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Why Use Personal Lubricants?
Moisture is essential to any kind of sexual activity - rubbing dry on dry skin will quickly show you how uncomfortable it can be without it. Moisture prevents micro-abrasions in our most sensitive areas that can happen from sexual friction, as well as heightens sensation. Dr Laura Berman from the Berman institute illustrated it well when she described her “finger on lip” test... "first run your finger over your dry lip, then lick them and try again... and you'll understand why moisture is so important. A personal lubricant is more than just moisture... it's formulated to be more slick than our natural lubricants, and to give a bit of padding between surfaces in motion."
There are many causes for women's natural moisture to dry up, most relating to changes in our oestrogen levels, which directly affect how moist we are:
- Time of the month - some women's level of vaginal moisture varies with their monthly cycle
- Individual differences - some women just produce more moisture than others
- Age - as we mature, our body produces less oestrogen, affecting moisture levels
- Stress - affects sexual response in both men and women.
- Medication- over the counter and heavier medications can also decrease lubrication, even such common ones as birth control pills, antibiotics and anti-depressants, cigarettes, and alcohol
- Weather - those living in dryer weather who don't keep their bodies hydrated can pass the dryness on to their nether regions
- Pregnancy/childbirth - the hormonal fluctuations involved in having children can cause issues
- Medical issues - pelvic surgery, diabetes, the list is seemingly endless And these aren't all the reasons... travel, quantity of sex, even how much coffee you drink can be contributing factors.
Using personal lubricants do more than just add moisture though - they are formulated to be slicker than our natural lubricants, and to give a bit of padding between surfaces in motion.
Ok, so we've established that lubrication is a good thing, now which one to get?
Categories of Personal Lubricants
The amount of information about personal lubricants in general is so vast and confusing so Hapsari has pared it down to just the essentials. There are basically 3 different kinds of personal lubricants: water-based, silicone-based and oil-based. Hapsari only recommends and stocks water-based and silicone-based personal lubricants.
Water-based Personal Lubricants
Water-based personal lubricants are the most versatile, safest and popular intimate lubricants for all situations. They are safe to use with condoms and all forms of barrier birth control. In addition, water-based personal lubricants are safe to use with adult toys and vibrators, which are usually made of either latex, silicone, or plastic.
Water-based personal lubricants generally don't stain (unless colouring has been added), and can be flavoured. They are thicker than silicone lubes because water molecules are thicker than silicone molecules, so are often recommended for anal sex, though some prefer silicone lubes because they don't dry up as quickly. Water-based lubes clean up easily with soap and water, though some of the better water-based personal lubricants will just soak into your skin (and double as a moisturizer with the right ingredients).
The only across-the-board disadvantage to all water-based intimate lubricants is that they are water-based, so they dehydrate quicker than other types of personal lubricants (touching yourself with a bit of water from a glass on your bedside table, rehydrates the area again instantly). Unlike silicone lubes, which are made out of inert ingredients, water-based personal lubricants can also contain ingredients that might react with our bodies, depending on what we are sensitive to.
Common ingredients: glycerine or plant cellulose (slippery stuff); methyl, butyl, ethyl and propyl parabens (preservatives, bonding agents and antiseptics); and propylene glycol (thickening agent and preservative).
Products we suggest: There are so many personal lubricants on the market, we don't even want to carry them all, though we have tested more than we can count. Booty Parlor 's Add Magic Intimate Lubricant, comes in a cute bedside pump bottle and their Skin Honey is a delicious flavoured 3-in-1 personal lubricant that can add a little fun to your play. If you are sensitive to parabens, try YESforLOV Lubrifiant Intime, Good Clean Love Organic Personal Lubricant, Sliquid Organics Gel, Sliquid Organics Sensations (with a little menthol for a pleasant warming effect) and Sliquid Organics Natural.
Silicone-based Personal Lubricants
Silicone is clear, thinner, and feels slick. Though it tends to be more expensive, a little bit goes a long way, so your bottle will last twice as long as a similar-sized bottle of water-based lube.
Silicone molecules are smaller than water molecules, which means that you stay a little more in-touch with what you're rubbing against and don't have as much padding; personal tastes dictate whether this is a good or bad thing. Because silicone isn't a naturally occurring substance in the body, it doesn't absorb like water-based personal lubricants do. Although you might think this is a bad thing, when you factor in that your body expels foreign substances, silicone-based personal lubricants are actually expelled from your system faster than you might think. Silicone is inert, which means it won't change your pH balance or react with your body's chemistry, a big plus if your body is just looking for an excuse for a yeast infection.
Since it isn’t water-soluble, it's the perfect choice for using in water such as in a bath or spa. (A word of caution though, it will make the floor of your shower super-slick too.) Silicone-based personal lubricants also make great massage oils because they don't dry up before you're done with them (try it as a shave cream, or to make your latex clothes shine, too!). Soap and water will wash it off with a little effort.
There are a few disadvantages with silicone-based personal lubricants. They can leave stains on your sheets (these will wash out over time, but still) and they can gum up the surface of cheaper adult toys and vibrators because the only thing that bonds to silicone is silicone. To be clear, this refers to adult toys and vibrators that use a lesser-grade of silicone (called “tin” silicone) or a combination of silicone and other materials (like many of the new products created by the big toy companies; if a toy smells, it's not 100% silicone). The only silicone adults toys that Hapsari sells are made with “platinum” silicone (medical-grade quality silicone) and don't have any issues. If you are unsure what type your vibrators or adult toys you've got, do a spot-test on a small area; if it's going to gum up, it will do so immediately. Silicone isn't so friendly on the digestive tract; so using it for oral sex might give you the runs if you ingest too much.
Common ingredients: Cyclomethicone, dimethiconaol, silicone, dimeticone copolyol, and all silicone liquids that combine to create inert silicone lube.
Products we suggest: Sliquid makes a part-silicone part-water-based lube called Sliquid Organics Silk, which gives you the padding of water-based lube with some of the longevity and slick-ness of silicone personal lubricants.
Oil-based Personal Lubricants
Oil-based personal lubricants were the first recorded lubes - Egyptians started using olive oil back in the hieroglyphic days. It's only in recent history that we've found out that any type of oil wreaks havoc on the vagina, encouraging bacteria and creating yeast infections. Some sex educators therefore reserve oil-based lubes for anal sex and male masturbation, but recent research is also ruling out use for anal sex, as some say it can coat the lining of the rectum, providing a haven for many potential infections. Oil-based lubes also break down latex, which will either render your condom useless, or destroy your favourite adult toys or vibrators. This category also includes mineral and petroleum-based lubricants. Hapsari does not sell any oil-based personal lubricants.
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