Lubricant

This is something that really should become basic knowledge during sex education. Many people have probably fantasised about sex in the shower or in the bath. Maybe you’ve seen that Riverdale scene between Archie and Veronica, or that James Bond scene between Bond and typical extremely attractive female protagonist with a sinister past that is almost guaranteed to die in later scenes. Not to kill how you imagined how these sexy shower kisses progressed, but I hope they dried off and continued on the bed, because I didn’t see any lubricant amongst the shampoo!

The thinking behind mixing water with sex makes sense, you like showers/baths and you like orgasms. Therefore, an orgasm in the bathtub must be incredible! And it is, but only if you've taken the proper caution to ensure yourself and everyone else's bodies are safe!

So, why doesn't water work?

Water is not the same as vaginal lubricant. Water is the lifeforce behind our very existence, while natural vaginal lubricant is the lifeforce behind our very existen... Water will dry out delicate genital tissue, by washing away your natural lubrication and further sensations. The faster water is plunging in and out of you, the faster things are going to dry up! As things become dryer you increase the risk of contracting a pesky yeast infection or receiving any micro-tears or cuts. These will sting like a beaaach if you plan on going to the beach that is, stay away from salt water for the time being! If you do experience any vaginal dryness, drink some water instead. This will help reinvigorate genital tissue and get natural lubrication up and running again.

What about if I lather me and my partner up with soap?

Nope, soap and genital tissue won't mix either. It will only cause redness, uncomfortable irritation and burning. A sensual rubdown is fine, but don't get that soap into the wrong areas!

Then why are so many sex toys waterproof?

Well, because it is possible to enjoy some sexy time in the water, you just have to know how to properly go about things. One word, lubricant!

Lubricant is your sexual saviour when wanting to create a sensual splash. Two lubricants that will make the use of a toy possible or a lot more comfortable is either a hybrid water/silicone-based lube or solely silicone-based lube. The differences between the two is that silicone typically lasts a lot longer than hybrid lube. Therefore, hybrid lube may need to be reapplied within water to ensure things remain body safe. Another important thing to note is that silicone lube should not be used with silicone toys! This will degrade the material and render your toy unsafe! Whatever you do, keep any oil-based lube away from the water, keep it on your dresser for a relaxing massage after?

Water based lube could possibly be used, when only wanting to make initial contact with any erogenous zone. For example, dabbing your bullet vibrator with some water-based lube before making clitoral contact can make those initial moments more comfortable and less intense. Wet Stuff Gold is the recommended option!

Shower sex or bathtub bangin doesn't have to be a timely treat. Keep some lube in the shower and your sex toy hanging clean and dry! It's erogenous efficiency, having a vibrator within an arm's reach. Making your morning or afternoon shower even more refreshing.

Don't Slip!

The possibility of falling or slipping in the shower or bath should be taken very seriously! With all that lubricant running down your body onto the floor any sensual movement might turn into a frisk induced fall. Firstly, you need to be aware of how much lube you're using and whether it will affect your balance. This might take a bit of practice as you find the balance between a body safe and water safe amount of lube. In any case, if you're in the middle of any shower play and feel the possibility of falling, stop immediately! If enjoying couples play, one way of stabilising things is a suction handle.

Here are a few hybrid lubricants for whenever you want to get wet n wild!

Wet Stuff Secrets is condom compatible and suitable to use for vaginal oral or anal play. When initially applying this lubricant, some absorbs into the skin and the remainder lasts a long time.

Wet Synergy Basic is doctor approved and recommended for use during rigorous activity. If rigorously raunchy sounds like you, look no further!

Silicone lubes amongst the shampoo!

This Premium Personal Lubricant from System Jo actually is completely waterproof and is perfect for any steamy shower sesh or celebratory skinny dip.

Ensuring your lusty longevity comes the Uberlube Luxury Lubricant. Reducing friction whilst transferring sensation Uberlube prides itself on its lubricant providing a silky smooth and thin layer of lube.

Here's a few tried and tested shower sex positions that should and shouldn't be used. Always focus on balance for both partners involved!

See Adulttoymegastore's full range of personal lubricants, including water based lubricant, silicone based lubricant, oil based lubricant and latex condoms.

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Osmolality is something not many manufacturers talk about or feature on their products. This could be because they would rather say "low irritation" because more consumers will know what that means. The other more concerning reason is that their lubricant does not have the recommended level of osmolality that body safe products should strive for.

What on earth am I talking about

In simple terms, osmolality refers to how concentrated the particles in a water-based lubricant is. This is important as lubricants that are too concentrated can affect the body's natural epithelial skin. Our skin and especially genital tissue are always trying to maintain an equilibrium of osmolality (some very vague memories of high school science might be coming back right about now). If the cells in our epithelial skin break, we may possibly feel skin irritation, become prone to infection and may even affect fertility. In other words, it's important to know about!

We're getting a bit more technical now. When your body comes into contact with a water-based lubricant, cells undergo osmosis. Osmosis refers to water leaving bodily cells in the hopes of maintaining an equilibrium between particles within the cell and the fluid surrounding it. If the concentration of the incoming liquid is higher than that of the cell, this causes osmotic pressure. The higher the amount of concentration, the more water your cells will release in an attempt to dilute the lubricant. However, if too much water is released, the cell itself becomes too concentrated, causing the cell to die and eventually the network of surrounding cells as well. This is why high concentration lubricants can potentially be detrimental to your safety.

So, water-based lubes can be categorised into one of three levels of concentration. An easy way to think about it, imagine any juice cordial you like. The more cordial you put into your favourite drink, the more concentrated it becomes.

1. Hypotonic

Hypotonic refers to solutions that has a lot of water content, diluted! A dilute solution means that a lot of water is going to be entering and leaving cells. This is awesome for anyone experiencing vaginal dryness as it will reinvigorate the tissue and encourage natural lubrication. What we can further learn from hypotonic solutions is why sex in the shower can be dangerous. Water is not a lubricant and will actually dry your skin! This is because too much water entering cells in your delicate areas will cause them to break, resulting in dryness.

2. Isotonic

Solutions that are perfectly in the middle, they boast a very similar concentration solution to the ones found in our cells. Therefore, equal amounts of water cycles in and out of the cell, reducing friction, nobody gets hurt and everyone's happy. An isotonic lubricant would otherwise be known as having low osmolality and is the recommended pick by sexual health specialists.

3. Hypertonic

High concentration solutions! The concentration of the incoming solution is greater than the cell. These liquids are likely to cause too much water to leave the cell, causing it to be damaged or die. You can see how any hypertonic lubricants can increase the risk of skin irritation and yeast infection.

The problem

As mentioned at the start of this article, one problem is that many manufacturers don't volunteer this information about their products. They will say that lubricant will positively reduce friction and keep your sex life safe, but will not specifically say if something is low osmolality. Therefore, things become confusing when popular well reviewed products are seemingly safe and pleasure enabling, yet mention little about why they are recommended.

Let's take our most popular water based lubricant Wet Stuff Gold for example. Every review is positive, yet there is no suggestion about having a low osmolality. It could be isotonic, yet it's still possible that this lube doesn't meet recommended osmolality levels. The body can still handle higher concentrated solutions and everyone's body will be different in how well it copes. If you feel any discomfort during or after using any type of lube, an overly concentrated lube might be to blame.

What can give you a good indication of low osmolality lubricants?

When reading product descriptions or doing further research on a lubricant, one thing you want to look for is glycol content. Basically, glycerine or propylene glycol-based lubes generally are hypertonic (high concentration).

Here's a few low osmolality water-based lubes identified from SMARTSEXLUBE's reviewed list.

JimmyJane - Feel Sexy

This lube actually claims low osmolality! Brilliant, props to JimmyJane. Notice how the description says "free of glycerin, parabens, and propylene glycol."

Yes Organic

"Protects mucus membranes, and if necessary, supports healing." The information provided for this lubricant is exemplary.

Sir Richards - Slick Dicks

Better than spit apparently... and also better than a lot of other lubricants.

Blossom Organics Arousal Gel

100% free of harsh ingredients and expertly formulated by a woman.

Checkout Adulttoymegastore's entire range of sex toys, including water-based lubricant, silicone-based lubricants and oil-based lubricants.

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