Lubrication is an important part of many different parts of sexual activity. Without it sex might feel uncomfortable or even painful!
Lube doesn’t just have to be used to make things comfortable though. Some lubricants are designed to not only assist with your sexual endeavours, but also to enhance and improve them. Warming lubes are a great example of this.
What is a Warming Lubricant?
A warming lubricant is specially made to not only lubricate your body, but also to cause an extra sensation. This is called thermoception, and feels like your body is actually warming up, but the lubricant itself remains the same temperature. The warming effect appears as soon as the lube touches your skin or bodily fluids.
Why Use a Warming Lubricant?
Using a warming lubricant can have a profound effect on your sex. You might have heard of numbing lubricants. These help to reduce the sensitivity of your genitals and can help a lot when people suffer with premature ejaculation. Warming lubricants do the exact opposite.
A warming lubricant increases the blood flow around your genitals which increases the sensitivity of everything you feel down there. This can be great for older men and women who have lost some of the sensitivity over the years and can help them have sex which feels like it did many years ago. For others though, warming lube can push you into stimulation overdrive. It’s so intense that it’s actually too much for some people, so approach with caution!
What Goes into a Warming Lubricant?
In order to achieve the leg shaking, warming, sensitive feelings a warming lube is supposed to produce, some special ingredients are needed. Warming lubes will be either water-based, or honey based. This is an important distinction to make, as the water-based ones are the ones suitable for internal use. Honey-based warming lubes are created for external use on the skin.
Some of the ingredients commonly found in warming lubes include glycerol, propylene glycol, capsaicin (a component of some chilis), alcohol, herbs, or vitamins. There tends to be a lot more put into a warming lube when compared to a regular lube. If you have any allergies, be sure to check the list thoroughly before using to make sure it’s not going to cause you any negative effects.
Not a Fan of the Warming Sensation?
If you like the idea of extra stimulation from your lubricant, but don’t particularly like the warm feeling then you aren’t alone. For those with more sensitive skin the feeling sometimes seems more like burning or stinging than gentle warming.
You aren’t completely relegated to regular lubricants though. There are variations on warming lubricants that you can try out for different feelings. One good one to start with is a menthol version, which cools your skin rather than warming it.
Precautions of Warming Lubes
It all sounds great so far, but it’s not always plain sailing with the more specialised types of lube. The extra functions of these lubes can cause some problems that are good to be aware of before you try them.
If you find any irritation appearing on your skin after using any of these lubes, then make a note of the ingredients, and try a different one with some different ingredients. With a little research, you can probably find out exactly what is causing the irritation.
Glycerin in particular is an ingredient you should be cautious of. This ingredient is one that helps to retain moisture, but it can have side effects. For some women, it can irritate their vagina, and others might find it contributes to yeast infections. This isn’t something that will happen to everyone, but if you see it popping up after using a special lube then it’s likely to be related.
Another ingredient that people tend to worry about is propylene glycol. This is something that is used in antifreeze and other de-icing products. The claims that this can be bad for you when used internally has been thoroughly researched and proven not to be a cause for concern. The FDA has even approved it for use in food, so you shouldn’t experience any problems
You should also try to avoid using too much warming lube in one go. This can send your genitals into overload and cause it to feel more irritating than pleasurable.
If you’ve been looking for something to give your sex life that little extra kick, the warming lubricants might be exactly the thing you’ve been looking for!