While the majority of these lubes fall into the same basic categories as the lubes from the last installment, there are a couple of new features showing up this time:
- Combination silicone/water-based lubes: There are a handful of these on the market, the most well-known being Liquid Silk and Sliquid Silk. The majority of the lube's composition is water-based with a small amount of silicone thrown in for good measure, creating a hybrid of the two types that keeps the best of both. Combination lubes last longer than traditional water-based lubes while retaining most of their feel.
- Flavored lubes: Flavored lubes aren't something I normally use because, well, simply put, if I'm giving oral sex, I really don't feel the need to taste fruit (or cinnamon or what have you). That and the fact that most of them generally don't taste very good. That being said, it's a personal preference issue. Some people really love a good flavored lube, some people feel that they need it to make giving oral sex more pleasurable and some people (like me) don't use it.
Another issue that wasn't brought up last time was the use of silicone-based lubes for massage. One of the joys of silicone lubes is that they double as massage oil, which makes them perfect for intimate massage. If you want something that has multiple uses or if you're the kind of person who likes to integrate massage into your foreplay, a silicone-based lube is going to be your friend. They allow the user to slip seamlessly between intimate massage and even more intimate touching without having to change products.
And stay tuned for yet another installment in the series, complete with more lube reviews, coming soon!
Name: Emerita Natural Lube
Price: $8.99 for 2 oz from Drugstore.com
Base: Water-based
Pros: Can be used with silicone toys; no animal products or animal testing; paraben-free (parabens may cause allergic reactions in some people and they may be linked to health side effects - it's all up to what you feel comfortable with right at the moment since there's no conclusive evidence of it's safety or danger)
Cons: Contains glycerin, might not be quite slick enough for some people's standards
Impressions: An all-around great lube, at least by my standards. This is like Emerita's OH Warming Lube without the warming. Some people might not find it slick enough and it does tend to dry out a bit faster than some of the other lubes I've tried, but if you're health conscious, want to support environmentally and animal friendly products, then this is the way to go.
Ingredients: Water, Glycerin, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Sorbitol, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vit E), Allantoin, Xylitol, Potassium Sorbate, Lactic Acid, Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate
Rating: 3/5
Name: Sliquid H2O
Price: $12.00 from JT's Stockroom, $10.95 for 4 oz from Drugstore.com, $10.00 from Wild in Secret, $7.49 for 4 oz from Cheap Lubes
Base: Water-based
Pros: Can be used with silicone toys; doesn't contain glycerin; no animal testing
Cons: Seems to try out a bit faster than other lubs do, can get a bit tacky
Impressions: I hate to blaspheme here (I know there are a great many people who love Sliquid H2O), but Sliquid's water-based formula just doesn't quite make the cut for me. It's not bad, but it's not phenomenal, either. I find that it tends to get tacky and dry out a bit quicker than I'd like, although it's plenty slick at first. But it's certainly not a bad lube, just middle of the road by my standards. Of course, if you're trying to avoid glycerin and/or want to use something made by a company that doesn't do animal testing, then Sliquid H2O would be an excellent choice.
Ingredients: Purified H2O, Sorbitol, Cellulose, Polyquart 007, Methyl and Propylparaben
Rating: 2.5/5
Name: Sliquid Silk
Price: $13.00 for 4 oz from JT's Stockroom, $12.99 for 4 oz from Drugstore.com, $9.95 for 4 oz from Cheap Lubes
Pros: Doesn't contain glycerin; combines the benefits of water-based lube with the benefits of silicone-based lube; no animal testing; no parabens
Cons: Can't be used with silicone toys
Impressions: My husband says that this is his favorite lube of all the ones we've tried so far and I have to say that it's one of my favorites as well. While I still prefer Emerita's OH Warming Lube just a bit because the warming factor feels so good on my girly bits, I have to say I'm impressed by Sliquid Silk's texture. While Sliquid Silk is initially thick when it comes out of the bottle, it turns into a silky smooth liquid as soon as it's smoothed onto your or your partner's body. The touch of silicone in this puts it a step above purely water-based lubes, making it slippery without being sticky and giving it a longer lifespan than a purely water-based lube.
Ingredients: Purified Spring Water, Sorbitol, Isopropyl Palmitate, Polysorbate-20, Dimethicone, Emollient Ester, DMDM Hydantoin
Rating: 4.5/5
Name: Sliquid Silver
Price: $24 for 4 oz from JT's Stockroom, $18.99 for 4 oz from Drugstore.com, $12.79 for 4 oz from Cheap Lubes
Pros: Doesn't contain glycerin; no animal testing; no parabens; concentrated so a little goes a long way
Cons: Can't be used with silicone toys; a bit on the expensive side
Impressions: This is the only pure silicone lube that my husband and I have tried that hasn't been absorbed by his silicone-devouring skin, which automatically earns a thumbs up from both of us, but it's Sliquid Silver's other merits that really won us over on this one. This really is a top shelf silicone lube and it shows. It's long-lasting, gives just the right combination of slickness and friction and feels incredible.
Ingredients: Dimethicone, Dimethiconol, Cyclomethicone
Rating: 4.5/5
Name: Sliquid Swirl - Green Apple Tart
Price: $10.99 for 4 oz from Drugstore.com, $10.00 from Wild in Secret, $8.79 for 4 oz from Cheap Lubes
Base: Water-based
Pros: Can be used with silicone toys; doesn't contain glycerin; no animal testing
Cons: Aftertaste from the aspartame; can be a bit tacky
Impressions: While I'm not a fan of flavored lubes, I'm going to try to be as unbiased as possible on this one. The Green Apple Tart flavor is one of the better flavors I've tasted in a lube, but it's not free from the chemical aftertaste of the aspartame, which is a big turn-off for me. Granted, putting real sugar in it would undo the benefits of Sliquid's no-glycerin policy. That being said, for those looking for a flavored lube that tastes reasonably good, doesn't feel goopy and doesn't contain sugar, Sliquid Swirl is right up your alley. The Green Apple Tart flavor tastes roughly like a Jolly Rancher, a sugar free Jolly Rancher: a bit tart, a bit sweet, but with that maddening chemical aftertaste that all artificially-sweetened products seem to have.
Ingredients: Purified Spring Water, Plant Cellulose, Sorbitol, Polyquart 007, Green Apple Flavoring, Aspartamame, Methyl/Propylparaben
Rating: 2.5/5
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