How to Choose the Best Personal Lubricant for yourself

Check out my video where I review personal lubricants in detail. Before we go on, we’ll also discuss the ingredients to avoid as well. 

There are three main types of lubricants which I reviewed here in the previous blog, but let’s also learn what ingredients can cause harm. Artificial flavors, colors, sweeteners, essential oils, additional ingredients, or glycerin may be irritating or overwhelming when trying lubricants for the first time. 

You never know how you’ll respond to these additions. Some of the added functions, such as “warming” or “tingling,” can be more overwhelming than expected, especially if it’s your first time using a personal lubricant.

Ingredients to avoid

The most frequent lubricant chemicals that cause allergic reactions and should be avoided are listed below.

1. Benzocaine is a numbing substance that dulls your body’s natural pain response, increasing the risk of catastrophic injury or chronic discomfort when it wears off. It’s also a possible skin irritant.
2. Cyclomethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane, and Cyclopentasiloxane (silicones): Although no formal research on these compounds’ effects on vaginal usage has been done (in the long term), they have been related to fertility harm and uterine cancer in animals [1].
3. Both Nonoxynol 9 and Chlorhexidine Gluconate are designed to kill or sterilise microorganisms, however they also kill beneficial bacteria in the body. They can create a stinging or burning feeling in the vaginal area, and they can make you [more susceptible to STIs [2] and pathogen transmission] for up to 24 hours following usage.
4. Parabens: are a type of preservative used to extend the life of personal care products. Vaginal mucous membrane irritation and genital rashes are prevalent. Parabens have also been related to endocrine disruption and fertility issues (hormone disruption) [3].
5. Petroleum Oils: Bacterial breeding grounds that can change the natural pH of the vagina and interfere with proper skin function.
6. Undisclosed flavors or fragrances: When you encounter words like “flavor,” “fragrance,” or “aroma” in a list of ingredients, it frequently signifies a combination of unknown substances, including carcinogens, reproductive toxins, and allergic ingredients.
7. Polyquaternium-15, a preservative included in a few water-based lubricants, has been shown to increase viral activity and HIV infectivity.
8. Caustic soda/lye – aka sodium hydroxide: It’s used as a preservative and can also be found in soaps, detergents, and drain cleaners! It has the potential to damage cells.

How to pick a lubricant?

• The WHO recommends lubricants with a pH of 4.5 and an osmolality of less than 1200 mOsm/kg [4].
• To avoid an increased risk of bacterial vaginosis, choose one that replicates the acidity of a healthy vagina—around pH 3.8 to 4.5. Because the anus has a more neutral acidity level (pH 5.5 to 7), use a lube that is acceptable for it [5].
• Osmolality refers to how concentrated the chemicals in a water-based lubricant are. Body tissues can be irritated by high osmolality lubes since they dehydrate them, and regrettably, many popular lubes are high osmolality.
• A lube’s osmolality should be less than 380 milli-osmoles per kilogramme.
• An ideal lube would be Iso-osmotic having equal osmotic pressure, or their cells have the same hydration levels as vaginal tissue cells, which are around 285-295 mOsm/kg (milli-osmoles per kilogramme of solvent).

Water-based

Water-based lubrication has the advantage of being extremely simple to remove after usage, leaving your skin clean, velvety smooth, and residue-free. These are the most popular because they are widely available, inexpensive, and typically less irritating. 

Lube-life: 12oz bottle for about $10.99 – The water-based lubricant is free of parabens, silicones and oils. These are safe to use with condoms, safe to ingest If you are having oral sex and they are  one of the highest-rated lubricants on Amazon. It’s about $10.99. The product is made in the United States. 

Ingredients include:

• Propanediol, a solvent that helps to blend components together, is “generally accepted as safe” in food despite the fact that it might cause minor discomfort. As in, as long as you’re not guzzling numerous bottles of lube every day, you’re good to go.
• Gluconolactone is a mild acid found in fruit, honey, and wine that is often used in skin exfoliants. It’s also a humectant, which means it pulls moisture into the skin.
• Hydroxyethylcellulose (Plant-based) is a wood pulp-based gelling and thickening ingredient that is primarily used to improve the texture and feel of skincare and cosmetic products.
• Preservatives include sodium benzoate and citric acid.
• All of their water-based products are paraben-free, glycerin-free, silicone-free, and oil-free.

Additional Information:

• There are no additional sugars or hazardous substances in their flavors.
• Osmolality: 600 to 700 mOsm/kg while their pH is between 3.6 to 4.5

• Get your hands on this to satisfy your sweet craving. you can get a 30% discount using my link! 
• They also offer anal lubricants. 
• 100% money back guarantee

LubeLife Flavored Lubricants – One of their most popular varieties is Mint Chocolate Chip. Cotton candy, watermelon, and strawberry are among the flavors that have received over 40,000 five-star ratings from Amazon consumers who have tried and enjoyed this product.

The ingredient include: 

• Water (aqua), 
• Glycerin, 
• Potassium Sorbate, 
• Hydroxyethyl – Cellulose, 
• Flavor (aroma), 
• Sucralose, 
• Sodium Chloride, 
• Citric Acid

• Glycerin has a poor rep because it raises the lube’s osmolality (a technical term for the measure of how much of one substance has been dissolved in another), and the simple truth is that too much glycerin is bad [6]. If you consume too much from this sugar alcohol, you risk bacterial development and serious conditions like yeast infections and urinary tract infections.
• Glycerin is a humectant, which indicates it can help keep items like facial cleansers and skin creams from drying out or stinging the skin. Sucralose is an artificial sweetener.

LUBELIFE Products:  Use this link for 30% off all products!

LUBELIFE Water-Based Lubricant

LUBELIFE Barely There Thin Silicone-Based Lubricant 

Unbound Jelly – This water-based lubricant is made with 95% organic components and is safe to use throughout sex. Jelly isn’t bad on the taste buds with a slight flavor of vanilla and lemon. Unbound water-based lubricant costs $16 for three ounces. 

Ingredients:

• Organic aloe and barbados leaf juice or simply aloe
• Xanthan gum and  Agar – thickeners
• Potassium Sorbate, 
• Sodium Benzoate, 
• Sodium Lactate, Lactic Acid- which reduces the pH of the lubricant.
• Natural Food Grade Flavors 
• Potassium sorbate. 
• Natural flavor  (vanilla and lemon) – food grade & edible. 

Buy anything off their site (including some interesting toys) and get 10% off with coupon code RENA15.

Good Clean Love – Naked has the same ingredients as Unbound Jelly. 

• It is available for $11.99 for four ounces
• They will donate an amount equal to the carbon footprint of each bottle of Almost Naked sold to a project that decreases greenhouse gas emissions [GhG] by an amount equal to that bottle’s carbon footprint. 

This particular lubricant has been tested to see that it does not impair sperm motility and is safe to use when you’re trying to conceive and the PH rating for both of these lubricants is between 4.2 and 4.7, and this has the lowest osmo rating. It ranges from 250 to 400 millimeters per kilogram.  

We’ll discuss BioNude Ultra Sensitive Personal Lubricant and Biogenesis Fertility Lubricant here.

• BioNude Ultra Sensitive Personal Lubricant is a water-based hydroxyethylcellulose formula which is ideal for anyone who is ultrasensitive to other lubricants or has allergic reactions to aloe products. 
• This contains a 100% Isotonic water-based formula with no flavor, no fragrance; not made with parabens, petrochemicals or glycerin. 
• Their bio Match technology works with your body to maintain a natural, healthy vaginal pH by closely mimicking a woman’s natural moisture which is equally compatible for use with toys and condoms and safe for use when trying to conceive or while pregnant.
• On the contrary, Biogenesis Fertility Lubricant is a water-based hydroxyethylcellulose formula which is equally fertility-friendly & water-based with hydroxyethylcellulose that does not impede sperm movement. 
• This formula mimics natural vaginal moisture, FDA tested and paraben-free plus with no petrochemicals or glycerin.

Aloe-based/Plant based: Aloe vera hydrates the skin and soothes inflammation. Because aloe vera is water-based, unlike oils, it can be used with condoms.

Maude Shine – Made with moisturizing aloe, their 100% natural lubricant is organic and ultra-hydrating. This aloe-based lubricants features Dakota Johnson, the famous actress from Fifty Shades of Grey, just signed on as co-creative director of Maude and this is a relatively new company that sells not only personal lubricants but sex toys, and condoms.

                     

• It contains Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Propanediol, Tremella Fuciformis (Mushroom) Extract, Gluconolactone, Sodium Hyaluronate, Chenopodium Quinoa Seed Extract, Cannabis Sativa Seed Extract, Linum Usitatissimum (Linseed) Seed Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Extract, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Benzoat, Potassium Sorbate, and Citric Acid. 
• Additionally, it has a twelve months shelf-life. Besides this, it states it is not tested on animals. 
• It’s safe to use with condoms. 
• However, it is explicitly mentioned on their website that this is not edible, so do not eat it or use it for oral sex. 
• It’s about $25 for an eight ounce bottle and the PH of this lubricant is between four and five.

Maude Shine: use Code DRMALIK to get 10% off. 

Summary:

• 100% Natural
• Organic
• Aloe-based formula
• pH-Balanced
• Easy to use with locking pump top
• Latex-friendly
• Glycerin & Paraben-free, gluten-free, sugar-free, hormone-free, glycerin-free, paraben-free, and contain non-GMO and vegan-friendly ingredients.
• Ultra-moisturizing and never sticky feeling
• Rinses away easily with warm water
• It can be used with devices
• Manufactured in the USA in a FDA & GMP approved and regulated facility
• NOT edible

Use the code DRMALIK to get a 10% discount off. 

Premium – Their aloe based lubricant is very similar to shine lubricant. It gets you four ounces for $10. 

Additionally: 

• They also have a sixty-day 100% money back guarantee. 
• This organic aloe-based lube is 510K approved, made in the USA at a cGMP certified approved facility.

Promescent Premium aloe-based lube is made of:

• Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, 
• Propanediol, 
• Tremella Fuciformis (Mushroom) Extract, 
• Gluconolactone, 
• Sodium Hyaluronate, 
• Chenopodium Quinoa Seed Extract, 
• Cannabis Sativa Seed Extract, 
• Linum Usitatissimum (Linseed) Seed Extract, 
• Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, 
• Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Extract, 
• Hydroxyethylcellulose, 
• Xanthan Gum, 
• Sodium Benzoate, 
• Potassium Sorbate, and; 
• Citric Acid.

Buy anything from Promescent and get 15% with coupon code MALIK15

Silicone-Based

These last a lot longer than water based lubricants, so there is no need to reapply. It can be used with (latex) condoms, but it should not be used with silicon sex toys because it can cause some degradation of silicon based sex toys. 

” data-wplink-url-error=”true”>UberLube has silicones, which are all medical grade silicone and vitamin E, which acts as a preservative in this specific formulation for lubricants. It comes in a very neat looking glass bottle and you can get it for about $18 for less than 2 oz.

Furthermore, 

• Unscented and water-friendly – Perfect for splashing around in pools, lakes, and tubs while leaving no odour and being absolutely flavourless.
• No Sticky Residue, won’t stain – Vitamin E adds a silky, moisturised sensation to the skin that evaporates across the skin, leaving no stains on clothing or linens. Dissolvable lubricant that fades into the background of your encounter so you can focus on what actually matters.
• Compatible with latex (or latex safe). It will not support the growth of yeast, bacteria, or mould. 
• It is free of animal products, parabens, alcohol, gluten, glycerin, flavors, and scents.

Oil-based Lubricants

Generally, it lasts longer, that are usually not irritating, readily available. However, the major drawback is that it cannot be used with condoms. This is because they will degrade the latex in the condoms. If you are allergic to certain nuts or beans from which the oil is extracted, it may induce allergic responses.

Coconu – It is edible and costs  24.99 for 3 oz. This oil based lubricant has a number of ingredients. 

• It contains a bunch of oils, sunflower seed coconut, Shea Butter, coconut seed butter, basically all natural oils and tocopherol, which is vitamin E which acs as a preservative. 
• It is 100% edible and cruelty-free.
• Coconu donates a portion of their proceeds to the Ovarian Cancer Research Association. 
• They also have a water based lubricant, which is coconut water based as well as some hemp seed oil that you can use for massage or other things like that. 

The ingredients include:

• Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, 
• Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, 
• Cera Alba (Beeswax), 
• Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), 
• Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, 
• Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, 
• Aleurites Moluccana (Kukui) Seed Oil, 
• Hippophae Rhamnoides (Sea Buckthorn) Oil, 
• Tocopherol (Non-GMO)

It can be observed from the above ingredients that several oils and tocopherol, which is vitamin E, can work as a preservative. It can also cause irritation in people with sensitive skin.

P.S For any Coconu Lubricants: Use Coupon Code RENA15 for 15% off anything on their site!

Bonus:

Coconut oil – It has a high pH, which makes it alkaline, whereas the vaginal pH is acidic. These qualities have the potential to upset your vaginal pH equilibrium. This can result in vaginal yeast infections or other infections.

Most typical kitchen coconut oil comes in a large jar; you wouldn’t want to repeatedly dig your unclean fingers into it over the period of six months or even years. According to him, this could result in bacterial proliferation and illnesses. So, scoop it out with a spoon (PLUS – wash your hands!) 

Tip:

A little goes a long way in this case. Tubes and applicators are available for some lubricants, making it easy to apply the oil precisely where you want it. Finally, rather than applying it immediately to the genitals, squirt a small bit into your hand to warm it up first.