Allergies to lube

Sex Tips & Talk
1

Hello all!

I've found that my lady parts have some odd allergies to lube, in general I have quite sensitive skin so that could be it too, I start getting cysts and whatnot everytime I use it. Recently, I found durex lube is the worst culprit and have since started to use organic lubes- I started to use intimate earth which for a long while was great for me, unfortunately now I'm getting the same issue...

Does anyone have any recommendations regarding the lubes on here for someone with sensitive parts? There are a plethora I have seen and my brain tends to go loopy after a while looking at reviews!

Thank you all :)

2

Ah yes, just to add, I use it with silicone and glass toys, so anything water based is best for me!

3

I would suggest having a look at the brand YES. Lovehoney have a few of their lubes and I would probably suggest the Yes WB. Yes is definitely one of the more natural lubes on the market.

4

Hello! Yep, I too have lube issues. Literally a pain in the butt 😂 I though Durex was fab until I realised that is what was causing the itchies! Sliquid is by far the superior lube in my opinion. However, it goes "off" a lot faster, it maybe because it doesn't have the nasty additives. Lovehoney own brand "enjoy" is great. Ours hasn't gone off, no sore bits and it's so smooth. Highly recommended. X

5

Hi LotusTea

The good news is that it's unlikely that you're allergic to lube itself, but are having a reaction to a particular ingredient within the lube.

Have you compared the ingredients between the lubes you've tried to work who which ingredient is causing you problems? Which Durex / Intimate Earth lubes have you tried? It could be the Propylene Glycol that's causing you an issue. About 1 in 10 people are allergic to Propylene Glycol, and it's a very common ingredient in water-based lubes.

For glass play, I'd definitely recommend using a silicone lube. It's usually made with 1-3 ingredients that are all a type of silicone, and therefore hypoallergenic. However, silicone lube is highly unlikely be suitable for use with your silicone toys.

For other play, a water-based lube with minimal ingredients is your friend. Sliquid always make their lubes from natural, non-reactive ingredients, and never contain glycerin, sugars, parabens or other nasties which often cause problems for women. Sliquid is also free from Propylene Glycol mentioned above.

6

Hello all, thank you for your responses and suggestions!

@Jess- my Intimate Earth lube I used is the Defense one with carageenan, tea tree oil and guava bark extract. It contains the folowing ingredients: water, carrageenan, polysorbate 20, sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, citric acid, alcohol, huajava fruit extract, aloe, goji fruit, tea tree leaf oil.

All fairly natural ingredients! I'm pretty baffled by it if I am honest that i'm getting allerges, i'm hoping its more related to clothing friction than the lube itself!

My durex one (warming lube): Glycerin, Purified Water, Propylene Glycol, Hydroxyethyl Cellulose, Benzoic Acid, Sodium Saccharin, Sodium Hydroxide

This one really cause issues for me I've tried others from durex and its the same issue again, I have a sneaking suspicion its the glycerin thats affecting me and maybe the propylene glycol. I might give Sliquid a go, get a smaller tube of the LH one and the YES brand.

Im not a huge fan silicone lube in general, unsure of the texture, but it could just be me trying specific type of lube that I didn't like!

7

Glycerin does not agree with me either and I absolutely refuse to use durex lubricants for that reason. All filled with the stuff. The tingling one caused me so much pain, I got up and stood in the shower for an hour after I used it because it was burning so bad.

Sliquid are my go-to brand now, I love their Satin one in particular as it mimics natural lube and has moisturising properties. If you prefer a thicker formula, Sassy, although it is marketed for anal use can be used for everything and it’s another one I’d suggest!

It is more expensive than some of the other brands but comfortable sex is so worth it 🙂

8

LotusTea wrote:

Hello all, thank you for your responses and suggestions!

@Jess- my Intimate Earth lube I used is the Defense one with carageenan, tea tree oil and guava bark extract. It contains the folowing ingredients: water, carrageenan, polysorbate 20, sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, citric acid, alcohol, huajava fruit extract, aloe, goji fruit, tea tree leaf oil.

All fairly natural ingredients! I'm pretty baffled by it if I am honest that i'm getting allerges, i'm hoping its more related to clothing friction than the lube itself!

My durex one (warming lube): Glycerin, Purified Water, Propylene Glycol, Hydroxyethyl Cellulose, Benzoic Acid, Sodium Saccharin, Sodium Hydroxide

This one really cause issues for me I've tried others from durex and its the same issue again, I have a sneaking suspicion its the glycerin thats affecting me and maybe the propylene glycol. I might give Sliquid a go, get a smaller tube of the LH one and the YES brand.

Im not a huge fan silicone lube in general, unsure of the texture, but it could just be me trying specific type of lube that I didn't like!

Ah great - thanks for sharing those ingredients.

Glycerin is a known reactive ingredient and is used in lotions designed to increase sensitivity (eg warming lubes) for that reason. It's good as 'aggravating' the mucous membrane of the genitals and increasing circulation.

However, (I believe I'm right in saying that) nowadays, most Durex lubes don't glycerin, other than the ones which are designed to warm/tingle etc.

If you have problems with plain durex lube (like this one) then chances are it's another ingredient (possibly as WELL as the glycerin) that's causing a problem.

Also, if Durex Play Feel Lube causes you problems, don't use Lovehoney Enjoy or Discover either - we use the exact same ingredients in our formula.

I think YES and Sliquid are probably your best bet, and remember to patch test before using it on your genitals. A test on the inner part of your arm or behind your ear is good for general allergy testing. Then, if that's all ok, pop a drop on the inside of your lip/on your gums to make sure its ok there too (as that skin reacts very much the same as the genitals.

Alternatively, for class and finger play, coconut oil is a good contender!

Good luck!

9

ALSO our teeeny-tiiny bottle of Lovehoney Enjoy is a different formula all together, so not like our bigger bottles at all.

We list all of the ingredients to all the lubes we sell online, so make sure you're taking a good look at those before purchasing.

10

Allergies no, but every time i use lube, within 24-48 hours i have a raging UTI.

11

Lovehoney - Jess Wilde wrote:

Ah great - thanks for sharing those ingredients.

Glycerin is a known reactive ingredient and is used in lotions designed to increase sensitivity (eg warming lubes) for that reason. It's good as 'aggravating' the mucous membrane of the genitals and increasing circulation.

However, (I believe I'm right in saying that) nowadays, most Durex lubes don't glycerin, other than the ones which are designed to warm/tingle etc.

If you have problems with plain durex lube (like https://www.lovehoney.co.uk/product.cfm?p=989) then chances are it's another ingredient (possibly as WELL as the glycerin) that's causing a problem.

Also, if Durex Play Feel Lube causes you problems, don't use Lovehoney Enjoy or Discover either - we use the exact same ingredients in our formula.

I think https://www.lovehoney.co.uk/product.cfm?p=12165 and https://www.lovehoney.co.uk/product.cfm?p=11369 are probably your best bet, and remember to patch test before using it on your genitals. A test on the inner part of your arm or behind your ear is good for general allergy testing. Then, if that's all ok, pop a drop on the inside of your lip/on your gums to make sure its ok there too (as that skin reacts very much the same as the genitals.

Alternatively, for class and finger play, coconut oil is a good contender!

Good luck!

I have used that durex lube in the past a very very long time back so don't quite remember any issues with it (mind you this was 5 years ago and I used it two times!) i'll definitely keep that in mind and try different brands, Sliquid looks really great and I love how beautiful the packaging is, looks like high end body lotion!

Thank you everyone for your suggestions! I'm going to give sliquid a go especially the sassy formula- i'm aiming to get a smaller version first and use Jess's advice of testing it on my inner lip first to see if there's a reaction.

12

We have never had a bad reaction to any single lube . But some years ago we were using a warming lube and accidently got some of it on my shoulder that had a different brand of lube on it . Just traces and I got a rash in minutes . Had to jump in shower and wash and rince area right away . I used to be an emergency medical tech and figure things out pretty quickly . Interestinly I have used my knowledge during sex games several times .