I get psoraisis around my vaginal opening, and even when its not there my skin is quite dry and sensitive. A few months ago I started using kegel balls, which I am now using pretty much everyday, sometimes for long periods of time. The lube I use (Durex Play 2-in-1 massage) doesn't irritate it, but the insertion and removal, as well as the general wearing of the kegel balls, does. I was wondering if there was something I could use as lube that would make my psoriasis better. I tried coconut oil which didn't seem to make a difference either way, but I will keep trying.
Does anyone have any experience of what could make my psoriasis/dry skin better and is safe to insert into the vagina. I was thinking of using E45 lotion or cream, but don't know if this is safe to insert? It says for external use only on the bottle, but so does coconut oil and I know other people use that as oil. The other thing I was thinking of trying was olive oil.
It has shea butter, cocoa butter and sweet almond oil in and it's absolutely lovely, creamy and very moisturising, I ended up buying a second bottle just to use for my eczema and dry patches and it works a charm. If that's no good you might want to try a small amount of straight shea butter? Also, if your kegel balls are made from silicone it's a good idea to do a patch test with any oil based lubes you want to use with them first as there's the possibility they could react badly.
Honestly I would ask your doctor as they will be able to recommend something you can use internally and you will know it's safe then.
I sometimes get irritative skin on the outside usually around my period and I have some very very mild steroid cream I use a couple times a day for a few days when it's at it's worst and then use diprobase. but that's on the outside not the inner vaginal walls.
I use Sliquid lubes as much as possible as I found that Durex, whilst they didn't seem to affect it at the time, left me dry afterwards.
I suffer with dry skin down thier as well. The lube i use is sliquid satin lubricant personal intimate moisturizer you can use it as a lube or moisturizer which ive found to be very useful this will be safe for you to use internally.
I wouldn't use E45 internally either. I agree with the Sliquid recommendations, as I have sensitive skin and swear by these lubricants. I also agree with PurringTiger about having a chat with your Dr, as they may be able to give you something to help with your psoriasis :) xx
We're definitely coconut oil advocates and was going to suggest it until I read your post in full.
One thing we have discovered is hazelnut oil. It is slightly thicker than coconut oil, so great for massage and moisturising. We actually mix the two up in a bottle to get the benefits of both.
Since discovering these as lube, we have stopped using the lubes we bought as these are preferred.
I would ask for advice your doctor, but I would personally not use Durex, but likely Sliquid or the Yes! Lube. But the Yes Lube is more expensive. Sliquid is made for women with sensitivities, so it may still do the job well. The Yes! one may have some ingrediences, which could be better though, as it is mouisturizing. Even the waterbased formula seems mousturizing.
The oil one can be bit better, but could be tricky to use, as you would have to do patch test with lot of toys. Although glass or metal will be obviously completely ok with it.
The first ingredient of the Durex Play 2 in 1 Massage is 'aqua', which is water. As the water evaporates, it takes water from your skin along with it. Very clever trick the 'moisturiser' manufacturers make to get you to buy more. It feels like it's treating your dry skin, but it's actually ensuring your problem continues. Don't use anything with 'aqua' as a first ingredient.
If the Yes oil ingredients are safe to use internally, then there are cheaper ways of getting them. It's probably a good product, but there isn't anything particularly exceptional in it. Just watch out that whatever you do get doesn't have artifiical extras.
Or aqua. :-)
Sweet almond oil is my go-to for just about everything. I use it externally down there without any problems and I've used it sparingly as a lube for sex when I didn't know to bring the Sliquid.
If there's a cord on your kegel balls, what's it made out of? If it's nylon, try another set.
I talked to my college doctor about it before and he basically said that if kegel balls are making my psoriasis worse then stop using them. I don't mind using them less if its the only option, but will try all your suggestions first! The other thing is, when I have sex for more than 3 or 4 days in a row I have the same problem. My boyfriend and I are long-distance at the moment so this isn't happening, but I would like to have found a solution by the time we live together. I will talk to my doctor at home too as she is nicer and a woman so may be more helpful...but I don't know when that will be.
Oh, and the kegel balls I'm using are silicon including the cord. I used the coconut oil without patch testing, but will do this for the rest! I also have some plastic balls with a nylon cord but they are very light.
Ok first things first, THANK GOD I am not the only one with psoraisis on my hoo-ha!
And 2nd of all, I don't use kegal balls but I did used to have an egg. I found the Durex stuff and any of the ann summers stuff really irritated with insertation, removal and general playing. As odd as it might sound, try the love honey lubes. they don't seem to irritate my areas down there.
Ok first things first, THANK GOD I am not the only one with psoraisis on my hoo-ha!
If it makes you feel any better, I have a mild case of psoriasis as well. "Thankfully," it generally "only" shows a bit on my elbows (sometimes, it can be quite painful to have sleeves dragging against them, though). I have really dry skin, only in those moments when I am doing some rigorous excercise with buckets of sweat freely flowing, for example, my hands don't seem to feel extremely dry. In winter it gets really frosty over here and the skin on my hands can easily break - the only thing that helps is taking a lot of excercise (to keep the blood flowing through my system at a slightly increased temperature) and moisturizing. Despite this, I find it quite difficult to open stuff like new plastic bags in colder months of the year because my fingers are simply to dry to do so, and I have to be careful when I have to wash some delicate clothes by hand.
There's no ultimate remedy for this, though, at least not for people like me whose families have a long, long history of dry skin (and psoriasis).
It is annoying but I suppose one has to think that there are some much worse hereditary conditions one can suffer from.
I have it on my scalp, inside my ears, on my knees, around my butt (not fun), on my vagina, and starting to get it on my elbows now. Had it since I was 10. The lubes that lovehoney do as their own brand work wonders!
Oily lubes are best to be avoided as they can make the condition worse.
I've known people have similar conditions on their body and they kept it moist with water, but it didn't help, I did suggest to a few people to use a salt water solution, which they found helped better. But it was on their nipples and around their chest, not their vulva and vaginal opening etc.
I'd actually go to a specialist. I had a condition which I thought it was psoriasis, and went to a dermatologist who sent off a sample and found out it was another condition, which was treatable. He said so many doctors decide on psoriasis and eczema, without testuing and often get it wrong. Which I found rather interesting.
No it's most certainly not. That's a much cheaper non organic silicone and water hybrid. I used this when I first started using lube and found that for 2 weeks of the month it was fine but the other two weeks it stung like a bi***.
Honestly save up for the Sliquid or the Yes or any of the other organic lube, it's so worth it. Also don't forget that with Lovehoneys 365 day no quibble returns, if you do try them and find you still get irritated you can return them and try another one.