by Kristine Hawes

For those of us who play with them, we know that dildoes don't make their own lubrication. If we use a condom, the lubricant can be anywhere from woefully inadequate to non-existent. A good latex glove works best with LOTS of juice. Fingers used anally feel much better when wet. So how do we slick up for all this genital/ anal stimulation? Lubricants.

As Good Vibrations says, "Lubricants add delightful slipperiness to any type of genital stimulation and reduce friction that can be rough on sensitive genital tissue." True enough. Anyone who has used a dildo can attest to this fact. But what's out there? What's available? How do you find something you like? Ahhh. We're here to help. Read on.

When I first started getting interested in sex, there was one kind of lubricant that we all talked about: K-Y Jelly. Of course, I was a teenager and this was the mid 70's. The mindset of my generation was: don't get pregnant. Now, the common thought is "What might we catch (or transmit)?" Condoms and latex are now widely used, but not all of those come ready-to-go.

Today, we have much more than K-Y Jelly to rely on; lubricants are varied in taste, texture, composition, lasting power, and best of all, safe for use with latex. Some are good for anal sex while others are better for vaginal stimulation. Some are good on bare skin, some work very well with latex only. The key is to find which is best for what use.

Water-based lubes are safe to use with condoms, diaphragms and other latex barriers, and rinse away easily with plain water. Oil-based lubes (from baby oil to olive oil) destroy latex and are harder to wash out of one's body. They're also damned hard to get out of the sheets. Water-based lubes don't stain, but they do leave behind a white residue on most fabrics. This can usually be cleaned off with water or in the washing machine. One other common complaint with water-based lubes is their sticky feeling. The water in them evaporates during use, making the lube become stickier and tacky-feeling.

Some people enjoy a latex-free relationship with their sexual partner(s) and as such, they are able to use whichever lube they desire: oil-based OR water-based. But the purpose of this column is to review lubricants which can safely be used with or without latex. There may be oil-based lubes out there which suit you better, and if you're able, go out and use them! The lubes reviewed here are all water-based and are readily available through almost any retail adult store, such as Good Vibrations and Blowfish.

About this review: These seven lubricants were reviewed by six people: four men and two women. There are a wide range of uses portrayed here: anal, vaginal, masturbation, and toy play. There is also a cross-range of sexual orientation: heterosexual, bisexual, and homosexual.

The chart below gives the name of the product, the average rating for each category, and finally an overall rating. A one (1) equates to hideous, a ten (10) equates to ecstasy supreme. Categories include taste, texture, consistency, lasting power, and color. Where possible, the cost and ingredients are included.

Each lubricant is detailed below with comments from the testers. My best advice is to try several and see what works best for your own situation.

Astroglide

This is a common lube and well-known. Even though it scored lowest of all the lubes, it seemed to receive mixed reviews, depending on how it was used. Anally, it was adequate, although the consistency was "a little too watery." The taste was not one of its high points. However, for masturbation, it was a split decision: "Too sticky for handjobs" to "works well for hand jobs." One participant said, "maybe the perfect lube; long lasting." Go figure. For women using this, it does get sticky if used with a dildo for an extended period. "Too sticky after 10 minutes of use." Half the participants would recommend it to friends, the other half would not. It appears that this is one to try out and see if it fits your own personality. Cost: About $14.00 for 5 oz.

Probe

Another well-known lube, and scored third on the survey. The thicker consistency, coupled with a fairly nice texture makes it popular. It worked "well for dildoes and lasted a long time." A male participant, who used it for masturbation said, "nice taste, got a little sticky, but not bad." Another commented that it was alittle too gooey, "like molasses." The thicker formula has a nice texture and an average-to-better-than-average lasting power. A good runner up. Ingredients: Purified water, vegetable glycerin, polyethylene oxide, grapefruit seed extract. Cost: 8.5 oz. Approx. $8.95.

I-D

This is a good, average lube that is available at all of the same locations as the others. Not as well-known as Astroglide or Probe, it seems to provide all of the basic functions of most lubricants. The main complaint with I-D was the consistency. It was "a bit too sticky" to "tacky feeling." Using it with dildoe it seemed to disappear quickly. A great deal of it was needed to complete most tasks. This is one that would not be recommended by the majority of the participants, but it does seem to be good in a pinch. As one person commented, it's good. Not great, just good. It doesn't have a bad taste: slightly sweet and nondescript. Cost: 8.5 oz. Approx. $8.95

Liquid Silk

This is a British-made lube, new to a lot of people. It is a creamy, lotion-like lube, containing no glycerin. It seems to never get sticky. It's not a commonly known lubricant here in the US, but if our survey is any indication, it could become very popular. It was the high scorer here. It's biggest asset is the feeling/texture: "very nice feel", "mmmmmm", and "like glass." Very little inecessary and the consistency is "silky" to "smooth." The only drawback to th lube was the taste. It is in no-way sweet and in fact, it's slightly bitter. One participant said "looks like it would be good for anal sex," although he used it for masturbating. One man said the color was a high point for him: "It's got creamy color, like cum. Fun!!" For women, only a tiny amount is needed for latex, dildoes, or regular vaginal intercourse: it seems to work very well with a woman's own secretions. Ingredients: Water, Propylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Cellulose Polymer, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate NSE, BNPD, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Methyl Paraben, Butyl Paraben, Ethyl Paraben, Propyl Paraben, B.H.T. Cost: About $12.95 for 250ml.

Embrace

This lube comes in flavored (strawberry) and unflavored. Both flavors were tested by our participants, both coming in strong at second place. One person on the survey had already been using this lube, mostly for anal sex, both with latex and without. Of all the lubes, this is the thickest and the best for anal sex, it appears. "It stays put" is the most common comment. It has a lasting power that's not bad if a lot is used, and the texture is superior to most of the other lubes. Of the strawberry flavor, the only comment was "mmmmmmm." The strawberry taste is not overpowering or overly sweet. It earned high marks for consistency, especially for masturbation. "This is a very nice lube. It feels great" were very common comments. Cost: Approx. $8.00 for 8 oz.

Slippery Stuff - Black (liquid) and Slippery Stuff - Blue (gel)

Both of these were originally developed for use by SCUBA divers, specifically for putting on tight wet-suits, according to Good Vibrations. The liquid and gel were both reviewed. Neither of these have any taste, which was very nice for some people. The biggest complaint here was lasting power: both rated very low with all participants. The liquid received fairly good reviews for hand jobs, although the lasting power was a deterrent for most people. "It doesn't last long enough!" Of the liquid, one man said "nice feel for a hand job." The gel, used by one participant anally AND for masturbation, was reviewed as "not meant for hand use, went away quickly." Anally, however, he reviewed it fairly high. Again, it was split as to whether or not to recommend it to friends: some were in favor of the gel, some in favor of the liquid. Cost: $6.00 for 4 oz., each type.