6 Lube Ingredients You Shouldn’t Be Putting In Your Vagina

If it tingles, it shouldn’t mingle…

Puppies, ice cream, and a good sexual release –– at least one of these three things can uplift any woman’s mood instantly when they’re feeling down. When you’re excited or aroused your body produces its own natural lubrication –– and more often than not, your vagina gets the memo way before you do. But, sometimes when sex isn’t that simple, you need a helping hand (literally and figuratively) –– especially when you can’t turn yourself on as much as you’d like. That’s when lube becomes your BFF. No, really…it helps you in ways you cannot imagine. Whether you are engaging in penetrative sex or not, a little bit of lube can heighten your experience, making each time far better than the last.

Lube 101

So here’s a quickie for you! Manufactured lubes are not all designed the same and they come in three different formulations –– there’s water-based, oil-based, and silicone-based. Figuring out what floats your boat (or vagina, in this case) is all a matter of getting your hands dirty and understanding what works for you. And the options are galore!

However, you need to be picky about what you’re putting into your body, when you’re well, literally putting it into your body. There are certain chemicals that can be dangerous for your vagina and can essentially mess up its natural pH levels –– which could get ugly, for both you and your fanny out there. Gimmicky lubes that leave your vag tingling are all fun and games, until you actually feel like your insides are falling apart. Therefore you’ve got to look out for certain ingredients that’ll match the conditions of your vagina without adding or stripping it off anything.

Still freaked out? Let’s put you at ease. Lubricants aren’t as scary as they might seem –– when you steer clear of these ingredients, they actually make your sex life a lot more fun!

1. GLYCERIN

Great for your skin, not so great for your vagina. This sugar alcohol is a humectant that attracts moisture, and is often found in those flavoured lubes, or lubes that are warming. Fun in the sack, but not in your vag! Glycerin equals yeast and bacterial overgrowth, which could result in yeast infections and UTIs, especially if you’re prone to them.

2. PETROCHEMICALS OR PETROLEUM-BASED

Mostly found in flavoured or warming lubes too, know that once a petroleum-based gets up in your vagina, it pretty much refuses to come back out. This can affect your vagina’s pH levels and cause infections…scary kinds of infections.

3. NONOXYNOL-9

This chemical is in spermicides. And just like it kills sperm, it also kills both the good and the bad bacteria in your vagina, making the environment a little hostile down there. So if you feel a little (or a whole lot of) inflammation or irritation down there, know that it could be caused by this chemical.

Note: Some condoms are packed with spermicidal lube too, so be sure to check the fine print before using.

4. PARABENS

If you’re wary about parabens in your beauty products, you should steer clear of it in your lube too. There aren’t any clear studies on the impact of parabens on humans, however, concerns around it messing with hormones and triggering breast cancer have made people keep away from this preservative chemical.

5. PROPYLENE GLYCOL

Just like glycerin, this ingredient is also a humectant. Just like parabens, this ingredient is also a preservative. Propylene glycol can sometimes cause vaginal irritation, especially if you tend to be sensitive. However, the FDA hasn’t deemed it as a ‘dangerous’ ingredient –– unless you’re doing a bottle of lube a day, you don’t need to panic that much about this one.

6. CHLORHEXIDINE GLUCONATE

Meet the antibacterial ingredient that can make your coochie a little angrier than it would like. This means that if this is present in your lube, you may experience irritation and inflammation. It’s not a 100 percent no-go, but if you’re sensitive you might want to watch out for this one.