So, if it’s such a recurring item in the average person’s “sex toolkit,” why don’t we talk about it more? Or more importantly, talk about what’s in it? After all, we discuss what’s in (or not in) our gluten free ice cream or $500 eye cream. Read on as Kiana Reeves, Chief Brand Educator of Foria, talks about the ins and outs (pun intended) of lube:
Truth 1: Your genitals are very absorbent.
The vagina, vulva, and the anus are so absorbent, kind of like a sponge, Kiana tells us. Anything you put on that area goes directly into your bloodstream, so if you wouldn’t put it in your mouth, don’t put it on your vagina. “That becomes really important when you’re talking about sex products and lubricants because people are becoming more and more aware that there’s so many ingredients that are carcinogenic or are going to mess with your P.H.,” notes Kiana. If you put CBD on your genitals, for example, it will active that area because it soaks it all in.
Try It: Foria Wellness Intimacy Natural Lubricant with CBD
Truth 2: You have to know what’s in your lube.
Kiana warns us that a lot of brands claim to be 100 percent natural and all-organic, but when you read their ingredients, that’s simply not the case. When buying a lube, Kiana suggests, read the ingredients on the back in full and use this rule of thumb: If you can’t pronounce an ingredient or don’t recognize it, you absolutely should not be putting it on the most intimate parts of your body. When you’re buying lube (or any sex tool, really), you should look at the ingredients as diligently as you look at food packaging or eye cream.
Myth: Lube is simply a solution to a problem.
A myth that Kiana and the rest of the Foria team is constantly trying to bust surrounds what they call lube shame. “Our culture as a whole tells us quite regularly that the only reason to use a lube is if you’re not ‘wet enough,’” says Kiana. “We all have a varying capacity for how much moisture we produce based on how aroused we are.” Studies show that just using any old lube increases everybody’s pleasure—whether you have a vulva or a penis. So, you could be well lubricated and add a lube to your sexual toolkit to make everybody’s experience more enjoyable. Lube allows our bodies to start getting turned on and triggers a response in our body that activates our own lubrication. It makes touch and tactile sensation feel that much better.