Everything You Need to Know About Personal Lubricants (But Were Too Afraid to Ask)

When you work around personal lubricants for a living, it’s easy to take for granted that not everyone is aware of the wonderful benefits lube provides to people who are seeking a more comfortable, intimate experience. Every now and then, we have to step back and remind ourselves that there are still many folks out there who have either a) never tried lube or b) don’t even know that it exists or what it’s for. One of our goals at Astroglide is to help educate the public on the role lube can play in enhancing their sexual experience.

We also think it’s important to debunk myths about personal lubricant, and provide a reliable source of information for people to learn about lube before making up their own minds about which type of lube is right for them. Ultimately, whether you decide to incorporate personal lubricant as part of your sexual experience or not is up to you, but we want to be certain that if you choose not to, it isn’t due to any outdated stigma or misinformation. 

This is why we’ve created the following list of things you need to know about lube, but may have been afraid to ask.

What is a personal lubricant?

A personal lubricant is a water, silicone or oil-based substance that is used to reduce friction, dryness and chafing of your body parts during sex. Lubricants, such as those made by Astroglide, can also be used to help relieve vaginal dryness / menopause dryness which can result from dehydration due to menopause, breast feeding, medication side-effects, post surgical, stress or any number of factors. 

What is lube made of?

There are many different formulas for the various types of lubricants on the shelves today, but the reason Astroglide has become an industry leader in this market is that we keep our product line narrowed down to two basic categories: water based lubricants and silicone based lubes.
We also believe that the public has the right to know what goes into any substance they’re applying to their body, which is why we list the ingredients of each of our lubes on their individual product pagesu. We believe this transparency builds a level of trust with our customers, and allows each person to discover which product is the best fit for their body and lifestyle.

Which is better, water based or silicone based lube?

This is one of the most frequently asked questions about personal lubes and, again, the answer as to which lube base is best for you depends on many factors. For example, if you’re someone who loves to play in the water with your significant other, the waterproof qualities of our silicone based lubes are a great fit for your fetish. 

If, however, your favourite pastime involves self-play on fancy satin sheets with a variety of soft silicone sex toys, then you’d want to choose one of our water based lubes for that. Water based lubes rinse off easily and won’t break down the silicone coating used on certain sex toys. 

Whichever lube you decide to try next, we strongly urge you to avoid using oil based personal lubricants for several reasons. The most important reason we do not include oil based lubes in our product line is because they can weaken the latex in condoms (causing potential breakage which may lead to unwanted pregnancy or worse). Oil based lubricants can also clog pores and are generally messy in terms of clothing, bedding and skin.

Do I really need to use a personal lubricant? 

There are as many answers to this question as there are people who ask it, because the true answer is unique to each individual. Even if you’ve enjoyed sex for years without any additional lubrication, you might want to broaden your horizons and see what all of the hype is about when it comes to the sensations many people enjoy after adding lube to their repertoire. 

Keeping your sex life fresh and exciting requires a bit of creativity. If you’re the type of lover who likes to go above and beyond the missionary requirements, you should consider introducing a few special effects to your performance. Why not stimulate all of your partner’s senses next time by surprising them with the subtle, sweet taste of Astroglide Strawberry Liquid for an oral experience they’ll never forget? 

Like it spicy? Astroglide Warming Liquid will make those sensitive spots tingle in ways that no ordinary lube can. Gentle, yet exhilarating, the sensation of this specialty lube will turn the heat up on your passion even on the coldest of nights. 

Why should I use a personal lubricant? 

Think back to your high school physics class when you learned about the potentially harmful impact of friction. Better yet, let’s look at the Merriam-Webster Dictionary definition. 

friction noun fric·tion ˈfrik-shən - the force that causes a moving object to slow down when it is touching another object 

When you’re in the throes of passion, the last thing you probably want is to have your moving objects slow down. The slippery effect that lube has on intimate body parts in motion can perpetuate longer-lasting enjoyment and ease the pain that some people encounter after prolonged sexual activity (or any sexual activity, particularly if vaginal dryness is an issue). 

In addition to the purely mechanical benefits of lubrication, once you’ve got that trusty bottle on your nightstand, you’ll be tempted to explore some advanced techniques, like those described by our Resident Sexologist, Jess, in her post 10 Ways to Enjoy the Magic of Lube.

Doesn’t the body produce enough lubrication on its own? 

Although the human body often does provide adequate natural lubrication for sex (such as the additional fluid a woman’s vagina produces when she’s sexually aroused), there are times when this doesn’t happen or isn’t enough. Many factors can contribute to vaginal dryness, including side effects of medication, dehydration and menopause to name a few. Let’s face it, sometimes you just want a quickie and the body’s natural process might not respond fast enough to provide the desired amount of moisture.

Because many people associate a woman’s tendency to produce vaginal lubrication with being aroused, it can cause a form of performance anxiety that temporarily shuts down the flow. Think of it in terms of a guy who experiences temporary erectile dysfunction due to “stage fright.”  For women, “getting wet” may cause the same sort of pressure guys feel to “get hard” on demand when the moment calls for it. 

With the assistance of personal lubricants, such as those manufactured by Astroglide, couples can be ready to enjoy easy, smooth insertion when the mood strikes, not only when the forces of nature align. And don’t even get us started on using spit as a lube. We’ve got three words for why we don’t encourage saliva as a primary source of personal lubrication: bacteria and viral pathogens. TL;DR version: DO NOT USE SPIT AS LUBE. Ever.

Do I have to go to a sex shop to buy lube?

While we fully support and enjoy the many wonderful items you can find in your local adult novelty store (who’s got time to go to the town livery stable for a new riding crop?), there are many convenient places to purchase personal lubricants these days.

Chances are, you won’t have to go further than your local grocery store or drugstore to pick up a bottle of Astroglide. In fact, we’ve made it as easy as possible to find places to purchase lube by providing you with a handy store locator link -- including several online options, if you’d prefer to have it delivered to your door!

Doesn’t personal lubricant cause yeast infections?

You may have read that personal lubricants containing glycerin can be a source of yeast infections. Not only is this untrue, some yeast infection cures actually contain glycerin. What is true is that glycerin contains sugars, which are a food source for yeast. If you’re prone to these types of infections, we suggest using a personal lubricant made without glycerin or parabens, such as Astroglide Natural Liquid or Astroglide Sensitive Skin Gel.

Won’t personal lubricants irritate my skin? 

As we mentioned in our previous blog post, 4 Myths About Silicone Lube Debunked, a lot of personal lubricants are actually hypoallergenic, meaning they’re unlikely to cause an allergic reaction. In fact, many users claim that lubricants prevent them from experiencing the types of skin irritations that non-lubricated sexual contact can cause. Combine this with the moisturising effect that lube has on skin, and you may find yourself using it more often that you anticipated!

With that said, when trying out a new lube it’s always a good idea to test a small patch of skin before generously applying to your most sensitive areas. As will all substances you put on your skin, it’s best to err on the side of caution and see how your body reacts first. For people with extra sensitive skin, we recommend trying our Sensitive Skin Gel, Natural Liquid or our traditional Astroglide Liquid formula first. 

Also, keep in mind that if you experience skin irritation during sexual activity, it could be due to a variety of reasons (for more details, check out our blog post: 3 Sex Tips for People with Sensitive Skin).

Is there any benefit to using a personal lubricant for masturbation? 

That same slippery sensation that makes personal lubricants so enjoyable for sex with a partner is just as important when you’re playing with the one you love most -- yourself! The friction-reducing properties of lube can create a very pleasurable experience for men and women alike. 

Whether you prefer playing with toys or your hands, a little lube goes a long way. You’ll be surprised at how a few drops can take this routine you’ve been practicing for years into entirely new, sensational areas of ecstasy.  

Which lube is best for me? 

If you’ve read this far, we applaud your dedication to pleasure and knowledge, and look forward to helping you take the next step to exploring a new level of intimacy. We realize that with eight unique products in our personal lubrication line, choosing the right lube might be a bit confusing -- even armed with the facts provided in this article. That’s why we developed this simple lube selector tool!
With just three clicks, you pick the qualities that are most important to you in a lube, and our tool narrows down your choices to recommend the best personal lubricant for you! How’s that for better living through technology?

How’d we do?

Did the research and FAQs that we explored in this article live up to the title - Everything You Need to Know About Personal Lubricant? Hopefully we’ve helped you learn more about the wonderful ways that lube can enhance your intimate experiences. 

If we missed anything or there are still lingering questions that you have about our products or personal lubricants in general, please let us know in the comment section below. We’ll be happy to answer you and, who knows, we may even use your ideas in a future article to help others who have the same questions. After all, we’re all here for the same reason -- to explore pleasure and intimacy and experience the most enjoyable sex imaginable!

4 Myths About Silicone Lube Debunked

With so many varieties of personal lubricants available these days, choosing which lube is right for you can be a daunting task. No worries, Astroglide’s handy lube selector tool will help you narrow down your choices in just a few clicks. Let’s say you’re looking for a lubricant that feels smooth after use, lasts a long time and can be used during water play. If that describes you, chances are good that the best lube for you is one of our silicone based lubricants.

But is silicone lube safe? And can you use it with sex toys? We decided to address and debunk some of the myths that you may have heard about silicone lubricants -- because it turns out, there are quite a few of them.

Myth 1: Silicone lube will destroy all of your sex toys

Many people are under the false impression that silicone lubricants will damage all of their sex toys. As Lubezilla points out, “silicone based lubes are fine on toys made of hard materials, like hard plastic, aluminum, ceramic, steel, granite, wood, marble, etc.”

If your sex toy itself is made of or contains silicone, you may want to stick to water based lubricants like Astroglide Liquid or Astroglide Gel. Many reports indicate that silicone lubricants do deteriorate softer sex toys that may also contain silicone, jelly or CyberSkin, due to the way that silicone molecules react with other silicone products. 

Myth 2: Silicone lubricants will irritate skin

While everyone’s skin reacts differently to different substances, the fact is silicone lubes are hypoallergenic - meaning these types of personal lubricants are relatively unlikely to cause an allergic reaction. This is good news for people who may have experienced irritation with other lubricants. As with any product you’re putting on your skin, you may want to test a small patch for reaction before applying lube to your most sensitive regions. 

The inert qualities of silicone lubricants may actually prevent them from causing a negative reaction. Additionally, many people prefer the silky texture of silicone lube over water based lubes, and enjoy the moisturizing effect that it has on their skin. 

Myth 3: Silicone lube is messy

While it’s true that silicone lubricants may not have the water solubility properties of our water based lubes like Astroglide Natural Liquid, there are benefits to certain silicone lubes that actually make them less messy. For instance, Astroglide Diamond Silicone Gel’s thick, no-drip viscosity means that it stays put where you apply it and is less likely to run off of your body and onto your sheets. 

Meanwhile, our other silicone lube—Astroglide X Silicone Liquid—is extremely long lasting compared to most water based lubricants. This means that you’ll get more mileage out of one application with less need to stop the action to apply more. The fewer times you have to reach for the bottle of lube, the less chance of accidental spillage.

Myth 4: Silicone lubricant products are too expensive

Speaking of long-lasting lubricants, both X Silicone Liquid and Diamond Silicone Gel have a tendency to maintain their slipperiness longer than water based lubes, so a little goes a long way. While you may initially pay a few dollars extra for a premium silicone lube, it’s likely to last longer because you won’t need as much of it to get the job done. So the value of the product evens out and with the difference in price negligible, this shouldn’t be the determining factor when asking yourself “which lube is right for me?”  

We understand that sometimes money is tight, so if you’re still unsure whether or not silicone lube is as amazing as people say, we’ll put our money where your mouth is. Astroglide will mail you a sample of our new Diamond Silicone Gel (which includes a smooth, fractionated coconut oil) or our popular X Silicone Liquid (made with just two ingredients) to test for yourself. 

Are there other unique benefits of silicone based lubricants?

So now we know that silicone lubricants are longer lasting, latex safe and leave your skin with a silky smooth feeling -- but what else separates them from the water based lube products we offer? 

One of the biggest advantages of silicone lubes is that they’re waterproof! Yes, the natural ability of silicone to resist water means that these lubes work great in settings where other lubes wash away. So if you’re into hot tub loving or enjoy extra steamy showers, silicone will stay slick for your water sports and wash away with soap, water and a towel when you’re ready to dry off. Use caution when enjoying silicone lubricants for water play. The same waterproof properties that keep the lube slippery on your skin can make the surface of tubs extremely slick. Watch your footing and be sure to wipe up remaining residue from surfaces once playtime is over. 

Now that you’re a lube pro, we encourage you to compare silicone based to water based lubes and tell us which type of Astroglide is the best fit for your lifestyle!

6 Sexperts Explain How to Keep Your Long Distance Relationship Hot

How do you maintain a healthy sex life when you and your partner live hundreds or thousands of kilometres apart? Perhaps one or both of you travel a lot for work or maybe you’ve got a spouse stationed overseas for an assignment. While it’s said that absence makes the heart grow fonder, staying sexually satisfied in a monogamous relationship presents unique challenges when the physical touch of your lover is beyond your fingertips.

We reached out to six leading sexperts who share their best tips to help you keep your LDR (long distance relationship) smoking hot!
1. Let’s kick off our column with The Love Guru Blaire who founded Six Figure Singles, a site that helps traveling executives, entrepreneurs and celebrities find healthy relationships. Her short, concise advice will be a common thread throughout this article. Blaire’s simple tip to keep the LDR burning?  “Web chat — sexy web cam and mutual masturbation phone sex.”
2. Not comfortable getting frisky online or over the phone? Astroglide’s Resident Sexologist, Jess has some creative advice for bashful communicators. “Get racy in the dark. Filming yourself in the throes of solo passion might be too intimidating, so consider sending a very short clip of your self-pleasure session filmed in the dark. Your lover will benefit from the sounds -- and the lack of a clear picture helps to build mystery and anticipation.”
Jess is no stranger to maintaining the LDR (to get an idea of her demanding travel schedule, simply take a look at the events page on her website). So aside from gifting your distant lover with steamy masturbation clips, what real-time methods does she recommend for interactive thrills? “Meet in an adult chat room online and get naughty! Using a nickname might help you to shed your inhibitions.”

3. Tina B. Tessina, (aka D Romance) who [literally] wrote the book on staying close during a long distance relationship. She’s the author of The Commuter Marriage: Keep Your Relationship Close While You're Far Apart. D Romance makes a good point in that you can plant the seeds for your time apart before your partner leaves, then follow through with her relationship maintenance tips once you’re apart:

Leave Notes: Before you leave on a trip, plant some little post-it notes -- inside the cupboard doors, in the mailbox, under your spouse's pillow, etc. If you're the stay-at-home spouse, tuck a few surprises into your mate's suitcase, briefcase or between the pages of a book he or she is taking.

Daily Special Phone Call: Keep the phone as special as you can. Handle mundane business via email, IM or text message and keep the phone for making that intimate connection. As often as possible, schedule a phone call every day—at a quiet time—for some intimate conversation. If you have children, either speak to them first or in a separate call. If you do need to make a call to handle problems, business or decisions (or if you don't have access to email) then find a way to designate a special call for intimate conversation or, at the very least, develop a signal to say that the business part of the call is over and your special time is beginning.

Use Snail Mail: Nothing is more intimate than a love note. Mail is one of the advantages living apart has over living together. Sending little gifts, notes, cards, postcards or pictures to your partner (whether you're the one at home or the one away) takes only a moment and racks up a huge score on the intimacy chart. 

When you're at a chemist , grocery store or card shop, pick up a few affectionate or amusing cards, and maybe a little gift or two (it doesn't need to be expensive, a keychain or candle is fine) and then send them at random moments. Send a postcard with a scene of where you are, or a cartoon cut from the paper or a magazine. If you have cards, stamps and envelopes on hand, it's very simple to drop one in the mail.

Create a Smile: Think in terms of making your partner smile as often as you can while you're apart. If you have a nice thought about a time you spent together, write it down so you don't forget to talk about it.

4. Dawn Serra is a sex and relationship coach who’s managed to maintain a thriving sex life, despite being in a long-distance relationship for over a year. She states positively “Maintaining a healthy sex life across any distance is so easy these days. All it takes is a little flexibility, some creativity and prioritising the time.”
Here are some tips that have helped Dawn’s LDR maintain its steamy status:

●  Send each other letters (the old fashioned way) outlining your latest fantasy.

●  Schedule date nights a few times per week and work around time differences in creative ways. Text each other sexy, naughty thoughts throughout the day (if you're international, spend the $5 or $10 per month for an international texting plan -- it's worth it!). Leverage Skype or Facetime and put on a little show for each other. Record naughty voice messages of yourself masturbating or speaking an erotic scene and email it to your lover so they can listen to it again and again.

●  When you schedule phone sex (or video chat sex), turn off all other distractions, get comfortable and let loose. The first few times may feel awkward but soon it will be a sexy ritual you both look forward to. Tease each other -- draw it out to build anticipation.

●  Tell each other when you masturbate and what you were thinking about. Send sexy pictures using SnapChat or write sexy little notes and take pictures of those to email or put on their Facebook wall.

●  Buy toys that you can use in tandem - if you're a hetero straight couple, the woman can get a dildo or vibrator that's similar in size to her partner and he can get a Fleshlight or something similar. Dictate to each other exactly when the penetration happens, sync up, and make it feel really real. Lose yourself in the moment. There's nothing sexier than hearing your lover lost in pleasure. The new WeVibe 4 can be controlled using an app on your iPhone, so one partner can wear it and the other can control when it turns on and off for some long distance fun!

Ms. Serra sums up the LDR challenge. “The only thing limiting your sex life when you're in different locations is your imagination. You MUST schedule it and make it a priority. After that, the sky’s the limit.”
5. Karen Park is an erotica author who lives in Korea yet her boyfriend is in the U.S. -- so she has first-hand experience with the LDR challenge. Karen explains “While we see each other in person every two months or so, most of our communication is via text and Skype. I am constantly creating sexy scenarios and I often use my boyfriend for inspiration. During the day, I'll text him a teaser of a scene I'm working on -- it's like foreplay that goes on until the next time we're together.”
While that may be easy for a writer, what if you’re literally challenged? No problem, says Park, “I also have a nice collection of vintage pulp erotica and sometimes on Skype I'll read him a particularly sexy scene. That will lead to a conversation about things we'd like to do together in bed and it definitely makes us feel closer, even though we can't touch physically.”
6. The final expert on our panel is Dallisa Hocking, founder of LoveFrogKisser.com a new web service dedicated to helping people develop meaningful relationships online. Her advice includes building intimacy between visits to create a more fulfilling sex life.
Ms. Hocking advises “Treat the time you have between visits as an opportunity to create a deeper connection with one another. It takes time and daily commitment from both people to keep the fire burning.” How does she propose you do this? Here are her tips for you to try:

●  Send daily text messages that are specific and detailed. Examples could include: "I want to do ___ and ___ when I see you." Let your imagination guide you. 

●  Be creative. Send a handwritten note in the mail, a recent photo and card from a recent visit or a token from the last time you saw them. An example could include sending a wine cork from a bottle of wine you shared along with a note about how you're looking forward to toasting with them again soon. 

●  Use technology to have virtual dates. Move beyond text messages and use FaceTime or Skype to connect. Examples include: having a drink at home "together" after work or cooking dinner at the same time and reflecting on what happened during the day. This takes time and effort, but the connection creates intimacy.

Hocking admits “Long distance relationships are a challenge, but they can succeed and flourish. But, it takes attention and creativity to keep the spark alive.”
So what have we learned from our esteemed panel of unique relationship experts? We’ve broken it down into three essential takeaway tips for you:

1.  Communication is Key - Sexting, Skype, steamy calls and even sexy snail mail are all tools that can keep your long distance relationship hot. If you’re nervous about your kinky messages being seen by the wrong person, there’s an app for that! Plume is a free iPhone app developed by CEO Amy Galland because she wanted to “create something private, flirty, sensual and secure for people to use to keep their long-distance relationships spicy.”

2.  Schedule Sexytime - While spontaneity is fun under normal relationship circumstances, when your lover is away, schedule specific times to intimately connect (the suspense of waiting for that naughty Skype or Viber  is a form of foreplay in itself!) 

3.  Stay Creative - Use the time between distant rendezvous to dream up erotic new ways to treat your faraway friend to a fresh encounter. Without the benefit of being able to touch them physically, the scenarios you plant into their imagination will have to keep them titillated while they pleasure themselves to your image and ideas.

The general consensus is that distance—while emotionally difficult—can actually lead to a stronger bond as you’re forced to express your passion in different ways. Since you’ll be handling a lot of the physical touching yourself, be sure to keep a fresh supply of your favourite personal lubricant next to your bed. While you’re at it, be a team player and slip a travel-size bottle of Astroglide into your partner’s overnight bag. That way you’ll both share the sensation of a well-lubed, long distance love making session when it’s time to reach out and touch someone!