A slippery business called lubrication

Only those who have never tried it do not understand the multiple virtues of a good sexual lubricant.

Whether to make an anal penetration easier or to complement the vagina lubrication, rare is the sexual encounter that cannot benefit from this extra.

But there is a large variety of lubricants in the market, so many in fact that I will separate this topic in more than one post. So in this one I will only approach the main differences in the base composition, excluding beforehand industrial and aeronautic lubricants :P

Regarding the base compound the lubricants can be:

- Water based. These are the most common and the ones that you will find most widely available in supermarkets, usually from a well known condom brand. Their consistency is Jello like (perhaps, who knows, because they ARE a water gel), usually with neutral smell and a very tolerable taste. They are ideal for vaginal intercourse, with or without condom, as they don't substantially change the vaginal PH (although the ones with glycerin or sugar may increase the probability of bacterial infection), very easy to clean with water and they don't damage the latex of the condoms. But, because they are very easily absorbed by the skin, they may require that you apply them several times during intercourse, which is not desirable and, for the same reason, are not very appropriate for anal sex. Of all types, they are also the cheapest;

- Oil based. DO NOT USE WITH CONDOMS, as these lubricants usually react with the latex and mak the condoms more prone to rip. They are more appropriate for anal sex, as they lubricate substantially better than the water based ones and they last longer, so usually you only have to apply them once. Due to the difficulty in washing them (water doesn't do the trick) and the potential change in vaginal PH they are not very recommended for vaginal intercourse. They are also a bit more expensive and they have the nasty tendency to react with the materials of your sex toys, ruining them;

- Silicon based. These are the Ferrari, the truffles and the Pacific Island vacation of the lubricants. They last longer than the water based, less damaging for your genitals than the oily ones (although some women report slight irritations when they remain applied for long periods of time), much easier to clean and safe to use with condoms and latex based sex toys. The only drawbacks are the price and the fact they LITERALLY dissolve silicon based sex toys (no, boob implants are safe :) ).

But before buying any lubricant I recommend that you apply a bit on your forearm to check if it doesn't cause you any immediate allergic reaction. You will thank me for this! Ideally, once you find a lubricant that works for you, stick with it, and always test before changing.

Lastly... lubrication is not contraception, not against pregnancy nor STDs nor bacterial infections. All the usual precautions must still be taken.

Slip well! :P