Synthetically Based Personal Lubricant: Dangerous, or Demonized?

Sex has been a bestselling product since the beginning of time; nearly everyone wants it, and it seems nearly everyone is trying to sell it to you bigger, better, stronger, longer, faster, or glow-in-the-dark.

Having options in your sex life is fantastic, but at what point do the products you’re being sold just become unnatural?  And at what point does unnatural become unhealthy?  …And doesit become unhealthy, or is that just a hyperbolic, loudly speaking page out of bestselling narrative, The Soapbox Diaries, by Granol A. Cruncher?

To figure this all out, let’s start by examining some not-so-nice additives and ingredients found in many popular personal lubricants.

Petroleum and silicone are two ingredients very commonly found in personal lubricant; ironically, it turns out they’re also sexual “no-no’s”.  Each of them can form an undesirable layer of coating on the skin, unnaturally sealing in pores and inhibiting the skin’s ability to “breathe”.  Additionally, this tendency to make the lube gum up not only makes it difficult to wash off of the skin, but it can also present problems when using sex toys.

Silicone lubricant can react poorly to toys made of a similar material, actually eroding, or “melting” the toy.  This process makes it harder to clean, and just think of what type of toxins a synthetic, melting sex toy could be releasing into your body.

Lastly, silicone and petroleum-derived ingredients also garner complaints that their thick, oily nature wreaks havoc on sensitive skin, clogging pores and causing localized acne and general irritation.

When it comes to a general sense of sexual discomfort, it turns out there are a few more shady, but common culprits stowed away in your bedside drawer.  The controversial Nonoxynol-9 is just one criminal chemical irritant capable of creating micro-tears in sensitive tissue, and increasing HIV transmission rates.

Dr. Laurie Steelsmith, licensed naturopathic physician and well known author, tells us that chlorhexidine and propylene glycol are also present in many lubes, and have been found to frequently upset some women by causing agitation and burning sensations in sensitive tissue areas.

This leads us to the next question you may want to consider if you’re planning to continue using unnatural lubrication products: on a scale of one to ten, how much do you savor a good yeast infection?

If you registered a 10, then by all means, carry on; if not, it may be useful to know that glycerin, glucose, and other sugars are frequently found in common lubricants.

…They’re also frequently found industriously promoting vaginal Candida growth, making women more likely to develop yeast infections.

If you’re not into yeast infections, it’s probably safe to assume that cancer doesn’t give you the hots, either.  Many unnatural lubes contain parabens, which are man-made preservatives that can simulate estrogen, and that have been associated with breast cancer.  These little nightmares are capable of being quickly absorbed right through the skin.

…Anyone remember when sex was a healthy enterprise?

Now, for comparison, let’s consider natural personal lubrication products, such as those offered by Coconu.  While I could spread the word about the tactile superiority of natural lubes all day long, the point of this post is to unearth and illuminate solid information about the ingredients, and possible health impact, of each product.

In order to keep the comparison simple- and because there are more than a few product lines out there masqueradingas “natural” and “organic”- I will just compare unnatural lubricants to those of the Coconu brand.

In the case of synthetic lubricants, I had to consult ingredient lists and pick just a few sketchy, chemical characters to expose in order to keep the discussion within manageable parameters; conversely, after reviewing the ingredients comprising Coconu products, I am immediately at a loss for something alarming to highlight.

It is a short list, and I recognize literally every component.  (How often can you say that about a product?)  What’s more is that- to my surprise and delight- I’ve already independently used the vast majority of the ingredients listed as things such as natural skin moisturizers.

Coconu natural lubricants contain no petroleum, silicone, Nonoxynol-9, chlorhexidine, propylene glycol, glycerin, or parabens.  As if that doesn’t instantly quash any argument claiming equality between the two products, coconut oil and coconut water are chief ingredients of Coconu products.  In addition to being a top notch lube, coconut oil has natural antiviral, antifungal, and antibacterial properties.  The take-away point there is that not only is it not going to increase your risk of developing a yeast infection, but there is a strong argument, (and countless testimonials), that it will actively act as a preventative against yeast-related issues.

In the convenience department, Coconu natural products will not melt your sex toys, and will not develop an alarming gum layer on the skin; on the contrary, thanks to the natural coconut oil, it could only be beneficial.

So, in summation:  I’m feeling pretty confident saying that the point at which the sex products you’re using become unnatural is the point at which they start eating away your sex toys… by themselves.  The point at which unnatural becomes unhealthy is… frankly, a joke, if you’ve already reached the point at which your lube’s melting things.  (But if that’s not convincing enough for you, refer to the bit about cancer.)  And, yes… yes, there most definitely isa point at which your unnatural sex products cross a line, and go from turning youon, to turning onyou!

…But on the bright side… you’re in the right place to find an alternative!