Sexual lubricants are crucial when using sex toys that are inserted in the anal canal, rectum, or vaginal canal, or even when using sex toys externally to not damage the skin.
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In fact, lubrication is primarily carried out to avoid damaging body parts. Dry insertion may not only cause injuries, which leads to increased susceptibility for infections, but it can also cause pains.
An additional advantage of using lubricants is that it can heighten the sensory sensation, which increases sexual pleasure.
In any case, lubrication is applied by using so-called sexual lubricants, often simply called lubes. Various massage oils, gels, sprays, and lotions may also function as lubricants.
When choosing a lubricant, it’s important to make sure that you’re not allergic for the ingredients. It’s therefore advised to first test a bit of the lube somewhere on your body to see how you react on it.
In case you perceive that you’re allergic to synthetic lubricants, you may find that you’re not allergic to natural lubricants. Hence, it then may be possible to rather use (clean) coconut oil or castor oil, to give some examples.
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Another risk of using lubes, which counts for both industrial/synthetic and natural products, is that they can affect internal or external pH levels, which can cause skin or internal tissue health conditions and imbalances.
There are different types of lubes available for different body parts or for different sexual activities and toys, so check on choosing the right lube.
In general, silicone-based lubricants should not be used with silicone sex toys (rather use water-based lubes), because the lubricant will increasingly erode the toy. Oil and oil-based lubricants may also break down toys or equipment made from latex.
Apart from lubricants, some other items are considered “essentials” or “accessories” for sex toy use, such as condoms (notably when sharing sex toys), lube injectors or launchers, instructional material, batteries, chargers, gloves, storage bags and boxes, and sex toy cleansers.
