Why on earth would anyone use a personal lubricant? Don’t you know that “If it ain’t Spit, it ain’t Love?”
(Plug: Watch for Sasha’s Love Spit Lubricant from that amazing manufacturer Doc Johnson!)
So, other than paying Dr Tim’s salary, why would anyone use a personal lubricant? And why are there different kinds? What’s the dealio?
First off, paying my salary to keep me off the street is a fine and noble reason. Imagine the trouble I would get into if I didn’t have a place to go during the day. Now imagine the trouble I get into playing in my laboratory every day. Now try not to imagine me “testing” all of my lubes and potions. Yep. Keep me off the street. Society will thank you later.
But there are serious and fun reasons to use a personal lubricant as well.
To begin, some women have trouble lubricating naturally. This could be from a physical or psychological problem. If you are one of these women, there is no shame in visiting your physician to rectify the situation. Life is rough with all that stress of daily living, the demands of children and significant others, working in this economy and the joys of menopause can really dry you up. You are the main reason that personal lubricants were invented. Everyone should have a fair chance to enjoy sex. And without lubrication, sex is a rough road to travel.
Technically, personal lubricants were invented so that the doctor could use a speculum or other device in his office without requiring the ladies to become excited enough to self-lubricate. Dang decent of them. Now if only they wouldn’t keep those darn tools in the freezer before using them on us! In fact, one of my favorite lubricant ingredients was designed for pre-lubricated enema tips. The tips were lubed up and set in an oven, uncovered for over four months. And they were usable afterwards! Although I would hate to have been the one upon which they tested them.
And there are lots of fun reasons to use personal lubricants too! They work great with dildos, vibrators, strap-ons and can be flavored so that your partner doesn’t only have good taste, they taste good too. And since we are talking about fun uses, let’s talk briefly about the back door.
YES! Dr Tim Talks Anal Sex Again! (https://quantumcogitation.com/2010/05/ and https://quantumcogitation.com/2010/04/30/interesting-question-caution-naughtiness-ahead/)
The anus and anal canal is favorite place to play for many folks. However, while the anal canal is technically a mucosal membrane it does not self-lubricate the way a healthy vagina does. You need lube. Especially for those strap-ons! Word is, that if you use a warming lube, it will overload their senses hopefully sending them orgasmically out of control. Be careful, you have been warned.
So why are there so many different types of personal lubricants? Why are there so many types of shoes? Different lubricants for different needs and tastes. Let’s do a brief overview:
Oil-based Lubes: Some people use baby oil, Crisco or massage oils for lubricant. Nothing wrong with that. But remember, oils will rapidly degrade latex, you know, condoms. Weakened condoms equal broken condoms. Broken condoms can equal pregnancy or disease. Pregnancy or disease lead to more complicated lives. Keep your head in the game people! Oh yes, these can stain your linens and lingerie.
And Heaven Forbid if you ruin their latex clothing with oil. That stuff is expensive! Oil works, its inexpensive and probably everyone has one form or another in their home. I do not want to know what happened to the olive oil in my kitchen when my son came to stay with me for a while. (I know.)
Water-based Lubes: Everyone is probably familiar with KY Jelly, one of the best-know personal lubricants on the market. Not everyone loves it, but hey, the trend had to start somewhere. So, water-based lubes contain lots of water, a couple of slippery ingredients and preservatives. Just about any product that is mostly water needs preservatives. Now some people don’t like certain preservatives and some people don’t care. You may notice that some of the global companies use preservatives that are out of vogue, but have worked safely for fifty years or more. Really, this is up to you. Read my posts about parabens if you like. (https://quantumcogitation.com/2008/09/08/how-bout-them-parabens/, https://quantumcogitation.com/2009/11/19/parabens-part-ii/, https://quantumcogitation.com/2011/01/17/parabens-part-iii-more-info-still/)
There can also be nice things like flavor, aloe vera, chamomile extract and other fine skin care items. Folks love these, but they can have a tendency to dry out (water, remember?) and have to be re-applied since your man is a marathon sled dog! (Go get ’em stud! You are a Stallion!) Personal preference, you love them or hate them. They tend to wash out easily.
Silicone Lubes: Now these bad boys are made from silicone and are different from the others. Long-lasting, can work underwater and for my money, give the best ride. Try Doc Johnson’s new iLube! Drawbacks? Well not all silicone is created equal and some are definitely better than others. They could possibly stain your linens depending on the fabric and silicone is not inexpensive. This is probably the most expensive type of lubricant.
Condom-Compatible? Well, oil isn’t. But water-based and silicone can be condom compatible. But here is the catch: To claim that a lubricant is condom-compatible, it must be a registered medical device and have gone through rather extensive testing including the condom tests. This takes time and a fair chunk of money. If you aren’t sure if the company is telling you the truth, call their information number and ask for their 510 (k) number. It is public information. Or you can search for the company on the FDA website for medical devices. But that can get complicated. You techies out there shouldn’t have a problem though.
To make a long story short, (TOO LATE!) try out some different kinds of lubricants and see which one your prefer. I prefer that you try all of Doc Johnson’s lubricants first! Please! Keep me off public access television!
As always: Write to me! drtim@quantumcogitation.com
Quantum Cogitation 