While we're all agreed that lube, in general, it great stuff, the best lube for one situation is not necessarily the best lube for the next. There are vast differences between different brands and formulations, and between different ways of using lube. Finding the best lube for you means thinking about what you're really trying to achieve.

If you’re not on the drier side, however, but do still require assistance from a lubricant, Dr. Shirazian recommends those that are water-based. Just be sure to avoid those that contain chlorhexidine, an ingredient known to kill lactobacilli, bacteria necessary to prevent infection and maintain vaginal health. You may also want to avoid glycerin, a common water-based ingredient that can pose as an irritant . It's not specifically designed for menopausal dryness, but Durex’s Naturals Intimate Gel has been called out as a great option for this use. It's made from completely natural ingredients, and free from smells, taste and colour. Durex has formulated this gel lube with prebiotics to help maintain skin balance; the product has a moisturising effect, rather than just pure lubrication. While it may not look as all-singing, all-dancing as some of the lubes in this list, this is a safe option from a trusted brand. Customers do note that you need to use a fair bit, so it's a shame it only comes in 100ml. Best lube for toys Used by salons as a brilliant smoothing, finishing, and antifrizz product for hair. A great relaxant to crazed frizzy strands and when combined with other hair products gives a perfect understated sheen. Protects against harsh chlorines in the pool. Sex Unfortunately, since it is silicone-based, it isn’t compatible with silicone sex toys; it can cause them to deteriorate over time. If that’s a dealbreaker for you, we recommend our best water-based lube, LOLA’s Personal Lubricant. In addition to using a lubricant, you might also want to consider a topical estrogen that comes in the form of a cream, suppository, ring, and tablet. Estrogen topicals may be the most effective treatment because they replace what’s missing in postmenopausal women: estrogen, says Howard Zacur, MD, PhD, director of reproductive endocrinology and infertility fellowships and professor of gynecology and obstetrics at Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland. If you want to give this method a try, discuss options with your OB-GYN, who will write you a prescription if you both decide this option is best for you.Small and unintentional ingestion of a personal lubricant is unlikely to cause anything beyond mild stomach upset. However, it important to note that each product differs in its ingredients, and the amount swallowed dictates what, if any, symptoms occur. For instance, there would be concern for toxicity if there is misuse or ingestion of a lidocaine- or benzocaine-containing personal lubricant. The second concern is the pH of the product. Neutral pH is 7. The lower the pH, the more acidic the product is. The higher the pH, the more alkaline it is. Healthy vaginal pH is around 3.8-4.5. There is a concern that if the pH of the personal lubricant does not match this, a lubricant could disturb the balance of the healthy vaginal flora. But maybe it's not quite that simple. If you're using condoms, you need to avoid oil. It can cause both latex and polyisoprene condoms to degrade, and fast: a condom that's going to fall to bits halfway through the act is not an effective condom. So that's one kind of lube eliminated from this category, at least.

Beyond the base of the lubricant, there are other things to keep in mind when looking for a go-to option. Mason recommends a high-viscosity, long-lasting lube for extra comfort. Jojoba oil, olive oil, grapeseed oil, sunflower oil, or sweet almond oil are also good ingredients to look for, per the Cleveland Clinic. A fragrance-free lube is ideal for everyone, but if you have sensitive skin or you've been sensitive to lube in the past, it’s even more important to find an option that’s hypoallergenic and made without fragrances. “Use a high-quality lube, be patient, and take the time to really enjoy yourself and set time aside to get fully aroused for sex,” Gigi Engle, ACS, a certified sex educator and host of Internet Sex Therapy, tells SELF. “The more lube the better. I always say you shouldn’t be thinking there can be “too much” lube. You should want to be on a water slide. It just makes everything better. This applies for all kinds of sex—but is especially important during anal—because the anal doesn’t self-lubricate like a vagina.” What you should avoid in an anal lube Throw on your bathing suits, folks, because we're going down the slip-n-slide to find the best anal lube for you. Going into anal sex without a lubricant is like going through your day without coffee: painful and almost always unsuccessful. On a more serious note, “using lube for anal play is crucial,” Jenn Mason, founder and owner of WinkWink, a Washington-based, women-owned sex shop, tells SELF. We spoke with experts to understand what to look for when shopping for anal lubes and why it’s beneficial for anal sex. Why should you use anal lube?is a personal lubricant, for penile and/or vaginal application, intended to moisturize and lubricate, to enhance the ease and comfort of intimate sexual activity and supplement the body’s natural lubrication. Überlube is compatible with natural rubber latex and polyisoprene condoms. Überlube is not compatible with polyurethane condoms. Things to Know About Überlube

Long lasting antichafe for high performance athletics. Reduce fabric and skin rub while running, swimming, and biking. Stays in place for a long race, not runny or messy. Gets you in and out of that wet suit in a hurry. Style Several research studies have brought up two concerns. The first is regarding the glycerin and propylene glycol in personal lubricants. Glycerin and propylene glycol contribute to the osmolality (the given concentration relative to water) of the product. If the osmolality is high, the lubricant might pull water from the cells (e.g., the cells that make up the lining of the vaginal wall), causing the cells to shrivel, and this can lead to irritation. Irritation of vaginal or anal tissue could increase vulnerability to sexually-transmitted infections (STIs). Further studies are needed to fully understand the gravity of this effect (because the Food and Drug Administration does not regulate personal lubricants like medications, rigorous human studies are not available) and the risk should be weighed against the risk for tissue injury from not having adequate lubrication, which could also lead increased risk for STIs. Hybrid lubes typically have a combination of water and silicone, so they have a mix of the pros and cons of each option. The water makes them easy to clean up and the silicone keeps them from drying out so they last longer. There are many personal lubricant products on the market, with countless additional ingredients and customization of the fundamental base ingredient (whether it's water, silicone, or oil). Examples include adding menthol, caffeine, capsaicin(chemical found in chill peppers) or niacinfor tingling effect, adding an anesthetic like lidocaineor benzocainefor numbing effect, or adding various kinds of flavoring. and below: We don't recommend lubes with this rating; you won't find any on our list. How We Selected the Best LubesYes. In fact, more lubricant can help the condom do its job even better. Additional lubricant can reduce friction even further to minimize the chance of the condom breaking. It can also reduce the chance of irritation of delicate tissues which can lead to infection. s signature lube is an unscented, flavorless, and water-friendly silicone-based lube. There’s an entire VICE guide to the best lubes for every kind of sex, but I find that silicone-based lubes are generally better for vaginal and especially anal sex, because they will last longer than water-based lubes, and are compatible with latex and polyisoprene condoms (although, not polyurethane). You’re not supposed to use silicone lube with silicone toys, because it can cause the toy to degrade over time. But sometimes I can’t help it, and I’ll squeeze a little silicone lube over my favorite dildo, which is definitely going to outlast me in a landfill some day unless I recycle or resell it. And, yes, there is a ‘Craigslist’ for sex toys now. But I digress. We appreciate that the bottle is discreet, so it’s easy to keep on your nightstand without anyone realizing it’s lube. Plus, it has a hand pump that makes dispensing it seamless. may interact with silicone including hard plastic silicone. To know for sure, try überlube on a small area. Clean after use for best results.