How To Use Personal Lubricant:
The Right Way To Use Lube

The Benefits Of Lube

Here's some other reasons why you should always have at least a travel sized portion of lube on hand:

• Lubricant makes anal sex much more comfortable for both parties involved and reduces the chance of anal tearing
• Sometimes the vagina won't adequately lubricate itself during foreplay, so adding lube will break down that wall and allow for much more sexual pleasure during those times where the vagina just isn't cooperating how you'd like.
• The right lubricant can function as a moisturizer as well, keeping the tissues involved young & supple for years to come
• Can make a quickie all the more comfortable when foreplay is skipped

Picking The Right Lube

A water based lube has the least amount of staying power and typically aren't the slickest, but they are compatible with all types of sex toys and won't degrade condoms. Water based lubes are also the best choice when it comes to flavored lubricants as they are very easy to make body safe with natural & safe to ingest ingredients. Standard vaginal sex with condoms is where water based lubes shine, as well as when used with sex toys. You might have to reapply is the only pitfall here.

Oil-based lubes are much more slick and long-lasting than water based lubricants, but they will degrade condoms making them more susceptible to breaking or not functioning as they should. Oil based lubes work great if condoms aren't an issue and are compatible with all types of sex toys, much like water based lubes. Sometimes oil based lubes can be a little on the staining side, but its nothing a quick wash can't ever fix.

Finally, silicone based lubes are the slickest of all lube sub-types and last ludicrously long. In fact, most silicone-based lubes need to be washed off with soap and water to truly remove them. They'd be the lube I suggest people use 100% of the time for all types of sex, whether it be solo or partnered, but the fact that they can degrade silicone based toys doesn't do them any favors, as most high end sex toys are made from body safe silicone. The structural integrity of silicone based toys becomes compromised if a silicone lube is used, which will end up warping your toy. However, these silicone lubes are the best lubricants for anal sex because of their slickness and staying power.

If you're new to anal, then I'd definitely recommend you use a lube with some numbing/desensitizing properties. I've created an article that goes over all of the top desensitizing anal lubes I've tried.

So depending on what you're shooting for and what kind of sexual activity you plan on engaging in, you'll have to pick the right lube for the job.

How To Use Lubricant (Step By Step)

Once you've picked the right lube for you, here's how to get down & dirty and have some fun:

Prep Your Lube (Optional)

Some people don't like applying  room temperature lube since it can be a bit of a shock, so some people choose to warm the lube up beforehand by rubbing it between their hands/fingers to get it a little warmer to the touch. You'll end up using more lube this way, since some will be lost on the hands, but there's nothing wrong with going a little overboard.

This step doesn't matter to everybody, but its worth mentioning.

Apply Lube Directly To The Anus, Vagina, Or Penis

Anal sex requires a bit more careful application. Whatever is being inserted inside the anus, whether it be a sex toy or a penis, needs to be sufficiently lubricated. What many people don't think of however is applying a bit of lube to the entrance of the anus to help things along. This reduces discomfort immensely and if you apply it correctly there will even be a bit of extra lube that goes inside the anus along with the toy to keep things as painless as possible.

Reapply As Necessary

Don't be afraid to bust out more lube as needed. Water based lubes will essentially always need to be reapplied as they don't have much in the way of staying power. If you have to, just add another dollop to lube where you need it to keep things flowing as smoothly as they were at the beginning of the sex session.

Wash Up After Use

I recommend buying a lubricant that doesn't have ingredients chock full of sugars or other things that can become food for bacteria, but it is sometimes unavoidable. Because of this, you should take a shower after sex to get all of your lube out of your system. Certain types of lube can make a woman much more prone to a yeast infection than others, but this can be effectively prevented with a bit of after sex showering. If you have a detachable showerhead, it can be a pleasurable experience in and of itself.

Other Lube Considerations

• Unless it is specifically marked as a spermicidal lube, lubricant is not a contraceptive and will not prevent unwanted pregnancy
• The use of lubrication does not reduce or mitigate the chances of catching an STI.
• Always use the right lube for the occasion, meaning to make sure that you pick a long lasting lube if you don't want to reapply and not to use any lube that isn't compatible with condoms or certain sex toy materials if they are going to be used
• Carefully read the ingredient list before purchasing to make sure you aren't going to end up with a bottle of lube you're allergic to
• There is some evidence that certain silicone or oil based lubes can reduce sperm motility, so they might not be the best choice if you're trying to conceive
• Try to use a pH neutral lube if you're a woman so you don't upset the delicate balance of your lady parts
• Apply liberally, you'd rather have too much than too little. In the same vein, a little bit of lube can go a long way if you're using silicone based lube, so experimentation is key.

Parting Words

Don't fear lubricant, in fact, I recommend that everyone should try to embrace the beauty that is sexual lubricant. Everybody's body is different and for some people lube can fill in some gaps that their body can't fill in naturally.

Certain medications or factors like age & health can reduce the body's ability to self-lubricate, so choosing to not use lubricant might be holding you back from the sex life you've always wanted. With most lubes costing less than ten dollars a bottle, there's nothing to lose and a whole lot to gain.