Top 10 best things about silicone lubricant

Top 10 List: The 10 best things about silicone lubricant.

“Plunging neckline

Doctor's design

Goodbye to celluloid

Hello to silicone.”

-My Life Story, Strumpet

I’m sitting at Starbucks writing this piece, and I have a small vial of silicone lubricant in my purse. I always have it with me. I have a partner who calls it “desert island lube”. You know… if you were stranded on a desert island and you could only take one type of lubricant with you what would you take? And, yes, it’s that good. We have a favorite brand, but overall silicone lube is just generally pretty fantastic. “But, Angel,” you ask, “what makes silicone lube so special?” Gather round, friends. Here are my top 10 favorite things about silicone lubricant:

1. Silicone lubricant is hypoallergenic.

One of the biggest worries people have about trying new lubricant is that they’ll have a weird reaction to it. Nobody wants to be in the midst of the hot-and-heavy and start to feel burning, itching, or anything else unpleasant in their entertainment center. While all bodies react differently to various substances, silicone lubricant is the safest lubricant choice on the market and is completely hypoallergenic. If you’re using silicone lube and having a funky reaction, check the package – it’s probably a hybrid. A hybrid lubricant is a combination of two or more lubricant types. If you’re having a reaction to your “silicone” hybrid, it’s coming from whatever’s been added; the silicone is not the culprit.

2. Silicone lubricant is water-resistant.

Anyone who’s ever tried to have sex in the shower or a hot tub knows that all that water can be counterproductive in terms of your own body’s lubrication. Using a water-based lubricant won’t help because the water you’re in will just wash it away. Silicone lubricant is not water soluble, making it perfect for shower/hot tub/bathtub/etc. sexy times.

3. Silicone lubricant is long-lasting.

Humans are roughly 70% water. That means that a water-based lubricant will quickly be absorbed by your skin, meaning that depending on your body, the type of sex you’re having, and a whole host of other physiological and biological influences, you may end up going through a ton of lube during a single session if you’re using water-based stuff. Silicone molecules, however, are too big to be absorbed by your skin, which means they’ll stay on the surface of your skin longer. This makes silicone lube a great choice for anal sex. A healthy anus does not self-lubricate, which means that during anal sex your body will not be contributing any natural lubrication to the process. Silicone lubricant can handle all the heavy lifting so you can relax and enjoy the ride.

4. Silicone lubricant is barrier-safe.

One major myth is that you can’t use silicone lubricant with condoms. This is false. In fact, almost all pre-lubricated condoms are lubricated with medical-grade silicone. Silicone lubricant is safe to use with all barrier methods (This does not include hybrid lubricants which may contain oils. Check the package if you’re using a hybrid. Oil-based lubricant is not safe for all barrier methods.)

NOTE: Silicone lubricant is NOT safe for use with most silicone toys. Toys and lube made with medical grade silicone don’t seem to have the same adverse interactions that lower quality toys and lubes seem to have. This hasn’t been extensively studied, but what we’re seeing more and more is no discernible affect on high-quality silicone toys when paired with an equally high-quality silicone lubricant. If you’re not sure, best to just throw a condom over the toy, then enjoy!

5. Silicone lubricant is super soft and silky.

Silicone lubricant feels so good, y’all. It has a soft, silky texture that feels amazing against your skin. It also warms to your body temperature while you use it. This makes it great for foreplay activities like sensual massage in addition to using it for penetrative sex.

6. Silicone lubricant is biologically inert.

Water-based lubricants are frequently made with additives like glycerin and other things to help give them that thick, lubey consistency. This means you have think about their osmolality (aka: how they’ll react with the water in your your body and whether they’ll cause irritation). Silicone is biologically inert, meaning you can use it without having to worry about things like the way it will impact your personal pH balance or osmolality.  (For more on this check out The Great Lube Episode on my YouTube channel)

7. A little goes a long way.

Because silicone lube is water-resistant and long-lasting, you only need a tiny bit to do a big job. A bottle of good silicone lube might be a little more expense than the same amount of water-based lubricant, but it will last you MUCH longer, even with regular use.

8. Silicone lubricant is versatile. 

I have a colleague who uses silicone lubricant to grease the pole her bird feeder is on, so the squirrels can’t climb up and steal the seeds. She’s promised to send me a video of their sad faces as they slide down the pole, seedless.  Silicone lubricant is also great for treating dry cuticles, for avoiding runners/athletic chafing on nipples, thighs, and other areas, and for de-frizzing your hair. I watched a co-worker open up a lube sample to quiet a creaky door hinge the other day. The practical uses of silicone lubricant are many. If you have a unconventional application for silicone, share it with me at angel@professorsex.com.

9. Silicone lubricant is not messy!

I hate when the lube I’m using ruins my sheets or gets all sticky and gross. Silicone lube doesn’t do that! If you use too much, however, you may have to use soap and water to get it off your skin.

That leads us directly into….

10. Silicone lubricant is super slippery.

The result of all the awesome qualities of silicone lubricant (see 1 through 9 above) is that it is the slipperiest of all the lubricants. Some people

don’t love that, others can’t get enough. I’m, personally, a huge fan of that.

Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash