Table of contents:
- Harmful chemicals in sex lubricants that can threaten vaginal health
- 1. Glycerin
- 2. Petrochemicals - propylene glycol, polyethylene glycol, and petroleum
- 3. Preservatives - parabens, benzyl alcohol, phenoxyethanol, and citric acid
- 4. Benzocaine
- 5.Nonoxynol-9 (N-9) spermacide
- Then, what kind of sex lubricant is good to use?
When aroused, it's normal for women to experience a wet vagina. However, some women can also have vaginal dryness when aroused. Vaginal dryness can make sex an unpleasant experience. This is the time for lubricants, aka sex lubricants, to be your savior in bed.
Sex lubricants work to wet vaginal and vulvar tissue to mimic and enhance the body's own natural lubricating effects, and allow women to have friction-free sex. Some lubricants can also stimulate arousal and increase sexual pleasure. Some others double as sperm killers.
But be careful, wrong, your sex lubricant products can destroy the natural salt and pH balance of the vagina and put you at high risk of contracting bacterial vaginosis or vaginal yeast. Here is a short list of some of the chemicals to avoid in your sex lubricants
Harmful chemicals in sex lubricants that can threaten vaginal health
1. Glycerin
Glycerin, sugar alcohol, serves to increase the viscosity of the lubricant. Glycerin is a moisture-keeping agent that absorbs water from a substance, so the presence of glycerin in sex lubricant products will cause the texture of the lubricant to become thicker and stickier.
High glycerin levels in lubricants are not a good sign. Too much of this sugar alcohol can increase candida colonies, which can result in vaginal yeast infections and urinary tract infections in women who are prone to this disease.
2. Petrochemicals - propylene glycol, polyethylene glycol, and petroleum
Most lubricants with heating or flavoring are made with petrochemical base ingredients, which are chemicals derived from petroleum.
Actually, there is no need to really use heating type lubricants. The sexual arousal that you receive from stimulation can cause swelling and natural heating of the sexual organs, so you no longer need to add chemicals in your vagina to make it burn hot. In addition, sex lubricants that contain petrochemicals can coat your skin, interfering with normal function and absorption of fluids. Propylene glycol, in particular, can cause irritation of vaginal tissue.
This type of lubricant may also contain foreign particles that are suspected of being linked to various health conditions, including cancer. Petroleum based ingredients can be found in many common multipurpose lubricants, such as petroleum jelly.
3. Preservatives - parabens, benzyl alcohol, phenoxyethanol, and citric acid
Many people have had bad experiences with sex lubricants that heat the skin or cause an itchy rash, or feel really sticky during or after use, and it's caused by preservatives.
Parabens and phenoxyethanol are synthetic preservatives meant to kill germs. This preservative is quite dangerous because it can be easily absorbed into the body and mimics the estrogen in your body. High concentrations of this preservative have been linked to skin irritation, poisoning, reproductive damage, weakened immunity, and reduced nervous system function in newborns. Parabens, in particular, may be associated with an increased risk of breast cancer.
4. Benzocaine
Benzocaine is a local anesthetic that can numb the affected area of the skin, and is commonly found in lubricants that target anal sex or other experimental sex. The benzocaine in your sex lubricant signals danger. Pain is important to us, because it is the body's way of warning you to stop when you feel a threat. If you become numb and continue with this painful sex, you can end up having injuries, tearing of the delicate vaginal tissues, and other problems.
5.Nonoxynol-9 (N-9) spermacide
Research has shown that N-9 can cause injury. Sores can appear on the vaginal canal, on the anus, and on the penis. Because open wounds will expose body fluids, such as blood, there is an increased risk of transmitting HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases from sex lubricants that contain spermicide. Spermicide lubricants are also not recommended for use during anal sex.
Spermicides also disrupt the normal bacterial population in the vagina and urethra. There is an increased risk of a woman contracting urinary tract infections when using sex lubricants containing spermicides.
Then, what kind of sex lubricant is good to use?
When buying sex lubricants, consider choosing organic products, which are specially formulated to not cause irritation because the receptive mucous membranes in the vagina and vulva easily absorb lubricating substances into the body.
"The best sex lubricants are iso-osmotic, meaning they are compatible with the conditions in the vagina - they don't add or remove water from tissue cells or interfere with vaginal healthy bacteria," says Wendy Strgar, founder of Good Clean Love, a sexual health company , reported from Prevention.
For years, health experts have warned the public to avoid using oil-based lubricants. The oil is damaging to latex rubber, causing the condom to tear quickly. Only silicone and water-based lubricants are safe for use with latex condoms. What's more, there's no point in using body lotion, petroleum jelly, or cooking oil as an "alternative" to sex lubricant. The oil is not meant to be inserted into a person's vagina or rectum.
