Lubricants - what you need to know
Let’s talk lubricants!
Lube, the sex “addition” that no one ever expected to need. At least I didn’t. During pregnancy, postpartum (especially if tearing occurs or if breastfeeding), and during menopause lube may be necessary and beneficial, but it should not be needed all the time.
So, let’s talk about when lube is beneficial and what it really should do for you
Lube is beneficial if you are not producing enough natural mucous and lubricant yourself. It should add to what your body is producing to create adequate lubrication for pain-free sex. There are some things to think about when using lube:
Aloe Cadabra’s lubricant ingredient comparison
Unfortunately, lots of lubricant companies use ingredients that are not good for vulvar or vaginal tissueI do not recommend Astroglide, KY, or Trojan. These companies have great marketing departments and their products are easily accessible, but they have a lot of irritating ingredients that can make dryness and pelvic floor dysfunction worse. You do not want ingredients that will make your tissues more fragile and more likely irritated (check out AloCadabra’s ingredient comparison with some of the more easily found brands). Here are some brands that I recommend (with links to their websites).Ah! YesUberlubeSLiquidAloe CadabraChiavaye
If you have discomfort with sex, and lube does not address it completely - then dryness is not the only problem (or maybe not a problem at all)Many people assume painful sex is due to dryness, and it can be a factor, but lubricant should resolve all discomfort or pain related to dryness. If you still have pain, then you likely have a pelvic floor dysfunction present. Lubricant will not help muscles relax or address overactivity, therefore pain due to pelvic floor dysfunction will continue
Lubricant can be great if you have reduced natural lubricationSometimes lube is totally needed and can make all the difference:-If you are nervous postpartum then a great lube can increase your confidence and help you relax. Even if you are not dry, if you believe it is going to help then it might-If you are breastfeeding. Some people have reduced natural lubricant when breastfeeding and benefit from lube to supplement.-If you are postmenopausal. You may produce less natural lubricant as your hormone levels change. -If you are a cancer survivor or have undergone another invasive treatment which may have caused scar tissue or other changes to your mucosa. Your tissue may be changed and not making enough lubricantRarely, do I see people benefit in other circumstances. Usually, if there is discomfort with sex without one of these factors, then dryness is not a factor and lubricant will not help.
In summary,
Lube can be great, but it won’t solve all vaginal issues, if it is not working look into other solutions to the other issues that may be present, don’t use yucky ingredients!