A Touchy Subject’s Lubricant Guide.
What’s the best lubricant to use for beginners?
We recommend Uberlube. This is a silicone-based formula, which prevents friction or soreness without getting sticky or drying up quickly.
We especially recommend this if you’ve found water-based or supermarket purchased lubricants irritating in the past.
It is hypo-allergenic, the formula is only made from silicone molecules. Therefore it is free from preservatives, hormones, and glycerine. Perfect for intercourse or solo sessions.
What’s the best lubricant with vacuum erection devices (like the Vacurect)?
If you’re using a pump with an opening or rings made from a silicone material (like the Vacurect), then you need to use a water-based lubricant with this product (not oil or silicone-based).
We recommend Ansell Lifestyles Silky Smooth.
This is available at most chemists and supermarkets. Function is what matters most with this type of lubricant. This one is thick, stays put, and does the job of creating a good seal.
You might find using lubricant all over the shaft prevents the penis sticking to the cylinder while pumping, and creates a more pleasurable experience. We recommend a water-silicone hybrid lubricant for this.
We recommend Sliquid Hybrid, this is a water-based lubricant with 12% silicone. This amount of silicone will not damage the integrity of your silicone rings or pump openings, but will still offer a silky, long-lasting experience.
What’s the best lubricant to use with silicone-based vibrators?
Sliquid Silk Hybrid or Sliquid water-based. These lubricants are body-safe and feel smooth to the touch. It is advised to only use water-based or a ‘hybrid’ formula (usually 12% silicone) lubricants with silicone products. This is because silicone lubricant can damage the integrity of silicone products.
What’s the best lubricant for oral sex?
It is usually deemed safe to ingest a small amount of (good quality) lubricant, just make sure you Google the brand you’ve chosen beforehand to double check. Whether you and your partner will enjoy the taste or not though is a matter of personal preference!
You may want to experiment with some flavoured lubricants instead, designed specifically for tastebuds. If you’re in Australia or New Zealand, we recommend this collection by Intimate Earth. If you’re in United States or Canada, the Sliquid flavoured collection is top notch.
How do I use lubricant with my female partner?
There is no right or wrong way of using or applying lubricant, it is down to personal preference on how much/where you like lubricant on your body (Note: Uberlube can also be used on all other parts of the body that enjoy silky smooth touch, as it does not get sticky).
As an idea to start, you could pump a couple of drops of Uberlube onto your forefinger, and very slowly and mindfully explore how it feels to apply that lubricated touch to different parts of your penis to get a sense of how it feels.
If you are exploring a new lubricant with your female partner, you could turn it into an intentional ‘pleasure mapping’ game. Either she could apply the lubricant to her fingers and then curiously explore what that lubricated touch feels like on different parts of her vulva. Or, if she would like to receive touch, you could apply the lubricant and keep checking in with her verbally as you go to see what she is feeling.
We recommend always starting with the external visible areas such as the labia and clitoris. These areas of the vulva tend to be very sensitive to pleasurable touch, which encourages blood flow and a build up of arousal, then making internal touch (if she wants that) more likely to feel pleasurable too.
You can safely apply lubricant internally when your partner feels ready for internal touch or penetration (so long as the lubricant is body-safe, see the Lube Rules below). Focusing on pleasurable touch is the key here and having a new product, like Uberlube, can be a great excuse to come back to basics and explore each other's bodies as if for the first time.
THE LUBE RULES.
Only use water-based lube with silicone-based products (or, a hybrid: 12% silicone formula).
Do not use oil-based lube with latex condoms (or, use non-latex condoms: Skyn).
All other lubricants (water-based, silicone-based, hybrid) are safe with condoms.
Water-based lubricant is likely to ‘dry out’ as it is absorbed into the body. You can use saliva to ‘bring it out’ again.
Check the ingredients. As a rule of thumb, choosing water-based lubricant free from Glycerine and Parabens is the easiest way to stay on the safe side. These ingredients can cause irritation to genitalia. Silicone-based lubricant that only contains silicone molecules is also body-safe.
If you want to play in the shower, have silicone lubricant handy. The water will wash away natural wetness, and also water-based lubricants, but silicone-lubricant sticks around for a fun, frictionless time! Just make sure you wipe it off any floor tiles in case it spills as it’s very slippery and won’t wash away.
The Lube Mantra… Repeat after me…
“Lubricant is a want, not a need!”
Lubricant is often branded by the media as a ‘replacer’ for wetness or for clinical examinations. Not very fun and sexy! It is rare that you see a TV series where somebody reaches for lubricant simply because they enjoy the added sensation.
However, lubricants that are body safe and designed for sexual pleasure (the ones we recommend) are intended to enhance an experience, regardless of wetness.
Sexual pleasure and sex education is a universal Human Right (ref: World Health Organisation). But the world is still catching up on implementing this at a societal level. Until then, we have to do a bit of work to demystify sexuality.
As an idea, you could watch comedy shows like ‘Grace and Frankie’ and ‘Sex Education’ (both on Netflix) for a positive outlook on sexuality and using sexual products for fun.
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