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These 4 Common Household Products Can Double as a Lubricant
Picture this: your usual Saturday night out has taken an unexpected turn for the better and you’ve got a sexy stranger in your apartment. Things are getting progressively steamier and steamier, to the point that your guest wants to take things to the bedroom. Because you’re a responsible guy, you’ve got fresh condoms in a drawer inside your bedside table, but when they ask you about lubricant, you hang your head in shame. Rookie move, partner, but all is not lost.
If you’re savvy (and what regular AskMen reader isn’t?), you can actually get away with using some common household items as a lubricant. Sure, it may not be ideal, and you definitely need an open-minded partner, but in terms of health, safety and even efficacy, the right swap will work very well indeed.
RELATED: Best Lubes for Masturbation
Don’t go reaching for whatever slippery liquid or gel you happen to have on hand, though! If you want to avoid a bad rash, a terrible burning sensation, or even a nasty bacterial infection, you need to be very careful about what you choose. What follows are our four favorite lubricant alternatives, as well as four options you need to avoid for health and safety reasons.
Viable Lubricant Alternatives You Might Have at Home
One major consideration, before we begin: if you are using a condom for contraception, you should forego all of these options, since these oils aren’t especially formulated to play nice with latex and could conceivably lessen the efficacy of the condom.
CBD Oil
More and more people have CBD oil on hand for its therapeutic benefits, but few know that it actually functions as a very serviceable lubricant as well — so much so, in fact, that actual lubricant manufacturers are beginning to incorporate it as an ingredient in their products.
As an added bonus, if you opt for CBD oil as a lube, you can expect heightened sensations or arousal and pleasure. But there is one major caveat: the CBD industry isn’t tightly regulated, and not all CBD products are well made. Check your ingredient list to ensure that your CBD oil contains no sugars or alcohols, since these are irritants you don’t want anywhere near your genitals.
Coconut or Olive Oil
The best alternative is probably the one you’re most likely to have on hand, and what self-respecting cook doesn’t have either coconut oil or olive oil in their kitchen? If you’ve ever handled these oils, you know they have the ideal consistency for lessening friction, and in this case, at least, your intuition is totally correct: they would work as good sex lubricants.
One important consideration, though, is that you opt for the least processed coconut or olive oil possible. Look for labels like “unrefined” or “extra virgin” to help ensure that your oil hasn’t been adulterated by other ingredients that could sabotage its efficacy as a lube.
Aloe Vera
Another common household item, usually used to treat sunburns, aloe vera has the exact gel-like properties you want in a good lubricant. It isn’t perfect, though: the same fast-drying properties that make it great for application on burnt skin also means it has a very short effective duration as a lubricant, so you’ll need to continually re-apply it.
Aloe vera is also commonly combined with alcohol, which helps give it that cooling sensation you love on your sun-burnt skin, but alcohol is another major no-no for the genitals, so opt for a 100% natural aloe vera only.
Shea Butter
Shea butter is prized in hair and skin care products for the very same reason it makes for a great natural lubricant: its silky-smooth texture and moisturizing properties. And because it tends to be thicker than pure oils, it’s an especially great option for anal sex.
No surprise, then, that it’s a common ingredient in most store-bought lubricants. As always, though, make sure you’re using an adulterated, 100% natural shea butter, and read the label carefully.
Bad Lubricant Alternatives You Should *Not* Use
Just as some household products can work as lubes, some definitely don’t work. Some of the bad options are obvious, of course, but the most dangerous ones are the ones that seem like they would make good lubricants but are actually downright dangerous. Read on to make sure you never make this costly mistake.
Vaseline
We know, we know: vaseline is probably the first thing everyone thinks of when they’re looking for a lubricant substitute, especially because people usually keep it in their bathroom rather than in the kitchen, but trust us on this one. It may be soft and pleasant to the touch, but vaseline is not meant to come in contact with your genitals and especially not with any bodily orifices, where it can introduce all kinds of unwanted bacteria.
Honey
Honey may be the nectar of the gods, but unless the gods are immune to bacteria, they probably never used it to have sex. Not only is it not especially lubricating (it is sticky, after all!), but it’s also another potential vehicle for unwanted bacteria. Avoid!
Soaps & Shampoos
You would be surprised how many couples, in the middle of a steamy shower session, reach for a liquid soap or shampoo to use as a lubricant. Or maybe you wouldn’t be. Either way, it’s a terrible idea.
Butter
Another household item that mimics some of the properties of lubricants, butter is best avoided, not only because it’s not nearly as effective at reducing friction but because all dairy products contain bacteria you don’t want in or around your genitals, and because those dairy particles can go rancid.
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