Lubrication isn’t only a vital part of sexual health and wellness, but of all aspects of wellbeing. In any relationship where working parts are at play, whether it is an engine, a dinner party or an evening of love, everything works better when it is “well oiled.” It’s the kind of thing you don’t even notice or think about when it’s working well, but when lubrication fails, you know it immediately; without oil an engine locks up in minutes.
There are many reasons why you may lack lubrication during intimacy; ageing, childbearing, nursing and even common medications like anti-histamines and anti-depressants often contribute to vaginal dryness and pain during sex. Out of this, your sex drive can suffer as natural lubrication is a primary signal of arousal. Your early sexual memories, which often include moments of vaginal wetness, are stored deep within your body, but finding the right lubrication can help to trigger those libido-boosting memories.
There are a whole host of lubricants on the market, but over 95% of OTC and adult lubricants are made with petrochemical ingredients. This includes propylene glycol, which is used in such products as anti-freeze, brake fluid, laxatives and oven cleaner. According to Wendy Strgar, founder of Good Clean Love, ‘When I first began making lubricants and learning about the petrochemical ingredients that were my competition and were making me sick, I thought that my burning reactions was due to a sensitivity or allergy that was exacerbated by other issues like vaginal dryness or pain with sex.’
Strgar explains, ‘The petrochemical lubricants that dominate the market are damaging the genital and rectal tissue they intended to protect. The problem is a bio-physics issue, not an allergic sensitivity. Human skin tissue cells weigh around 300 isomoles, whereas KY warming jelly’s cellular weight was 30 times that of skin cells. Hyperosmolar lubricants literally squeeze human tissue cells to death. The warming sensation you feel is actually the skin cells shriveling up and falling off the tissue, causing small tears and compromising the natural immune functions of the genital walls.’ However, many brands of organic and all-natural products are entering the market to replace the dangerously toxic effects of bad chemistry, so read your lubricant labels carefully and take note of your body’s adverse reactions.
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