Did you know ASTROGLIDE offers different formulations of lubricants? Did you know that there are alternatives to water-based lubricants? Depending on your patients’ needs, desires and “current situation,” if you will, would you even know which lubricant to recommend? Let me break it down for you. As someone that speaks with women daily from every walk of life, age, sexual orientation, etc., I commonly run into the three following scenarios:

Menopausal Women Looking for Extra Moisture

Menopausal women tend to be worried about a lack of moisture. Dry vagina – known in my realm as vaginal atrophy – is more common than you think. If you ask about it, women will talk about it – trust me. Women who suffer from vaginal atrophy do so because of a lack of estrogen production. Lack of estrogen in the vagina, a direct consequence of being in menopause, causes the vagina to lose elasticity and disrupts its ability to self-lubricate.  

The tissue also becomes thinner, paler – and you guessed it – less accommodating. This leads to a vagina that is constantly feeling dry, irritated and wants no parts of sex. Why would she? IT HURTS! As an obstetrician/gynecologist, it’s my opinion that when a woman is looking for something a little bit more than vaginal estrogen, a lubricant is often a good option during menopause.

What’s a good lube to suggest to your menopausal patients?

Tell them to try a silicone-based lube. This is a go-to as it’s long-lasting and typically doesn’t require reapplication. A more notable reason to give a silicone-based lube a go is it will have your vagina feeling like silk. Talk about a silver lining!  

What is the Best Lube for Adventurous Sex?

Toy play. Water play. Roleplay. Sex involves a lot more than it used to.

Whether you’re leaving the confines of your bedroom (shower or hot tub, anyone?), or you’re introducing a third party into the mix (I’m specifically speaking of toys, here!), lubrication and knowing which to suggest to your patients is crucial. So how is it that all of this subject matter just happens to come up during an office visit? As an OBGYN, sex comes up all the time. And remember, I see women who are into many different things. Sex goes beyond just vanilla male-female pairings. Providing care to patients who are young, old, trans, straight, lesbian, etc., opens the doors to all sorts of conversations. Hence, I have to be in a position to make appropriate recommendations

Silicone lubes are great for slip-and-slide activities such as water play.

And for those wishing to forego having to switch lubes for a change in scenery (ie., going from the bedroom to the hot tub), a silicone lube is in order. I mean, who wants to have to interrupt the festivities to add more lube? Talk about a mood killer!

Water-based lubes are great for toys.

For those wishing to bring toys into the arena, water-based lubricants are typically the lube of choice, though you could also go with a silicone-based lubricant as long as the toys aren’t also made out of silicone. (Using silicone on silicone can reduce the lifespan of certain toys.)  ASTROGLIDE Toy 'n Joy is one of our best lubes for sex toys as it was specifically tested to be safe on most sex toy materials and surfaces and cleans up easily. 

Masturbation Lube: What Works Best for Solo Play?

Self-pleasure. Masturbation. We sometimes forget that sex doesn’t have to be a team sport. And yes -- there is a lube for that. Water-based, silicone-based, oil-based. Liquids and gels. Whatever floats your boat. The fact of the matter is lubrication isn’t just for when you can’t get as wet as you’d like. In fact, lubrication can and should be used as an enhancer. Whether it’s with toys, partner play, settings outside of the bedroom, or for daily use as a vaginal moisturizer in women who suffer from vaginal dryness.

As clinicians, knowledge about lubrication should go beyond knowing not to use oil-based lubes with condoms.

ASTROGLIDE offers an opportunity to put yourself in a position to offer advice on scenarios such as those noted above, as well as hypo-allergenic options; i.e., silicone-based lubes for those with more sensitive skin types and allergies. If you have any further questions, please feel free to reach out, or better yet, give ASTROGLIDE a try! 

 Dr. Angela Jones is a board-certified OBGYN and ASTROGLIDE’s Sexual Health Advisor.