5 Not-So-Basic Lubes You Need to Try
Written for GFH by Luna Matatas
Lube is life! Sexual lubricants are an awesome and sometimes essential addition to bedroom fun. Lubes create textures that decrease friction, increase sensations, and can feel like the body’s natural arousal fluids. Sex without lube can feel like a massage without massage oil—definitely less pleasurable. Keeping genitals and anuses lubricated during sex is also a part of sexual health—well-lubricated internal tissues of the vagina and anus are less likely to be injured during sex.
Sometimes using lube is stigmatized. Some people believe that using lube during sex means the body isn’t producing “normal” arousal fluids or is lacking in arousal overall. Many things affect how lubricated a vagina is—including arousal, stress, water/alcohol/cannabis consumption, medication, life cycles such as menopause and breast feeding, body chemistry, and genetics. Anuses do not self-lubricate like vaginas, so they need a long-lasting lube every time. And outer genitals such as penises and vulvas do not produce lubrication, so friction in those areas will usually feel much better by adding some lube. Some people only use lube for partnered sex and ignore it for masturbation. Using lube for masturbation with hands or sex toys can ramp up pleasure during solo play.
Lube doesn’t need to come with shame, in fact, lube can bring more pleasure into sex through enhanced sensations. Incorporating lube into sex can become as natural as using condoms and toys. Beyond basic water-based and silicone lubes, some lubes give you more bang for your buck—sensation-enhancing properties like cooling, warming, flavours, and more. These extras can wake up the body’s senses, encourage more focus on what’s happening in the present moment, and spice up the sexy things that are already familiar—like oral sex, manual sex, and penetration.
5 Lubes with Extras to Try
1. Cooling Lubes
Cooling lubricants give a refreshing feel to genitals. The contrast of warm skin and a cooling lube can creating an exciting sensation that helps the body feel more receptive to touch and sex toys. The active ingredients in cooling lubes vary, but can often include inspirations from peppermint or menthol oils. Some lubes go on cool and warm up with friction or blowing air on them.
2. Warming Lubes
Heat up penises, vulvas, and anuses with warming lubes. Less intense than temperature play with candles, warming lubes help support increased sensation in the area. They can feel like tingles on the skin. After applying the warming lube, try blowing gently on the area to deepen the active sensation.
3. Flavoured Lubes
Fun with flavoured lubes means creating tastes on the body, for example, like caramel or vanilla bean, in addition to creating sensual textures. Using flavoured lube to make a body taste yummy is safer for sex than using actual foods or syrups which main contain sugar and irritate vaginas and urethras. For some bodies that are prone to irritations like UTIs and yeast infections, avoid using flavoured lubes that contain glycerin. Look for flavoured lubes without glycerin, try a lube flavoured with stevia or other ingredients instead.
4. Massage Lubes
Massage lubes are usually oil-based, which means they shouldn’t be used with latex toys or barriers like condoms or dental dams because they weaken the effectiveness of latex. Massage lubes can be used all over the body for a sensual massage and on the genitals for an erotic massage. Some people, however, find that oils trap bacteria and lead to UTIs, whereas others like using a coconut oil that is natural that can be used all over the body as well.
A fun way to explore massage oils is through massage candles that melt into a warm oil that can be used safely on the body. Butter-style lubricants are also popular because some people find them less messy compared to using oils.
5. Weed Lubes
Try out a weed lube for masturbation or partnered sex. Start with a CBD-based in MCT oil, which doesn’t contain THC—so no psychoactive effects. Cannabis is a vasodilator, which means it helps promote blood flood. Some people enjoy CBD lube to help relax the anus or vagina which can be especially helpful with those who experience pain with their pleasure.
Most lubes with enhancers are water- or oil-based sex lubricants. Silicone lubricants tend to be plainer: odourless and tasteless and can also be used as an all-over massage oil. Lubes with frills are not all created equal; sensation enhancing ingredients can vary from brand to brand. Get familiar with the ingredients in personal lubricants and notice if anything causes an irritation. Have fun with the options available and even with lube accessories to help the lube go exactly where you want.
