Organic Glide has a long list of things it’s free of: glycerin, fragrance, parabens, flavorings, alcohol, and hormones. It’s also been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as an “intercourse enhancer.” The lube also has a probiotic formula that claims to help protect against future UTIs. “The idea is that certain strains of probiotics can prevent and treat an imbalance in the vagina which might be able to prevent UTIs and yeast infections,” Dr. Wider explains. While this theory hasn’t been completely proven yet, the clean ingredients still make this one worth a try. Propylene glycol is also used in many food products, including coffee drinks, ice cream, and whipped cream, and soda. S8’s vegan lube contains a good amount of aloe vera which makes it a great choice for anyone looking for a soothing product. Aloe vera is thought to be moisturising and calming when used on the skin. This is something we never realised was a thing for “down there” but here we are. The extra moisturisation from the aloe vera leaves is thought to aid sensation and glide. The researchers looked only for the presence of parabens in breast cancer samples. The study did not show that parabens caused or contributed to breast cancer development in these cases – it only showed that they were there.. studies have not shown any direct link between parabens and any health problems, including breast cancer.

In fact, when it comes to avoiding yeast infections, it’s better to apply a personal lubricant containing glycerin than it is to use saliva — some studies have linked saliva with an increase in yeast infections. What is propylene glycol, and is it safe in lube? Like glycerin, propylene glycol is plant-based and a humectant, which allows it to draw in and seal in moisture during sexual activity. It can come in many forms, including nitroglycerin, which is used in dynamite. Don’t worry — that’s not the form we use as a lube ingredient! The only explosive quality of our lubes is the orgasms that come with them. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has classified propylene glycol as ‘ generally recognized as safe,’ which means that it is acceptable for use in flavorings, drugs, and cosmetics, and as a direct food additive.” I actually caution people against things that report to be manufactured as ‘natural’ because something being organic or natural doesn’t mean that it is hypoallergenic or unscented,” says Kari Braaten, M.D., M.P.H., an ob/gyn at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. “Just because something has ingredients in it that are plant-based, or non-synthetic, doesn’t mean that they are non-irritating to your skin.”

Personal lubricants can offer a helpful means of relieving these symptoms and help enhance the sexual experience. Your GP can prescribe vaginal oestrogen treatments, or you can buy non-hormonal products from your pharmacy. We love that it comes in a bunch of flavors–from cherry vanilla to pina colada to cater to a variety of taste preferences. It’s sugar-free, but it does contain aspartame. There’s some mixed messaging around the safety of aspartame for internal use, so you may be best off using this exclusively for oral or non-penetrative sex. We updated this article in June 2023 to add more information about each featured product, based on extensive research done by our team.

Formulated with sunflower seed oil, coconut oil, jojoba oil, and other organic, plant-based lube ingredients, O is the perfect option for when you want to burn the midnight oil. Can a paraben cause cancer? That’s a question people sometimes ask, based on a myth that became popularized in 2004 after a study found parabens in samples of cancerous breast tissue. However, according to the American Cancer Society (emphasis ours):

The best lubricants for 2022 are:

Any chemical that is introduced to the human body is potentially hazardous. In most people, a particular chemical may be completely safe. However, some people are at a greater risk of injury or illness caused by chemicals. In the healthcare industry, patients are, generally, in a weakened immune state already. Products that use fewer chemicals are always a better option when compared to similar products that contain more chemicals. When it comes to surgical lubricants, SurgiLube® Surgical Lubricant offers a superior lubricant that contains fewer chemicals than competitors. Glycerin is a humectant, which means it can seal in moisture and helps stop products like facial cleansers and skin lotions from drying out or irritating skin. That’s one of the reasons glycerin is such a common ingredient in a vaginal lubricant – it allows lubes to stay wet. Glycerin also helps create the slippery feel of lube and acts as a sort of cushion to reduce friction during sex or while using a sex toy. Does glycerin cause yeast infections? According to Harvard Women’s Health Watch, 50 per cent of women experience vaginal dryness and painful sex, but 90 per cent don’t seek out any help. So, be sure to seek out help if you are experiencing vaginal dryness because the good news is, there are treatments out there for this. What treatments can alleviate symptoms of vaginal dryness? Determining if any lubricant is safe boils down to what ingredients it’s made of. Alan Lindemann, M.D., Ob/gyn and maternal mortality expert with resources at Pregnancy Your Way says to avoid oils, which can cause breakage to the condom. Instead, he advises choosing products that we know are safe, meaning they are recommended by a doctor or approved by the FDA.

Tried and True Personal Lubricant Ingredients ASTROGLIDE lubricants are all developed and tested in our U.S. lab so we can ensure safety and quality during sexual activity. Understand osmolality: Some popular water-based lubes have a high osmolality, which means they have a bigger number of dissolved particles per unit of water. That comes with one downside: Repeatedly using a high-osmolality lubricant can actually dry you out over time, Dr. Streicher explains. To cut down on this issue, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends using a lube with an osmolality of 1,200 mOsm/kg or below. (Many brands advertise their osmolality in their product listings.) The ingredients are naturally hydrating so your skin will feel silky smooth when you’re done. It has a mild vanilla scent thanks to the vanilla flavor added, but nothing too strong. It’s even safe to swallow!It’s designed to be used as a massage oil and a lubricant so is safe to use internally. But do note, as an oil product, it is not safe to be used with latex or silicone toys so will break condoms or glyde dams. That said, it’s still a great product and one we started to use on non-sex days when we felt a bit of vaginal discomfort. The reason for that is due to the different botanical oils including lavender, grapeseed oil and CBD which are used to minimise discomfort. It also created a lovely fragrance which while lovely, is strong so worth noting if you are sensitive to smell. Uberlube’s Luxury Lubricant is silicone-based, meaning you only need a little bit to get you through a session, and it can be used for water play as well. It has these long-lasting lubricating benefits while being free from potentially harmful or irritating ingredients like parabens, glycerin, scents, and flavors. In fact, it has only four ingredients in total. The addition of vitamin E helps provide moisturization and softness. It felt instantly different to the others as well, in that it’s more of a balm, down to the natural ingredients of olive oil and beeswax. This means it’s naturally anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and high in anti-oxidants, making it a great option for anyone looking for something that looks after vagina health at the same time. It purposely doesn’t use the word “lube” to describe itself as it notes it can be used by people in menopause or experiencing prolapse.