Author: Linda Louis
Imagine this: It’s your fourth date night, and, so far, you’ve pulled out all the stops in romancing your partner. Idyllic music is playing in the background. The mood is set, and it’s only a matter of seconds before you both get hot and heavy.
What’s that one thing that can send sparks flying across the room?
Yep! You guessed it. Lubes, aka lubricants.
These products can really spice up the final base of your date and help strengthen your bond with your partner. Good quality lubes can allow you to bring a lot more variety into your love life through new positions that you never thought were possible.
But here’s the thing. Not many people understand why lubes are so important for a satisfying sexual partnership. Through this article, we wish to put an end to all the misconceptions and weirdness surrounding lubricants.
We are absolutely sure that by the end of this article, you will be excited to get your hands on some of the best lubricants in India, much like Amio Wellness’ Intimate Stimulants.
So, buckle up and hang on tight!
Why Use Lubricants During Sex?
We all know what the word lubricant means. But when it comes to personal or sexual lubricants, the conversation suddenly falls to a hush.
So, let’s break the ice for you by answering a key question:
“What is a lubricant?”
Think of it as a condiment to the actual act of sexual intercourse. It is something that makes sex more comfortable and pleasurable. Plainly said — it is a gel or liquid that can help avert unwanted friction during intercourse.
The formulations of these products are usually quite safe for internal use. Besides, they often help enhance the production of your natural bodily fluids, besides adding a bit of additional sensation in those areas, such as tingling, cooling, or warming. Lubes also come in different flavours and textures. These extra perks can help you get aroused more easily, making your sexual experience heavenly!
That leaves the opportunity for more experimentation — solo or with a partner!
For example, if you were to use Amio Wellness’ Intimate Stimulants, you can enjoy the aroma and the unique benefits of their formulations — Red Wine and Cotton Candy. They sound absolutely delicious, don’t they?
Besides, Amio’s sexual welfare products are water-based, silicon-free lubricants that don’t feel sticky to the touch. These are all-natural, edible, and pH balanced products, suitable for internal use. So, you needn’t worry about anything!
We all know that the human body secretes certain fluids that act as lubricants during sex. But using artificial sexual lubricants or lubes can often help smoothen out any dryness and boost the overall experience.
What Purpose Does Lubes Serve?
Lubes aren’t just for people with reduced ability to secrete bodily fluids or those who enjoy anal penetration. This misconception is merely the result of a poor sex education curriculum. Let’s dispel these misguided notions and set the record straight, once and for all!
Lubricants can help:
- Combat vaginal dryness
- Prolong foreplay and amp up the arousal level
- Boost pleasure during the actual intercourse
- Keep the clitoris lubricated and stimulated, enabling faster orgasm
- Prevent condom breakage (if water-based lubes are used)
- Reduce friction and/or pain during anal or vaginal (when your vaginal fluids aren’t enough) sex
- Reduce the risk of injury during sex
- Improve the quality of oral sex
- Keep the vaginal skin, and its underlying muscles stay soft and elastic
- Enhance orgasms during masturbation
- Provide protection against STDs and prevent unwanted pregnancy when used along with condoms
- Jazz up your sex life with the option to experiment with new moves and positions, along with a bunch of flavours to play with.
- Improve overall sexual health and wellbeing
Anyone can use lubes to improve their sex life. It does not matter if you’re a man or a woman, young or old.
How To Use Lubes For The Best Comfort?
There are no thumb rules on using lubes. Use your imagination. If you’re worried about things getting messy, don’t. Just use a towel. Here are some ways you can use sexual lubricants:
#1. During Masturbation or Aided Masturbation
Dry hand masturbation can be quite off-putting for some men. That’s why we recommend using lubes for a better, smoother, and more comfortable experience. You can put it in your hands or the penis. It’s safe and comfortable, and can help eliminate friction during the act. Also, you can use lubes when fingering your partner.
#2. During Anal Sex
Lubes can be especially useful during anal sex since that area of your body doesn’t secrete any kind of lubrication, and this kind of penetration can be quite painful and irritating for most people. Experts recommend silicone-based lubes during anal sex. But you can also use Amio’s stimulants, as they are quite dense yet non-sticky.
#3. During Oral Sex
Using lubes during oral sex might sound odd at first. But if you think about it, the extra lubrication always helps. Besides, lubes can suppress the typical smell of pre-ejaculatory fluid and semen. These products come in tons of flavours. So, no more nasty after-taste in the mouth!
You can spread the lube across your lips or the penis — whichever is more comfortable for you. However, you must make sure that the lube you’re using is edible, such as Amio Wellness’ Intimate Stimulants.
#4. In The Shower
When done right, shower sex can be quite exciting, too. However, water tends to rob your body of its natural lubricants, making your private parts more prone to friction. To combat this situation, you can use silicone- or oil-based lubes, as water can’t wash them away so easily.
#5. With Sex Toys
Sex toys can enhance your experience manifold. But they can be a little tight and corrode the skin in your intimate areas. But when you use lubes, this problem goes away.
Be it with a partner or alone, you can always choose a good water-based stimulant, much like the ones sold by Amio Wellness, to lubricate your way to ultimate pleasure.
Oil-based lubes can also help achieve a good orgasm. But they do tend to stain your sheets. This is something to remember while using sex toys in your bedroom.
Note: Sex toys are typically made of silicone. So, avoid using silicone-based lubes with these devices to avoid damaging them.
#6. During Vaginal Penetration
Of course, you can use lubes during vaginal penetration. Lubes can help prevent unwanted friction or irritation and even boost arousal. Don’t think of lubes as a last resort that you need only if your partner isn’t adequately turned on.
Note: Always make sure to check the lubricant’s pH levels. If you use Amio Wellness’ intimate stimulants, you don’t have to worry about this at all, since these products are pH balanced.
Besides, did you know that adding a few drops of lube inside the condom before vaginal penetration can make the overall experience more pleasurable for men, too? Well, now you do!
[Note: Vaginal dryness isn’t necessarily a sign that a woman isn’t turned on. It’s not even an age thing. It can affect women of all ages and has more to do with their physiology than their partner’s ability to excite them. Issues like hormonal imbalances or allergy medications can disrupt your body’s ability to self-lubricate.]
Types Of Lubes & What Works For You?
We, humans, are all quite different from each other. So, when it comes to lubes, there is no one-size-fits-all. So, there are different types of lubes, each with a specific purpose. Broadly speaking, there are three different kinds that are widely available in the market today, i.e., oil-based, water-based, and silicone-based.
Each has its own pros and cons and should be used in specific situations. Understand them to determine what’s best for you.
#1. Water-Based Lubes
Widely considered the most versatile kind of personal lubricant, these water-soluble lubes include ingredients like cellulose ether or glycerin, and can be used for most sexual activities. If you suffer from yeast infections, the non-glycerine types can be a good option.
You can easily find these at drugstores or grocery stores at affordable prices. In fact, you should check out Amio Wellness’ product lineup for some of the best water-based lubricants in India.
You can use water-based lubes with (or without) sex toys while masturbating, or even during anal or vaginal sex. They also don’t cause condoms to break. Besides, the pH factor of these lubes is perfectly balanced, so your intimate parts and their microbes can breathe easy.
So, for all intents and purposes, these stimulants are safe and versatile. Women with vaginal dryness, irritation, infection, or even menopausal women, can make the most of these lubes.
The downside to these lubes is that they can be quite sticky and can also dry out quickly. You may need to reapply during sex. Alternatively, you can top it up with water or saliva, making the area slippery again.
But since these lubes can get washed off easily, they are not messy and can be washed off easily after you’re done. They won’t stain your sheets or towels, either. So, these are great for “bedroom use”; but not for use under the shower or in a pool.
#2. Oil-Based Lubes
Oil-based lubricants, aka lipid-based lubes, such as petroleum jelly, olive oil, and coconut oil, are typically heavier than water or silicone-based lubricants and don’t have to be reapplied. Besides, you only need a tiny amount of the product.
However, they can cause latex and polyisoprene condoms to break, unless you use condoms made of nitrile or polyurethane compounds.
These are best used when underwater. While men can use oil-based lubes while masturbating, women should refrain from doing so, especially if they’re more prone to yeast infections. If you have any food allergies, you shouldn’t use oil-based lubes either.
Another problem with oil-based lubes is that they are difficult to clean off sheets or your body, and tend to leave behind an ugly stain on your bedding.
#3. Silicone-Based Lubes
Silicone-based lubricants are long-lasting and can be used in a plethora of ways. They are compatible with different kinds of condoms and have a thicker but non-sticky consistency than their alternatives. These lubes are hypoallergenic, too. So they won’t irritate the delicate skin of your intimate parts.
These lubricants are ideal if you want to make love under the shower (or any other water body). They are compatible with anal sex as well. But avoid these if you intend to use silicone-based sex toys, lest it ruins the device.
How To Choose The Right Lube For Your Needs
While lubes can be an excellent game changer during sex, everyone’s needs are different. Besides, some things just don’t suit everyone. So, there are certain things you must consider before making a purchase.
Let’s discuss them for a minute:
#1. Safety
Safety should be your first concern when choosing a personal lubricant. After all, you must protect your body from all kinds of harm, no matter what.
To enjoy sex, you shouldn’t have to endure hurt or harm in any way. So, you may want to avoid lubes that contain synthetic flavours, colours, sweeteners, essential oils, or additives.
Read the list of ingredients to understand which products you may be allergic to. For instance, if you often suffer from yeast infections, it would be wise to avoid glycerine-based lubes.
Glycerine and glycerols are often used in lubes to give you some special perks, such as warming, cooling, or tingling sensations. Sometimes, they may even offer extra slipperiness. While they may seem awesome, a very high concentration of such chemicals can also negatively affect your internal parts, causing damage and dehydration to these tissues, leaving you in pain and more susceptible to STIs.
#2. Active Ingredients & Chemical Balance
Don’t be fooled by a “natural” tag. Check the ingredients carefully, especially the active ones, before committing. Besides, not everything that’s natural is good for your private parts.
For instance, Amio Wellness’ ingredients are clearly cited on its product pages. The ingredients used are indeed natural, such as Mint extract, Wine extract, Aloe Vera gel, Vitamin E oil, and Neem extract. And since the product components are openly published on the webpages, you can decide if they suit your preferences and your body.
The active ingredients are what the lube primarily contains — water, oil, silicone, glycerine, etc. A visit to your gynaecologist may offer some interesting insights into what you need and what kind of lube can help improve your sexual experience.
Some lubes contain spermicide chemicals that can not only irritate the internal skin of the vagina, but can also stop you from conceiving. Also, speak to your doctor about this if you plan on using lubricants while trying to conceive.
Skin creams, baby lotions, coconut oil, and other such greasy products are often used by women across the world as a lubricant. But they may not always serve the purpose or even prove healthy. Experts say that women must use products that are “body-similar” to vaginal secretions in terms of pH and osmolality, and avoid those that contain potentially harmful ingredients. For instance, a lube should ideally have a pH level of 3.5 to 4.5 for vaginal sex and 5.5 to 7 for anal sex.
#3. Compatibility
While choosing a water-based lube is generally a good idea, you should opt for a silicone-based lube if you want to fool around with your partner in the shower or hot tub.
Remember, a personal lube should be compatible with your sex toy or condoms for everything to go smoothly. For instance, it’s best NOT to use products that contain petroleum jelly if you’re using latex condoms. The same goes for silicone-based lubes and sex toys that are made of silicone. Similarly, it would be unwise to use water-based lubes if you’re underwater.
#4. Durability
Oh yes! Wetter is better. But that depends on which type of lube you’re using. If you are using water-based lubricants, you could run out of slickness very soon. But you could increase its longevity with saliva. Meanwhile, the same can’t be said for oil-based ones. While oil- or silicone-based lubricants are longer lasting, they are not everlasting. If you enjoy prolonged sexual intercourse, interspersed with short foreplays, you may realise that oil-based lubricants aren’t your best friend.
#5. Customer Reviews
Finally, don’t trust any brand blindly. Check their reviews online to assess customer satisfaction before buying. Someone who has already used a brand’s product can give you a good idea of what to expect from a product.
#6. Packaging & Usage
Of course, the packaging must be professionally done and secure. But that’s not all. The way a product is packaged also gives you an idea of how to use it. If it has a pump, then you must take a pump or two, rub it between your hands and apply. Droppers, however, can be used to place the liquid or gel directly on the private part. Roll-ons are also an excellent option.
Why Typical Skincare Products Can’t Be Used As Lubes
Typical skincare products like petroleum jelly may seem like a good choice at first. They’re moisturising, slippery, and already a part of your daily routine, which also adds to the convenience factor. But it’s not advisable.
Vaseline, being an oil-based product, isn’t compatible with latex condoms, which most people in India use. They may even cause excessive warming of the area, causing irritation, inflammation and infection.
In fact, a study found that women who use vaseline as a lube are 2.2 times more likely to test positive for infections like bacterial vaginosis. Besides, it can also stain your sheets and trap bacteria within because it is, after all, a lipid-based product.
Parting Thoughts
Sex can be extremely gratifying and pleasurable. It’s not just good for your body, it’s also great for your mind. A cocktail of chemicals (endorphins and oxytocin) released by your brain during sex help breed feelings of intimacy and contentment. Studies indicate that a better sex life leads to better mental health.
And when you place a few drops of lube in the mix, it gets so much dreamier!
Not only do lubes help make sex more comfortable, pleasurable, and safe, but they’re also available in numerous fantastic textures and flavours.
But you must be careful while selecting a brand of personal lubricants. While water-based ones are a universal option, you should do your own research and speak to your doctor before making a purchase. Make sure the lube you’re opting for is made from clean ingredients, with no allergens or toxic chemicals.
So, what are you waiting for? Grab your browsing device, find the best brand of personal lubricants in India, and get wet (pun intended)!
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