A good personal lubricant is a fact of life. In any relationship where working parts are at play – whether it be an auto engine or an evening of making love – proper lubrication is vital to allowing women to have enjoyable friction-free sex.
While an over the counter synthetic personal lubricant such as KY-jelly, Astroglide, Kama Sutra, Trojan, and other popular brands seemingly are effective, they come at a high price that isn’t just dollars and cents, but health risks associated with their use.
Synthetic Personal Lubricant Can Cause Health Issues
One of the most rampant health issues in America is Bacterial Vaginosis (BV) – the most common vaginal infection in women ages 14-49, affecting over 21.2 million (29.2 percent)). BV occurs when the normal balance of good bacteria in the vagina is disrupted and replaced with an overgrowth of certain types of harmful bacteria. Sometimes the condition has symptoms like itching, burning, off smelling odor or discharge, but most women (84 percent) who have BV have no symptoms and do not know it. Note that mainstream lubricants actually lend to BV!
When BV goes untreated, the harmful bacteria in the vagina creates a perfect host for more serious STDs and HIV. Women with BV are 60 percent more susceptible to contracting STDs and three times as likely to transmit them to their partners. BV also creates serious complications for pregnant women and their babies as well as increased rates of infection following surgical procedures.
Research demonstrates that a single use of heavily concentrated petrochemical lubricants (like KY warming gel) increases the risk of BV by 13. The burning sensations associated with these lubricants is a result of the genital tissue that is being destroyed by contact with these products.
You will be stunned to learn that many synthetic lubricants contain chemicals first designed for use on automobiles or in oven cleaners!
If you haven’t considered switching to a natural, organic sexual lubrication. We recommend Curious Intimate Massage & Pleasure Moisturizer with organic botanicals.
Personal Lubricant Ingredients
Below is a list of ingredients in synthetic products that will surely influence your decision to “go natural.”
- Glycerin and glucose. Sugars, glycerin, and glucose may feed Candida, a yeast that’s normally present in small amounts in the healthy vagina, but which can proliferate and cause vaginal yeast infections in women who are prone to them.
- Phenoxyethanol. High concentrations of phenoxyethanol can be harmful if absorbed through your skin, causing reproductive damage. According to the FDA, it can also depress the central nervous system in newborns. The breakdown of phenoxyethanol in your body releases phenol, which can adversely affect your immune system.
- Chlorhexidine. An ingredient in some multipurpose lubricants, (such as K-Y jelly), chlorhexidine can be irritating to some women.
- Propylene glycol. Propylene glycol may cause burning or tissue irritation in some women. Astroglide, a common over-the-counter lubrication, contains this ingredient.
- Petroleum or petroleum-derived ingredients. Refrain from using products with petroleum-based ingredients, including multipurpose lubricants like Vaseline petroleum jelly, on your genitals. They may contain impurities linked to cancer and other health conditions; they can also coat your skin, impeding its normal functions and not allowing it to “breathe.”
- Parabens. Synthetic preservatives that can be absorbed through your skin. They can mimic estrogen in your body, and may be linked to increased risk of breast cancer.
- Silicone oils. Silicone oils may have toxic side effects, and as with petroleum-based products, they may coat your skin, affecting its normal functions and permeability. Silicone can have many names on product labels, including dimethicone, highly polymerized methyl polysilozane, methyl polysiloxane, mirasil DM 20, and viscasil 5M.
Wendy Strgar,is the founder of Good Clean Love – a website that sells organic and natural sexual intimacy products, and also a source of medical research for women and men’s sexual health. She is the author of Love that Works: A Guide to Enduring Intimacy. Her blog Making Love Sustainable was named as the best sex/relationship blog by Intent.com for 2011 and has been listed many times as one of the best 100 relationship blogs on the web.
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