Organic lube recommendations?
September 9, 2020 9:19 PM Subscribe
Looking for organic lube recs for PIV sex. We don't use condoms so oils are fine but partner has a history of yeast infections and is a bit skittish.
My partner has been experiencing a decrease in self-lubrication after a lifetime of plenty, so this is new territory for us. She will feel more safe/relaxed if organic ingredients are used. Ideally it wouldn't be unpleasant on the tongue either.
Any suggestions? If you know of a sampler pack that'd be great.
My partner has been experiencing a decrease in self-lubrication after a lifetime of plenty, so this is new territory for us. She will feel more safe/relaxed if organic ingredients are used. Ideally it wouldn't be unpleasant on the tongue either.
Any suggestions? If you know of a sampler pack that'd be great.
Organic coconut oil is a favourite with many people I know. Coconut oil is said to have anti-fungal properties. Maybe worth looking into?
posted by nouvelle-personne at 9:30 PM on September 9, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by nouvelle-personne at 9:30 PM on September 9, 2020 [2 favorites]
Sliquid is an organic lube brand, and they have many different consistencies and even flavors. They also sell a "lube cube" sample pack. Their stuff is good quality and in regular rotation around here, though it can be a little spendy.
To minimize the risk of lube-caused yeast infections and other common irritants, keep an eye out for these ingredients when reading labels, and avoid them: glycerine, propylene glycol, and anything marketed as antibacterial, spermicidal, or numbing. Lots of the bottles you can find in the family planning section of the drugstore have these, but it's possible to find plenty that don't, so don't get discouraged if that's all you see the first time you start shopping.
Since you're wanting to try samples to figure out what you like (an excellent idea!), you could also buy from a sex shop that sells individual sample packets, like Good Vibrations. You can try a bunch of different things that way!
You may also want to consider silicone lube. Probably doesn't fit the definition of "organic," but the good stuff is literally just pure dimethicone, works great, isn't smelly or sticky, and doesn't cause irritation or yeast infections.
posted by rhiannonstone at 10:22 PM on September 9, 2020
To minimize the risk of lube-caused yeast infections and other common irritants, keep an eye out for these ingredients when reading labels, and avoid them: glycerine, propylene glycol, and anything marketed as antibacterial, spermicidal, or numbing. Lots of the bottles you can find in the family planning section of the drugstore have these, but it's possible to find plenty that don't, so don't get discouraged if that's all you see the first time you start shopping.
Since you're wanting to try samples to figure out what you like (an excellent idea!), you could also buy from a sex shop that sells individual sample packets, like Good Vibrations. You can try a bunch of different things that way!
You may also want to consider silicone lube. Probably doesn't fit the definition of "organic," but the good stuff is literally just pure dimethicone, works great, isn't smelly or sticky, and doesn't cause irritation or yeast infections.
posted by rhiannonstone at 10:22 PM on September 9, 2020
Note that silicone lubes are not water soluble, and can sometimes carry bacteria into the urethra and increase the risk of UTIs since it won't flush out with urine. YMMV. I don't have an organic recommendation. But Slippery Stuff or Pjur Nude are good. Limited ingredients. No flavor, smell, or staining. Rinse away with water. I did not like Good Clean Love Bionude, as it had a weird smell and texture. (They carry an organic one though, that I did not try.)
posted by Crystalinne at 10:46 PM on September 9, 2020
posted by Crystalinne at 10:46 PM on September 9, 2020
I was recommended yesyesyes.org, in particular their wate based lube https://www.yesyesyes.org/products/water-based-organic-lubricant/ which I've found to be very good. All their ingredients are organic
posted by Cannon Fodder at 10:57 PM on September 9, 2020
posted by Cannon Fodder at 10:57 PM on September 9, 2020
Also came to recommend Yes! organic lubricant. I won't use anything else.
posted by stillnocturnal at 12:23 AM on September 10, 2020
posted by stillnocturnal at 12:23 AM on September 10, 2020
If you want to go full hippie, you can boil flaxseeds (go for the yellow ones), strain them out, and let it cool. Great consistency, but no preservatives so you can't store it for long at room temperature.
posted by metasarah at 9:49 AM on September 10, 2020
posted by metasarah at 9:49 AM on September 10, 2020
I really like WaterSlide and haven't had any problems with it. But I looked at the ingredient list and noticed that it includes propanediol, which, teh Googles tells me, "is in most cases just another name for propylene glycol." Which abets rather than prevents yeast infections, so no.
I suggest lubes from The Butters Hygienics,, founded and run by Jerome Nichols in Ypsilanti, Michigan. They have three lubes: the ultra-thick Palm Grease ($6/4 oz.); his original all-around product, The Butters Lube Aloe x Shea ($7/4 oz.); and The Butters Lube with Cocoa Butter ($9/4 oz.; slightly thicker than Aloe x Shea; without palm butter or soy oil).
I can vouch for his hair products (both of us have textured hair), and bloggers who I trust all like it a lot for PIV intercourse.
Why? All of them are edible, organic, vegan and gluten free. They're reasonably priced. They don't have to be reapplied, so a little goes a long way. They don't have a strong taste or smell (though the cocoa butter-based variety reportedly gives off a chocolate aroma as activities get going).
Re: yeast infections: Rebecca of The Frisky Fairy, who is prone to yeast and urinary tract infections, tried The Lube with Cocoa Butter solo, with silicone and plastic toys, and with a partner for PIV sex, and says, "I'm fairly certain that my vagina is healthier now than it was going into the trial run." That said, everyone's body is different, so I'd test any The Butters lubes externally before using them for intercourse.
posted by virago at 10:55 AM on September 10, 2020
I suggest lubes from The Butters Hygienics,, founded and run by Jerome Nichols in Ypsilanti, Michigan. They have three lubes: the ultra-thick Palm Grease ($6/4 oz.); his original all-around product, The Butters Lube Aloe x Shea ($7/4 oz.); and The Butters Lube with Cocoa Butter ($9/4 oz.; slightly thicker than Aloe x Shea; without palm butter or soy oil).
I can vouch for his hair products (both of us have textured hair), and bloggers who I trust all like it a lot for PIV intercourse.
Why? All of them are edible, organic, vegan and gluten free. They're reasonably priced. They don't have to be reapplied, so a little goes a long way. They don't have a strong taste or smell (though the cocoa butter-based variety reportedly gives off a chocolate aroma as activities get going).
Re: yeast infections: Rebecca of The Frisky Fairy, who is prone to yeast and urinary tract infections, tried The Lube with Cocoa Butter solo, with silicone and plastic toys, and with a partner for PIV sex, and says, "I'm fairly certain that my vagina is healthier now than it was going into the trial run." That said, everyone's body is different, so I'd test any The Butters lubes externally before using them for intercourse.
posted by virago at 10:55 AM on September 10, 2020
Looking at the fourth link that I included in my comment, I want to note that The Butters Hygienics no longer makes the Cocoa Butter x Honey Lube, one of the two products reviewed by Kate of Girlyjuice.
Also, here's a link to the lubes and other sexual health products made by The Butters.
posted by virago at 11:11 AM on September 10, 2020
Also, here's a link to the lubes and other sexual health products made by The Butters.
posted by virago at 11:11 AM on September 10, 2020
I can't day too much here without outing myself, so I'll stick to saying there are a lot of PubMed citations about lube with my name on them. This is my jam.
The brands (and products) you may want to try are: Good Clean Love (I believe the most* organic formulation is called Almost Naked) and maybe Aloe Cadabra (unscented/unflavored). Honestly, the entire line of Good Clean Love products are worth a try**--that company has put some serious science into their work. Do yourself a favor and avoid formulations with sensate ingredients (e.g. warming/cooling) and I'd go so far as to include fragrances and flavors in that category.
In any case, have fun!
*No lube, no matter what it says on the label, is 100% organic in its formulation. The exception being, possibly, pure vegetable oils like coconut oil (if you have faith in the certification/labeling process). There is no legally marketed personal lubricant that's a pure oil, though, because oil and condoms aren't compatible, so that loophole means that some niche brands skirt the law by calling their products "vaginal moisturizers" (which aren't regulated and therefore don't have to prove any kind of purity, safety, etc.). This is more of a caveat emptor situation--pure coconut oil from the grocery store is regulated as a food product, so I'd be much more confident suggesting that people test our coconut-oil-as-lube via the grocery store rather than a retailer pushing an oil-based "lube-type product" online (this isn't an anecdotal problem, manufacturers willing to skirt the law in this way, it turns out, also tend to be more likely to skirt the law by adding undisclosed ingredients to their products, leading to reports of irritation, leading to inspections, leading to brand recalls/shutdowns/fines that I may or may not have been allegedly involved in).
**I do not work for this, or any, lube company. But I do work in the field so I have a PROFESSIONAL lube collection that I've accumulated through my work. One time, a guy I had over stumbled into "the lube cabinet" in the bathroom and it really, really freaked him out until I explained what I do for a living. And then he was like, "oh, so which ones do we get to test on each other?" haha. It was a good line! It worked!
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 3:00 PM on September 10, 2020 [7 favorites]
The brands (and products) you may want to try are: Good Clean Love (I believe the most* organic formulation is called Almost Naked) and maybe Aloe Cadabra (unscented/unflavored). Honestly, the entire line of Good Clean Love products are worth a try**--that company has put some serious science into their work. Do yourself a favor and avoid formulations with sensate ingredients (e.g. warming/cooling) and I'd go so far as to include fragrances and flavors in that category.
In any case, have fun!
*No lube, no matter what it says on the label, is 100% organic in its formulation. The exception being, possibly, pure vegetable oils like coconut oil (if you have faith in the certification/labeling process). There is no legally marketed personal lubricant that's a pure oil, though, because oil and condoms aren't compatible, so that loophole means that some niche brands skirt the law by calling their products "vaginal moisturizers" (which aren't regulated and therefore don't have to prove any kind of purity, safety, etc.). This is more of a caveat emptor situation--pure coconut oil from the grocery store is regulated as a food product, so I'd be much more confident suggesting that people test our coconut-oil-as-lube via the grocery store rather than a retailer pushing an oil-based "lube-type product" online (this isn't an anecdotal problem, manufacturers willing to skirt the law in this way, it turns out, also tend to be more likely to skirt the law by adding undisclosed ingredients to their products, leading to reports of irritation, leading to inspections, leading to brand recalls/shutdowns/fines that I may or may not have been allegedly involved in).
**I do not work for this, or any, lube company. But I do work in the field so I have a PROFESSIONAL lube collection that I've accumulated through my work. One time, a guy I had over stumbled into "the lube cabinet" in the bathroom and it really, really freaked him out until I explained what I do for a living. And then he was like, "oh, so which ones do we get to test on each other?" haha. It was a good line! It worked!
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 3:00 PM on September 10, 2020 [7 favorites]
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posted by fairlynearlyready at 9:25 PM on September 9, 2020 [3 favorites]