Recommending 7 Criteria for Choosing Lubricants
When choosing a lubricant, you may not know how to choose, and you can only make a decision based on the price and the brand. However, lubricants are intimate products and should be chosen with attention. Like some water-based lubricants are not suitable for everyone, because they might trigger allergic reactions and even affect health... Want a safe and trustable lubricant? Take a look at the following 7 criteria for choosing lubricants (including World Health Organization (WHO)’s recommendation) and the lubricants recommended by Sampson Store after our professional testing!
on Lubricants
The most commonly seen lubricants on the market are water-based or silicone-based lubricants. Both of them have their own benefits and you can choose according to your personal needs.
The viscosity of water-based lubricants varies, be it watery or thick. Moreover, water-based lubricants are highly compatible and suitable for both sex and sex toys. Most water-based lubricants can be easily washed off with water. However, they can be easily absorbed by our skin and you may have to apply more to maintain the lubricating effect. When looking for water-based lubricants, in addition to osmolality, it is also necessary to avoid selecting lubricants containing petroleum, because it will destroy latex condoms.
The fluidity of a silicone-based lubricant is mostly lower than that of a water-based lubricant because it is not likely to be absorbed by skin, and the lubricating effect is more durable, which especially suitable for anal sex. At the same time, it does not contain preservatives and does not cause relevant allergies. However, it is difficult to be washed off and needs to be removed with soap. You can also use silicone-based lubricants that don’t require cleaning, such as the pjur Original series.
Due to the "Like dissolves like" principle, silicone-based lubricants may erode the silicone surface of sex toys, but not absolutely. So if you're not sure about the compatibility of that with your toy, we recommend you check with the seller, or do a test in an inconspicuous spot.
After our professional tests, all lubricant samples including Sagami Original Lubricating Gel、pjur Aqua、pjur Original、Durex K-Y Jelly、PLAY & JOY Basic water-based and Olivia WL4 keep control of bacteria in a safe range. However, even if the lubricant is produced in a sterile environment, it is still easy to be contaminated after opening, so we recommend finishing it as soon as possible after opening; There are also lubricants adding preservatives in a safe amount to the human body to inhibit the growth rate of bacteria. If you are looking for preservative-free water-based lubricants, a higher osmolality is needed to reduce bacteria, similar to that of the Dead Sea. This is the case of Hyper-osmotic (approximately more than 2000 mOsm/kg) which is likely to cause problems such as skin dryness and pain in your private part in the long run. Therefore, it is your choice between preservatives and high osmolality.
Sex aside, many people will use sex toys with lubricants. For this case, the viscosity of a lubricant has a greater impact on the user experience, because if a water-based lubricant is more watery, it will be always dripping, messing up the place and causing waste. Therefore, Sampson Store recommends you use lubricants with a lower fluidity and higher viscosity.
There are thousands of lubricants on the market with different gimmicks, but not all are compatible with condoms. For example, lubricating oil can lead to the breakage of latex condoms, which increases the chances of pregnancy and STIs. Fortunately, Sampson Store is always well prepared: all the lubricants you can find at Sampson Store are compatible with condoms. You don’t have to worry about that anymore.
When looking for lubricants, remember to follow the 7 criteria mentioned above. I bet you are looking for a smooth and pleasurable moment, not a troublemaking one.
1 World Health Organization. “Use and procurement of additional lubricants for male and female condoms”, 2012, http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/76580/WHO_RHR_12.33_eng.pdf
2 Nicole, Wendee. “A Question for Women’s Health: Chemicals in Feminine Hygiene Products and Personal Lubricants.” Environmental Health Perspectives, vol. 122, no. 3, 2014, doi:10.1289/ehp.122-a70.
