lube ingredients... are natural oils bad?
I was having some pain with sex so I got some lubricants. I got some called "massage oil" because I thought it would be sexier than KY jelly (the smell, prettier bottle, etc.). Brandye said vegetable-based lubes were fine, but this part of the article from this website (it's the one on lubrication) seems to say otherwise:
"Prior to the current, safer-sex era, many people used oil-based lubricants, namely Vaseline or mineral oil. Neither of these are healthy choices as a sexual aide. Petroleum-based oils (i.e., Vaseline) destroy latex upon contact, making them useless for use with condoms, diaphragms, cervical caps, sponges, and the protective coatings around some IUDs. Oils also coat the inside of the vagina and rectum, providing a breeding ground for dangerous bacteria. Consider oil-based lubricants for cosmetic use only and not as a sexual aide."
So if my lube has this stuff in it: Safflower Oil, Almond Oil, Canola Oil, Jojoba Oil, Vitamin E, Ylang Ylang Oil (essential oil), Tangerine Oil (essential oil), Patchouli Oil (essential oil), Nutmeg Oil (essential oil), is it going to cause an infection? I also have another one which has this in it: Soybean Oil, Grapeseed Oil, Pistachio Oil, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Sweet Almond Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate, Lecithin, Pure Essential Oils of Jasmine, Rose, Grapefruit, Bergamot, Sandalwood, Rosewood, Ylang Ylang, Lavender, Neroli
Can I use either of these or are they both bad? Is there a reason other can condom breakage that I should only use water-based lubes?
I am on the pill (and an antidepressant, which is probably why i'm dry and need lube in the first place) and don't need condoms, so I don't care if the oil breaks down rubber/latex. But if there's a risk of getting an infection I definitely don't want to use it.
Any advice?
ae52005
Replies:
Ok, great question. Natural vegetable oils are fine. My favorite is Safflower but the other unprocessed vegetable oils are fine - olive, grapeseed, canola (rapeseed in Europe), palm, coconut, soybean, cottonseed. Stay away from processed oil, that is the yellow sesmae oil is good, the dark processed sesame is not.
With the aromatics or "essential" oils, be careful. Some are actually "extracts" or "tinctures" and those contain one or another forms of alcohol. You do not want Alkyl Bezoate or Acetates in you. Those will most assuredly cause some irritation.
Your quoted caution addresses mineral oils and is accurate. Baby oil is fine on your butt but not in your butt.
My approach to massage oils, which naturally end up in me or my partner (grin), is to go to the health food store and buy a pure vegetable oil (safflower is my favorite but the tropical oils such as palm or cocoa are bad in your digestive tract but otherwise great). Then choose one or more aromatic oils - clove, pachouli, sandalwood, whatever you like, and mix them. That gives a good massage oil or lubricant and some nice aromatics. Eva and I usually have three or four different mixes on the shelf!
If you are buying premixes, stay away from anything that sounds like it came from a chemical plant and avoid any form of alcohol. My advice: mix your own.
The caution to use only water based oils is based on some latex barrier. Even with those, pure vegetable oils are fine. Latex is a vegetable product.
PS: People selling sex aids want to sell sex aids. People buying products do not mind using things for other than their intended use. There are no better nor cheaper lubricants for sex or massage than vegetable oils.
Brandye
I want to get a Flavored Lubricant for me and my girl. What are some good brands that work with condoms? I heard WET was good. Anyone know if it actually tastes good? And what flavor is best? I am lookin for ones I could pick up at a local pharmacy, like cvs or somthin. I would be too embarrassed to go into a sex shop, lol.
CleverName
So, mix your own. I prefer safflower or unprocessed sesame oil for massage (any grocer). It can be made to smell good with many different scents or oils from most health food shops - orange, clove, almond, pachouli and on and on. To be safe use poly condoms as these are all vegetable based.
Brandye