.
Once you use a lubricant, you would know what you had been missing all this time!
If you are a beginner and naïve about commercial lubricants and don’t know the good ones from bad, here is a comprehensive guide that will help you choose your own sex lubricant.
Water-based Lubricants
Water based lubricant is the most popular among all other types of lubricants. The main reason behind its popularity is it is non-irritating and can be safely used with latex condoms. This lubricant can be easily washed off too. The only downside of this lubricant is that they dry up faster as compared to other lubricants. However, this problem can be solved too by adding a bit of lube or water, which can reactivate its lubricating properties.
Flavoured Lubricants
Flavoured Lubricants are mostly water-based lubricants but with an added tinge of some of the fruity contents such as watermelon, banana, cherry, mint, etc. The added flavour brings aromatic pleasure and sweet taste into lovemaking apart from reducing friction, which increases the pleasure for both the partners. Couples who practice oral sex for foreplay mainly favour flavoured lubricants.
Despite so many pleasures of flavoured lubricants, one has to be very careful about using them especially if they have yeast infections. Since these lubricants contain glycerine and sugar, there is a chance that they may worsen the infections. This problem can be solved by using flavoured lubricants that do not contain sugar or glycerine.
Silicone-based Lubricants
A few years ago, water-based lubricants were the only forms of lubricants available. Silicone based lubricants are relatively newer and more advanced. They are longer lasting than water-based lubricants, safe to use with all condoms and latex products. The downside of these lubricants is that they are harder to wash off and make you feel coated. In addition, if they are left for a long time, some women may experience irritation. Remember; do not use silicone-based lubricants with sex toys made of silicone, as this can damage the toys.
Oil-based Lubricants
Many people used petroleum jellies and oils for lubrication purposes. This gave birth to oil based lubricants. However, they are no longer recommended as they can leave a sticky residue on the rectum or vagina and can cause bacterial infections. Moreover, oil-based lubricants are known to break down latex condoms, dams, diaphragms, cervical caps and other such safe-sex products.
Sugar Free Lubricants
Flavoured lubricants either contain sugar or are sugar-free. It is important to find out if your choice of flavoured lubricants is sugar free or not. The sugar and glycerine content in most flavoured lubricants may cause yeast infections in sensitive women or promote yeast infections in women who already suffer from them.
Anal Sex Lubricants
Unlike the vagina, the anus doesn’t produce natural juices that help in easy penetration. Since the anal cavity is not self-lubricating, use of lubricant becomes essential. Without added lubrication, anal sex becomes painful, which most people agree. Many women report discomfort, irritation lingering pain for days and infections after they have anal sex. These happen because of the mucous and sweat in the anus. Washing or douching thoroughly prior to anal sex and using a good lubricant can thwart all these problems. The best form of lubricant for anal sex is silicone-based lubricants because they are thicker and don’t dry up easily. You can also add a dash of water-based lubricant to silicone-based lubricant for added pleasure in anal sex.
When buying a lubricant keep the following things in mind:
- Do not buy lubricants that contain petroleum by-products.
- Never buy lubricants that contain paraben, this ingredient can cause breast cancer.
- Try to avoid lubricants that contain glycerine or sugar if you suffer from bouts of yeast infections.
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