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!