In the realm of sexual wellness, the pursuit of pleasure and comfort takes center stage.
Among the tools and techniques available to elevate intimate experiences, sexual lubricants stand as versatile and indispensable aids.
Speaking to RSVP Live sexologist Emily Power Smith offered her insight: "Lube is a wonderful sex aid for any age and for any person because it's not just for penetration, although that's what we generally think of it for."
READ MORE: Sex therapist's top tips on how women can achieve much better orgasms
"It's also a wonderful thing when you're just playing around. It makes masturbation so much easier, whether for yourself or if you're playing with someone else."
"The skin, particularly on the vulva is so sensitive and delicate at the best of times that just a dry hand trying to find its way around the vulva can kind of pull the skin a little bit."
"If you have a little bit of lube, then all of that's taken care of" she told RSVP Live.
A concern often expressed by many heterosexual women revolves around the potential discomfort they associate with manual touch during intimate moments, Emily added: "If you use lube, It gives you confidence instantly that you're not hurting the penis, so that you can do a lot more movements, a lot more actions that aren't possible with dry hand on dry penis."
Emily highlighted the significance of lubricants, particularly for individuals in the premenopausal phase or those who are using contraceptives such as birth control methods adding: "For premenopausal people in particular, or people who are on birth control."
"Estrogen levels drop if you're using an oral contraception contraceptive or the bar, implants, injections or any of those things, they can often really mess with your hormone balances in regards to lubrication."
"It's really good to have a lubricant at at hand all the time for any kind of play" she added.
"I'm a fan of organic lubes. I worry about lubes that don't have ingredients listed on them. And also, anything that heats you up, cools you down. It's gonna have loads of chemicals in it."
She continued: "Also anything that's flavoured is gonna have lots of sugars in it. So if you're prone to thrush or UTIs or any sort of irritation, you're much better off having an organic lube because it won't have any of that stuff in it."
"If you put sugar in your vagina, You're gonna get thrush."
Emily highlighted the different types of lubricants - water-based, oil-based, and silicone-based.
Silicone-based lubes are synthetic and very slippery, but can cause irritation. They can't be used with silicone toys as they degrade the toy material.
Water-based lubes are common but tend to dry quickly, requiring frequent reapplication. Emily shares a tip of adding a little water to extend their use.
An interesting product she mentions is a combination of water-based and oil-based lubes, which provides prolonged slipperiness. This is especially useful for individuals with dryness, including those experiencing menopause or using certain medications.
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