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The Truth about Silicone Lube

I consume sex ed related material on the web at an alarming rate.  I always have my nose in a blog or video.  The misconceptions I come across about silicone personal lubricants are plenty.

Can I use silicone lube with latex condoms?

Silicone Lube with silicone toysI stumbled upon this safer sex educational video the other day.  I was really digging what I was hearing until I got to 3:12 when she says “with a male condom, especially a latex condom, you can only use water based lube.”  AHHHHHH!  Not true at all.  I really did scream at my computer.

Silicone, water based, and hybrid lubes (hybrid is a mixture of silicone and water based) are all 100% safe to use with latex.  They are also safe to use with any safer sex material like polyurethane, nitrile, etc.  I actually much prefer silicone with condoms (especially when using latex condoms for blow jobs) because it doesn’t dry and gum up like water based lube does.  The latex exacerbates the gummy effect which I don’t like.  Silicone lube stays smooth and slick and lasts a very long time.

It’s actually oil based lubes that aren’t compatible with latex.  Silicone and oil are two very different things.  Oil breaks down latex rendering latex barriers ineffective.  Also, never use oil based lubes in the vagina.  Oil harbors bacteria which can lead to vaginal infection (*one exception– coconut oil is safe for vaginas).

Oil based works nicely for jacking and stroking the penis. Thick oil based lubes like Boy Butter are popular for anal sex and extreme play like anal fisting.  If you use an oil based lube for anal, remember to use non-latex condoms, gloves and dental dams.

What else should I know about silicone lube?

  • Not only does a little bit of silicone lube go a long way, it’s awesome for water play.  Since it isn’t water soluble, it won’t wash away in the shower or pool.  When you’re finished with sexytime, it usually takes a little soapy water or a through shower to wash it off your body completely.
  • Silicone lubes are also hypoallergenic.  This is a huge plus for those of us who are sensitive to other kinds of lubes.  If your regular sexual lubricant leaves you irritated after use, you may be having a reaction to it.  Switch over to silicone to see if that helps.

Always check the ingredients before you buy.  If you’re sensitive, you don’t want to buy a product with a bunch of fillers and unnecessary chemicals.  My general rule of thumb is look for a silicone lubricant that has 2 to 3 ingredients.  I steer clear of anything with 4 or more.

Some of my favorite high quality silicone lubes are Wicked Ultra, Sliquid Silver, Pink, Gun Oil and Uberlube.

Higher quality silicone are generally easy on the digestive tract and the skin.  They are safe to use for oral sex and are relatively tasteless/odorless.  They also have a moisturizing effect on the skin.  When my hands or lips are dry I often apply silicone lubricant to them for relief (I use it for a bunch of other non-sexy things too— I’ll get to that later!).  For this reason, I’m never too concerned if I don’t shower right away after using it during sex.  Heck, if I leave it on, maybe it’s like a beauty treatment for my vulva! (Not really but I can pretend)

  • One drawback about silicone lube is it can stain fabric.  You’ll need to be mindful of your clothing or sheets.  Personally, I haven’t had an issue with this.  I use dark sheets and I’ve never spilled a large amount of it on any fabric so it’s never been a concern.  In all the wacky ways I have used silicone lube I have never stained anything (and we use A LOT of silicone lube in our house!). Also, keep in mind, different brands stain at different rates.
  • Another drawback of silicone lube is the price and availability.  Although you’ll pay a bit more upfront compared to water based lube, you‘ll make up for that on the back end.  I’m not talking about anal sex (unless that’s what you’re into. I LOVE silicone lube for anal!). Because a little bit of silicone lube goes a long way, you won’t use nearly as much as you would if it were water based lube.  One bottle of silicone may last you three times as long as its water based counterpart.  Silicone’s staying power makes up for the hefty price tag.  That staying power is also what makes it my favorite type of lube to use for anal play.

You probably won’t find silicone lube in the drugstore so you’ll have to go out of your way to pick some up at a sex shop or on the internet.  Drug and grocery stores almost exclusively carry water based lubes (and no, cooking oil, baby oil, Vaseline and the like don’t count.  Those types of products should not be used as lubes— especially if you have a vagina).  The truth is, most drugstore lubes aren’t the best out there.  Drugstore brands like KY or Astroglide are the most likely to cause irritation and have other adverse effects.  You are best to opt for better quality lubes of any type from sex shops or online.

Can I use Silicone Lube with Silicone Sex Toys? 

At one point using silicone lube with silicone toys was a huge no-no.  Depending on the quality of toys and lube you use, it is not such a concern any more.

I know exactly what you’re thinking “What? Come on, I’ve read that if you put silicone lube on your silicone toy it will melt!  I think I even heard it might make them explode! Like, you could DIE! Right?”

Not really.

A few years back it wasn’t a good idea to ever use silicone lube with silicone toys.  It also was advised to never store silicone toys touching each other because silicone reacts with silicone.  Piling your toys on top of each other could cause them to discolor or develop microscopic pores that can harbor bacteria.  This was certainly true when silicone toys first hit the market.  Back then, toys labeled silicone were often made of something else like TPR or TPE (Thermoplastic Rubber or Thermoplastic Elastomer) and not labeled as such— this is where the problems usually came in.

Quality has greatly improved in the sex toy industry.  Many manufacturers and consumers have significantly raised their standards.  Today we’re seeing pure food grade and medical grade silicone used in toys on a pretty consistent basis. A high quality silicone toy coupled with a high quality silicone lube often has no ill consequences.

Dangerous Lilly published an interview with Metis Black of Tantus on the myths of silicone sex toys and they addressed this very subject.  I highly recommend reading it. There’s chemistry and it’s super sex geeky. There are also links to videos of sex toys being lit on fire (for SCIENCE!). You’ll love it.

Granted, using silicone sex toys with silicone lube is a YMMV (your mileage may vary) situation— there are so many silicone toy/lube combinations in the world it’s difficult to tell you with certainty which is a good combo and which isn’t.  You’re always taking a risk trying it out. One thing you can do is spot test a toy on the non-insertable portion to see if it gets gummy or discolors.  If you’re a really daring sex geek you can light your dildo on fire like Dangerous Lilly. SCIENCE!

You can also opt for trying a high quality hybrid lube with your silicone toys.  Since hybrids are only half (ish) silicone that will minimize any potential risks to your toys as well.

I honestly always store all my silicone toys together and use a good silicone lube with them and have absolutely no problems.  EVER.  Keep in mind, every silicone toy and silicone lube I use is premium quality.  Some premium vibrator brands I use are:  Lelo, Fun Factory, CalExotics Premium Silicone, Jopen, Tantus, Je Joue and the Jimmyjane Form Series.  I’m probably forgetting a few too but that gives you the gist.  Sticking with industry praised, award winning, reputable companies is a good rule of thumb.

So, next time someone tells you really, really, really bad things are going to happen if you use silicone with silicone, take a minute to think twice.  Although it’s never a guarantee, odds are you’ll be fine mixing the two if you make a habit of buying quality silicone products.

Oh! I promised I’d tell you all the awesome alternative non-sex uses for silicone lube, didn’t I?  This is awesome.  Check it:

Other uses for Silicone Lube

  • Fix squeaky doorFor squeaky doors, locks and small mechanisms.  Basically anything you’d use WD40 for you can use silicone lube to fix also.
  • As moisturizer.  I keep one bottle of Wicked Ultra Silicone Lube by my bedside and one in my bathroom.  I apply it on my hands and dry patches on my face in the winter.  Works WONDERFULLY!
  • As hair frizz serum.  I have super curly hair.  For years I used a product called Frizz Ease but I now use a small amount of silicone lube in my hair every day.  One of the main ingredients in hair frizz serum is silicone (you’ll see it often listed as Dimethiconol or Dimethicon).  Many hair product manufacturers put other fillers or fragrances in their products.  Using a premium silicone lube gives me the equivalent of premium salon quality hair care on the cheap.
  • As runners glide.  Apply silicone lube between your thighs when you run to prevent chafing.  I don’t run but I have chunky thighs.  I do this in the summer when I’m wearing skirts and walking around town.  You can also apply it to your bare nipples if they chafe from rubbing against your shirt when running.
  • As shaving lotion. Instead of using shaving cream on your legs, underarms or pubic area, use silicone lube.  It helps you get a close shave an minimizes razor burn.  If you suffer from razor bumps you may want to give it a try before you go out and buy expensive shaving cream.
  • For latex clothing.  If you wear latex clothing, rubbing it down with silicone lube after you put on your garment is a must.  Silicone helps latex preserve it’s shine and extend the life of the item (Make sure you use silicone lube without fillers and extra ingredients for latex. Especially be mindful not to use any that contain Vitamin E or Aloe.) .
  • To shine your shoes  Shoes looking a little dull?  Rub a small amount of silicone lube on them to give them a polished look.

I am starting to wonder if silicone lube is the elixir of the gods. I think it might be.

For all you sex nerds and geeks, here’s Dangerous Lilly’s flame test video: 

http://youtu.be/d7BDr4Isj58

SCIENCE!  F-yeah!

 

31 replies
  1. Dangerous Lilly
    Dangerous Lilly says:

    SCIENCE!!!!

    Great post. After this weekend, while the silicone lube test was a bust in some ways – i.e. no immediate results, there WERE some troubling results. Not major, not ruining, but some mild interactions. I’ve decided at the suggestions of my cohorts to extend the test. Jenna of Tantus put the lube on a Tantus toy and left it for 24 hours, since we all know some of us can be lazy and leave cleaning go til the next day. But repeated use was mentioned. So I’m going to take a few weeks and do something more in depth.

    Reply
    • Sunny Megatron
      Sunny Megatron says:

      Ohhhh! I’m really interested in hearing your results! Yeah for me, I hate to admit it but I’m a lazy ass. I can’t tell you how often I use a toy, roll over and fall asleep leaving the cleaning for later. I’ve had NO ill effects. Fingers crossed— I never know when I’ll hit the wrong combo and screw it up– but so far so good.

      I actually spoke with someone recently who works for one of the big lube companies and told me about a big bowl of silicone tester toys that have been soaking in silicone lube (for like, MONTHS) and nothing has happened to the toys. That made me feel A LOT better about my use of silicone with silicone.

      BTW thanks for doing all of your experiments. SUPER helpful!

      Reply
  2. Dangerous Lilly
    Dangerous Lilly says:

    Oh one note about silicone lube shining up latex: my CatalystCon roomie, @LoraxofSex, is heavily involved in the leather community and kink community. She noted to me that silicone lubes that contain Vitamin E & Aloe should not be used for latex shining.

    I’d recommend too that when using silicone lube for multipurpose, make sure you get a nothing-but-silicone lube. If you can find one that is nothing but dimethicone and dimethiconal, that’s the best. There’s a lot of juries out on the siloxanes.

    Reply
    • Sunny Megatron
      Sunny Megatron says:

      AHHH! You’re right about the latex shining– I did know that but completely forgot (I don’t normally wear latex myself– makes me feel like a stuffed sausage LOL). I’m going to add that in the post. Thanks!

      And yes, I only use Wicked Ultra for my multipurpose stuff and it’s only dimethicone and dimethiconal (I cannot go on enough about how much I LOVE Wicked lubes!!!). It was funny because Ken & I were going back and forth about silicone lube. We had a ton of samples from a bunch of companies– some great and some not so hot. I had the Wicked in the bathroom for my hair. He kept complaining that I was wasting all the good lube on my hair and suggesting I should use the not-so-hot stuff instead (you know, cuz it was “just hair.”). So my response was “why would I want to put all that crap on my hair?” And he said “why would I want to put that crap on my dick!?” Then we laughed . . . and put multiple bottles of Wicked Ultra around the house LOL

      Reply
  3. Bowchickawowow
    Bowchickawowow says:

    That was a great article! I loved the fire test and the other odd jobs for silicone lube! Question though… just because I’m hyper observant sometimes. What type of necklace where you wearing? It almost looks like a pink neon bullet on a string! If so Me Want!http://www.sunnymegatron4.com.php56-15.dfw3-2.websitetestlink.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-monalisa/icons/wpml_good.gif

    Reply
  4. The Redhead Bedhead
    The Redhead Bedhead says:

    Love all the sexy science talk! Between @dangerouslilly and my experience at Catalyst this weekend I’m ready to start lighting things up before I trust that they are really silicone.

    Also, just bought my first silicone lube (Uberlube) I’m a hybrid girl generally but I think there’s merit to having the right tools for every job ;-)

    Reply
    • Sunny Megatron
      Sunny Megatron says:

      Ohhhh! Love Uberlube!!! (from Chicago too!) I hope you enjoy it! (GREAT in your hair too btw)

      And when it comes to sex toy materials in general I’m always second guessing. Like TPR/TPE– it’s supposed to be great. Well, except for the handful that contain phthalates. And hey, although that’s the vast minority of TPE/TPR toys out there, you never really know which ones for sure because it’s not like toys are marked “TRY ME! I’M TOXIC!” on the package. I try to stay away from the fly-by-night companies and stick with the bigger, well known, etc. ones. That’s my fancy strategy *shrugs shoulders*

      Half of the time I feel like my head is going to explode. I JUST WANT TO GET OFF! WHY IS IT SO COMPLICATED!? AGHGHGHG!

      Reply
  5. Jo Whole
    Jo Whole says:

    The exception to “no oil based lubes in vaginas” is organic unrefined coconut oil which is Shari Winston approved for vaginal use (search YouTube for reference). Coconut oil is *not* latex condom friendly, but it can be used for all the other uses listed above for silicone lube. Plus you can cook with it and it is yummy! Yes, I’m evangelical about undefined coconut oil!

    Reply
  6. Sarah
    Sarah says:

    Hey! I have never heard that silicone lubes are easily absorbed into the skin or gastrointestinal tract before, in fact most of what I’ve read suggests the opposite, could you let me know what your source is on that?! I am SO curious!

    Reply
    • Sunny Megatron
      Sunny Megatron says:

      You are absolutely right, Sarah– it does the opposite of adsorb. That was very poor choice of wording on my part. What I should have said was that silicone lube is “easy on” the digestive system and skin meaning it likely won’t give you tummy upset if you use if for oral and that the skin generally reacts well to it (as I get into further in the article). Thank you for pointing that out and I’ll be amending the wording in that sentence to reflect that.

      Reply
  7. Malcolm
    Malcolm says:

    Great article!

    A question please.

    I’ve been trying to find a premium silicone lube for my silicone plugs. Would you please recommend a brand(s) that works well and doesn’t stain on clothes if possible?

    “Some of my favorite high quality silicone lubes are Wicked Ultra, Sliquid Silver, Pink, Gun Oil and Uberlube.”

    You’ve listed a few of the silicone lubes in the article but if you had to pick the top two, which would they be?

    Cheers.

    Reply
    • Sunny Megatron
      Sunny Megatron says:

      Ohhhhh– this is a hard one! They are all great. I’d probably say Uberlube and Wicked Ultra are my fave (and as a side note Gun Oil and Pink are the same product– simply marketed to 2 different demographics). Silicone lube has the potential to stain but some more than others. I mainly use the 2 I mentioned as faves and haven’t had staining issues but I also don’t get it on things I’d be upset to stain. I’ve heard anecdotally from a couple folks that they spilled Uberlube and it surprisingly didn’t stain. Others have said they generally regard it as stain safe. Again, nothing proven, that’s not what the company claims, I have no idea what material these people got it on, and your mileage may vary– but that’s what I’ve heard in casual convo.

      Reply
  8. Terry
    Terry says:

    Uberlube….. can be used with your silicone toys? We are looking for a great silicone lube dispenser – one that doesn’t leak. Does Uber manufacture a leak proof container?

    We have mainly Lelo toys with Sliquid silicone lube and haven’t had any issues so far. We are hoping Uberlube will work too.

    Thanks,
    terry

    Reply
    • Sunny Megatron
      Sunny Megatron says:

      I use Uberlube with my silicone toys all the time and have never had an issue. It’s a nice, glass pump style bottle which I really dig. Very neat and easy to use. You can twist and lock for transport so it doesn’t leak.

      Reply
  9. Abel
    Abel says:

    Ever tried mixing silicone and oil? Prefer oil for the rear and was wondering if I could make a “smooth” transition without creating a weird paste. No condoms involved. Just skin on skin.

    Reply
  10. jules
    jules says:

    Hello! My partner and I have been trying to find a silicone lube to use with our fun factory dildo, after coming across yours (and many others) post. We ended up going with Pjur original and did a spot test on the bottom of our Fun Factory Magnum but after leaving it on for 5 minutes, it definitely warped the base. It almost looks like a hive where the silicone was left on. We would still like to find a silicone lube that could work. Do you have any suggestions? We have a big bottle of this Pjur lube now, that we can’t even use with our toy :( I thought fun factory would be pretty safe to use as it is supposed to be high quality :(

    Reply
    • Sunny Megatron
      Sunny Megatron says:

      I have used Wicked Ultra with my Fun Factory toys and have not had issues. Still, do a spot test though as I can’t guarantee the toys I have are the same as yours and that the material is identical. Since the sex toy industry isn’t really regulated we can never guarantee from batch to batch what goes into toy materials is going to be identical (although I generally trust Fun Factory– they are a quality company). I hope that helps!

      Reply
  11. denise smith
    denise smith says:

    i have never used silicone lube before since my husband and i are getting older we are in need to use a lube now we usually used Vaselinein the past

    Reply
    • JD
      JD says:

      Slicker in a good way, and doesn’t dry nearly as quickly. Doesn’t feel ‘wet’ or leave you sticky like water-based – just ‘oiled’, smooth and moisturised. Takes a bit longer to wash off, but even a rub down with a towel gets most of it off.

      Much more expensive per ml – but you require a much smaller amount per use, so a small bottle can go a long way.
      Unless you go nuts with it for Brazzers intro style fun.
      Or slide around on each other doing full body massage, love that. Water based not up to the task.

      Just feels so much better :) Get some, you won’t regret it.

      Reply
      • Kinkycow
        Kinkycow says:

        And some water-based lubrication products are super thin and run off you body/sex toys and you need to reapply it often costing you more.
        But just be 100% sure that you’re sex toys is not made of any porous materials.

        Best regards,
        Kinkycow

        Reply

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