Petroleum jelly, or Vaseline as the most commonly used brand name, has plenty of uses. But what about as personal lubricant for your sex life? Experts will tell you, resoundingly “NO!”
Why not? Petroleum jelly is safe to be applied to other sensitive skin like your lips, so why couldn’t or shouldn’t you use it as a sexual lube? It comes down to the science behind how it’s made. Petroleum jelly and Vaseline are infused with liquid that is oil-based – that’s what gives it its moisturizing properties and its smooth texture. The same is true of many lotions and creams.
So, what’s the issue with that? Well, oil-based products (Vaseline, coconut oil, etc.) are not safe to use with latex condoms, as the oil molecules break down latex – and actually increase the likelihood of damage to the condom and condom failure. Oil is like kryptonite to latex condoms. Condoms are up to 98% effective when used correctly, and oil-based lubricants can substantially impact that effectiveness and put the wearer at risk for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and unintended pregnancy. Yikes!
Which Products are Safe to Use with Latex Condoms?
The great news is that there are many other viable options for sexual lubricants that are compatible with latex condoms (not to mention sex toys!). These products have been specifically designed to incorporate the pleasurable touch and feel of other products, to be safe with the sensitive internal membranes of the body and to create much lower risk to the condom wearer. Intrigued? There are three main categories of sexual lubricant: water-based, silicone-based and hybrid.
Water-Based Lubricants
As their name might suggest, water-based lubricants are designed using a water-based formula. These are arguably the most common sexual lubricants you will see at the pharmacy, clinic, or wherever in the world you might be. The perks are pretty clear: the texture is silky and smooth, but watery enough to not feel greasy or messy. They usually absorb into your skin nicely, so no messy clean up required. This makes them a versatile option for both personal use (yay, masturbation!), use with partner(s) and use with sex toys. That’s right, because most sex toys are made of silicone-based material, water-based lubricant is the best option to use with sex toys. Ironically, the only lubricant that is not recommended with silicone sex toys is silicone-based lubricant, because silicone lubes can cause damage to silicone toys. More on that below.
Clearly, there are a lot of pros to water-based lubricants, though there is one con that users have shared. The thin, watery texture of water-based lubricants makes it great for easy cleanup and a light feel, but it doesn’t last as long as silicone-based or hybrid lubricants. That’s easily solved of course, it can easily be reapplied, but some people don’t like the stop-and-start of reapplication.
Sound like the right option for you? Check out our water-based lubricant ONE® Oasis®!
Silicone-Based Lubricants
The next category of lubricants are silicone-based. Technically, these are not made from silicone itself like you may have heard of from the world of cosmetic surgery, but from medical grade silicone that is safe to use during sex as well. Silicone lubricants are great for people who don’t like to reapply lubricant often, because silicone lasts longer than other lubricants. It goes on, and on and on!
In fact, most condoms in the world are lubricated with medical grade silicone. An important note about condom manufacturing: You may sometimes hear that condoms are lubricated with “silicone oil.” Silicone oil is not actually an oil-based product, it uses “oil” in the name because it has such high lubricating properties.
There are two downsides to silicone-based lubricants that are worth noting before you buy. The first is that because it can last a very long time, it can be messy especially with sheets or other fabric materials that may play host to your sex life. It can be washed out with a little bit of detergent and elbow grease, but can be inconvenient. Secondly, because most quality sex toys are made from silicone-based materials, silicone-based lubricant can actually cause microscopic damage to the surface of these toys. It’s ironic, but literally any other non silicone-based lubricant is recommended for sex toys. Otherwise, silicone-based lubricant is a great option!
Looking to slide and glide with a silicone-based lubricant? Check out our silicone-lubricant ONE® Move® on our site here!
Hybrid Lubricants
Hybrid lubricants are exactly what they sound like – they are the “just right” between water-based and silicone-based products, for people who are looking for the best of both worlds. They offer easier clean-up and a thinner, more watery feel like water-based lubricants but are longer lasting like their silicone-based siblings.
If you’re interested in learning more about our hybrid lubricant ONE® Silk/Oasis Silk®, please visit our site here!
Add to Cart and Apply Liberally!
So as you can see, there are multiple safe, quality and pleasurable lubricant options beyond petroleum jelly that are also compatible with latex condoms. Beyond our collection of outstanding condoms, ONE Condoms is committed to offering a selection of sexual lubricants, made with premium, high quality ingredients. We recommend you browse our personal lubricants and see which one is right for you!
Still have questions and want to learn more? Don’t take (only) our word for it. Check out some great resources from the experts at Planned Parenthood and Healthline!