“There may be nothing more joyful, more intimate than the wonder of two bodies discovering the wonder of gliding smoothly together.” Wendy Strgar
Lubrication is a fact of life- it is the grease that keeps the crank turning, the fluidity of a conversation that goes late into the night, the moisture that transforms the friction of skin to skin contact into a glide. I have spent much of my adult life thinking about lubricants, specifically sexual lubricants –and how to make them better. When I first began studying lubes, it was personal, I was searching for something that didn’t create so many negative side effects. The itching and burning from using them not only killed the mood but was threatening my desire to have a sex life. Now, all these years later, I know that the difference a good lube can make is not limited to how it feels when you use it but can also have serious impact on your sexual health long after the sexy part is over.
A recent study we conducted on college campuses showed that the vast majority college students use personal lubricants less than rarely. The myth driving this practice is that just by being young and turned on, you don’t need lube.
Much of pornography propels the erroneous belief that spontaneous wetness is the norm. So, for them, wanting or needing lube is like an admission of not being turned on enough. Combine this with the burning, itchy side effects of most lubes in the market and it is not surprising that the many benefits that a good lubricant offers gets lost in the mix.
Vaginal dryness is often the gateway to ongoing sexual discomfort. Not only is it the most common symptom of sexual dysfunction, but it is also the one that unknowingly can provoke other more challenging symptoms like painful sex and loss of desire. There are many common circumstances that inhibit our body’s ability to self-lubricate- like the stress of not knowing your sexual partner very well, or drinking too much before you have sex, as well as a variety of prescription medicines from anti-depressants to antihistamines that dry up vaginal tissue. Not to mention the myriad of other life circumstances like pregnancy, nursing babies, peri and post menopause among others. The point is that vaginal dryness is normal and happens with almost the same frequency as natural vaginal moisture.
The truth is that having sex without sufficient natural lubrication is a guaranteed to end in painful sex. And it only takes a few episodes of non-lubricated, intercourse for the body’s internal messaging about sexual arousal to shut down too. Before long it becomes impossible to tease out what started where. The most common form of sexual dysfunction that impact millions of women of all ages include vaginal dryness, painful sex, and no libido- all competing for attention. Using a good, healthy lubricant is one of the simplest ways to prevent and help eliminate this persistent cycle of sexual dysfunction.
The right kind of lubricant made with healthy ingredients which work with and support the fragile vaginal ecosystem is key. The truth is that it is better to use no lubricant than using one that is incompatible with the most sensitive tissue in the body. Most petrochemical-based lubes are hyperosmolar which means that the molecular weight of the product ingredients is so much heavier than the human cell tissue that only one single use will increase your risk of Bacterial Vaginosis (BV) by up to 13 times. For years I believed that my burning and itching reaction to most lubricants was an allergic one. Now we know that with or without the experience the negative side effects, these hyperosmolar lubricants throw the entire vaginal ecosystem out of balance, causing BV. Which, is both the most common genital infection and the least diagnosed, further compromising our sexual health. Two in five women have BV and when it goes undiagnosed, are 60% more susceptible to both more serious STD’s and HIV as well as 3x more likely to transmit these diseases.
So, a good lubricant does more than just enhance our sexual times, when they are made to work with the body, they are called isotonic which means they don’t add or subtract any fluids from the fragile vaginal lining. This helps the body to maintain the healthy vaginal ecosystem that keeps pH levels low which supports the healthy lactobacilli to do their job of fighting bad bacteria.
After all my years of formulating and learning I know this: A good lubricant must support the challenges that women face of maintaining a healthy vaginal ecosystem not just for sexual moments, but all the days in between. Adding good lube to your life not only adds more time to your sexual encounters but should also add peace of mind for the health of your vagina.
Our new hero ingredient Hyaluronic acid
Making great lubes is a work of continuous improvement, especially since the important work of science has come to guide all our product formulating. When I first learned about the power of Hyaluronic acid to hold 1000 times its weight in water, not to mention the numerous medical applications I knew that this was an ingredient that would be a game changer for so many of our customers.
Hyaluronic acid occurs naturally in the body and has been celebrated for years in the skin care industry for its hydrating properties. It helps retain moisture by binding with the water in our skin to help our tissues remain supple, moisturized, and healthy. We have used them previously in our BioMatched vaginal moisturizer, so it was a must add for our new premium personal lubricants. We call them ultra-moisturizing because hyaluronic acid not only nourishes sensitive tissue with lasting moisture, but also delivers a rich, luxurious, and long-lasting glide.
The beauty and skin care industry has elevated this ingredient’s stature as it rejuvenates the skin’s natural elasticity and provide long lasting hydration. HLA is widely found in a myriad of serums, gels, lotions, and creams, but rarely in the personal lubricant category. And yet, the most sensitive tissue of your vulva and vagina suffers many of the same symptoms of dryness and decreasing elasticity. Which is what makes Hyaluronic Acid our new hero ingredient. Clinical studies published by the NIH have indicated that hyaluronic acid may be effective in improving symptoms of vaginal dryness.
Vaginal dryness is one of the most common symptoms associated with painful sex. And not just for women who are aging. We have heard from as many young women as older women about how their lagging lubrication impacts not only their sexual desire and ability to have pleasure but often how they feel day to day. Persistent and recurrent vaginal discomfort – whether itch, irritation, or pain – impacts how we feel about ourselves and can prevent us from living the life we want.
Whether the experience of dryness is primarily a need around your sexual life, or a regular daily irritation, we have the solution for you. Our new ultra-moisturizing personal lubricants with hyaluronic acid deliver long lasting glide, no irritation, and more time for pleasure while providing the soothing and hydrating benefits that the most sensitive tissue in your body deserves. For ongoing daily relief, try our gynecologist recommended BioNourish® Ultra Moisturizing Vaginal Gel which has earned rave “life changing” reviews from both our customers and their HCPs.
It is in fact our customer reviews that keep me going, studying, and working to find more real solutions that change women’s lives, that bring back pleasure to intimacy, and that restore women’s self-confidence.
