The Lube Episode

Summary

The Wirecutter Show: The Lube Episode – Detailed Summary

Release Date: February 5, 2025
Hosts: Christine Cyrclassette, Kyra Blackwell, Rosie Garant
Guest: Bianca Alba, Wirecutter Sex Toy Writer

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Introduction to the Episode

The episode titled "The Lube Episode" delves into the often-overlooked but essential topic of personal lubricants. Hosted by Christine Cyrclassette, Kyra Blackwell, and Rosie Garant, the discussion is led by Bianca Alba, a non-binary sexual health educator with a master’s in public health. The episode aims to provide comprehensive guidance on selecting the right lubricant, breaking down the stigma surrounding its use, and exploring the various types available in the market.

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Understanding Personal Lubricants

Bianca Alba opens the conversation by emphasizing the universal applicability of lubricants:

"I mean, really for everyone. So what a lubricant does is it both enhances pleasure, it enhances sensation, but it also protects the skin by helping things move smoothly." [02:55]

Lubricants are essential not only for enhancing sexual pleasure but also for ensuring comfort and preventing skin irritation during various forms of sexual activity, including anal sex, where the body does not produce its own lubrication.

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Breaking the Stigma Around Lubricants

The hosts address the societal stigma associated with lubricant use, particularly among heterosexual women. Christine Cyrclassette highlights:

"It's almost like there's, you know, something wrong with you if you need a lube." [04:18]

Bianca Alba concurs, pointing out that many women avoid using lubricants due to embarrassment, leading to discomfort or pain during sex. She emphasizes that physiological factors like menopause, pregnancy, and certain medications can cause dryness, making lubricant use both normal and necessary:

"There should be no shame around needing a little extra help." [04:25]

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Selecting the Right Lubricant

The hosts discuss the challenges consumers face when choosing from the myriad of lubricant options available. Bianca advises starting by identifying the primary use of the lubricant:

"I would start with, what are you going to be using this lube for?" [05:25]

She suggests considering factors such as whether the lubricant will be used for vaginal sex, anal sex, solo masturbation, and whether it will be compatible with condoms or silicone toys. Sampling different lubricants through small-sized bottles or sample packs is recommended to find the most suitable option.

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Price Points and Value

Rosie Garant raises the concern of overpriced lubricants:

"Unless it's like a gallon of lube." [06:56]

Bianca Alba offers practical pricing advice, comparing lubricant purchases to buying wine:

"You don't want to spend less than $10 unless it's like a really tiny little bottle. But once you clear the $30 mark, you're probably just paying for hype." [06:56]

She recommends a sweet spot of $15 to $20 for standard 1 to 8-ounce bottles, balancing quality and affordability.

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Types of Lubricants

Bianca elaborates on the four main types of lubricants: Water-Based, Silicone-Based, Hybrid, and Oil-Based, discussing their compositions, uses, and pros and cons.

1. Water-Based Lubricants

• Composition: Primarily water or aloe vera juice, with thickeners like xanthan gum or propylene glycol, and preservatives such as sodium benzoate or citric acid.
• Pros:
  • Highly versatile; suitable for vaginal, anal, and solo use.
  • Compatible with all sex toys and condoms.

  "Water based lubricants tend to have more ingredients... which can be irritating to some folks." [14:03]

• Cons:
  • Can dry out or become sticky, requiring reapplication.
  • May contain preservatives that irritate sensitive individuals.

2. Silicone-Based Lubricants

• Composition: Predominantly silicone, occasionally with additives like vitamin E.
• Pros:
  • Long-lasting and remains slippery without drying out.
  • Ideal for anal sex and penile masturbation.

  "Silicone lubes are really nice because it's got this pump bottle that works very well and is very hygienic." [11:20]

• Cons:
  • Can stain fabrics.
  • Not recommended for use with silicone toys as it may degrade the material:

    "The molecules in the silicone lube can bond to the molecules in the silicon of the toy... degradation of the material of the toy." [16:07]

3. Hybrid Lubricants

• Composition: A blend of water and silicone.
• Pros:
  • Combines the versatility of water-based with the longevity of silicone-based lubricants.
  • Safe for use with silicone toys due to lower silicone content.

  "More or less." [16:59]

4. Oil-Based Lubricants

• Composition: Various oils, including natural options like coconut oil.
• Pros:
  • Long-lasting and nourishing for the skin.
  • Suitable for penile masturbation and anal sex.

  "The real advantage of using an oil based lubricant is like silicone. It doesn't dry out." [17:17]

• Cons:
  • Can disrupt vaginal microbiome and cause infections.
  • Not compatible with latex or polyisoprene condoms, increasing the risk of condom breakage.
  • May be difficult to clean and can stain fabrics.

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The Chemistry Behind Lubricants

Understanding the pH balance of lubricants is crucial, especially for vaginal and anal use. Bianca Alba explains:

"The vagina and the anus have different phs... lower PH means more acidic. Higher PH is neutral or basic." [19:08]

• Vaginal Lubricants: Typically have a pH of around 4.5 to match the natural acidity of the vagina, preventing yeast infections and bacterial vaginosis.
• Anal Lubricants: With a more neutral pH of about 7, to align with the anal environment.

Most lubricants do not list specific pH levels on their packaging but may indicate if they are pH balanced. Consumers seeking precision can use pH strips to test their lubricants.

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Safety, Allergies, and Expiration

Bianca Alba underscores the importance of using preserves in water-based lubricants to prevent mold and bacterial growth:

"If there's something on that label that you're nervous about... there's a lot of misinformation and scaremongering about ingredients and lube." [22:49]

She shares a cautionary tale about a moldy lubricant sample, reinforcing the necessity of preservatives.

Regarding expiration, water-based lubricants typically last 1.5 to 2 years, whereas silicone and oil-based lubricants have longer shelf lives unless they show signs of spoilage, such as rancid smell or color changes.

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Practical Recommendations and Final Tips

• Start Simple: For those feeling overwhelmed by choices, Aloquedabra (a recommended water-based lube) is highlighted as a versatile and hypoallergenic option suitable for most users:

  "If you're feeling overwhelmed, I loved Bianca's advice that you could just reach for the aloe cadabra and be okay." [25:14]

• Consider Multiple Lubes: Depending on sexual activities (vaginal vs. anal), having different types of lubricants can enhance comfort and safety.

• Check Ingredients: Always review the ingredient list to avoid potential allergens and ensure compatibility with condoms and sex toys.

• Hygiene Practices: Use separate containers for lube to maintain hygiene, especially when using natural options like coconut oil.

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Conclusion and Host Takeaways

The episode wraps up with the hosts summarizing key points:

• Kyra Blackwell appreciates the simplicity of starting with a recommended lubricant like Aloquedabra:

  "It's probably going to work for you. And I love that it's simple and clear." [25:29]

• Christine Cyrclassette emphasizes that lubricants are for everyone and encourages experimentation to find the best fit:

  "Lube really is for everyone... just hone in on what kind of sex you're having." [25:29]

• Rosie Garant reiterates the importance of selecting pH-balanced lubricants and verifying ingredient lists:

  "If it's water based, select one that has water as the first ingredient." [24:21]

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• "Once you clear the $30 mark, you're probably just paying for hype. Unless it's like a gallon of lube." – Bianca Alba [00:16]
• "There should be no shame around needing a little extra help." – Bianca Alba [05:02]
• "You don't want to spend less than $10 unless it's like a really tiny little bottle." – Bianca Alba [06:56]
• "Silicone lubes are really nice because it's got this pump bottle that works very well and is very hygienic." – Bianca Alba [11:20]
• "The vagina and the anus have different phs." – Bianca Alba [19:08]
• "If there's something on that label that you're nervous about... there's a lot of misinformation and scaremongering about ingredients and lube." – Bianca Alba [22:49]

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Final Thoughts

"The Lube Episode" of The Wirecutter Show serves as an informative guide for anyone looking to navigate the complex world of personal lubricants. With expert insights from Bianca Alba, listeners gain a clearer understanding of the types, uses, and considerations when selecting a lubricant, all while addressing and dismantling the surrounding stigmas.

For more detailed guides and product recommendations, visit Wirecutter's website or check the show notes for links to products like Aloquedabra.

Transcript

[Rosie Garant]

In this episode, we're going to speak plainly and directly about all manner of sexual things. If direct discussion about sex isn't your thing, or if you're with kids, you might want to skip this one for now.

[Bianca Alba]

Once you clear the $30 mark, you're probably just paying for hype. Unless it's like a gallon of lube.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

I'm Christine Cyrclassette.

[Kyra Blackwell]

I'm Kyra Blackwell.

[Rosie Garant]

I'm Rosie Garant and. And you're listening to the Wirecutter Show.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

This one's called the Lube episode.

[Bianca Alba]

Y'All.

[Rosie Garant]

We have an interesting subject on our hands today.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

Yes, that's right. It's a super popular guide on our site, but one that covers a subject that many people don't really hear a lot about. And it's definitely not part of casual conversation for most people. We're going to be talking about personal lubricants. Lube, of course, is used during sex of all kinds to reduce friction and increase comfort. This is one of those things that people may be more comfortable googling rather than asking their friends about or, you.

[Rosie Garant]

Know, their colleagues, like we're gonna do today.

[Kyra Blackwell]

For those of you who may have been listening for a while, you know, we covered vibrators in a previous episode and it was a big hit. Sexual health is important and topical. Surprise, surprise.

[Rosie Garant]

And our guest for the vibrator episode is actually our guest today, wirecutter sex toy writer, Bianc Alba. A quick disclaimer. While Bianca is a sexual health educator, this is not medical advice. And we, of course, won't be covering everything there is to know about personal lubricants. And you know, as ever, it won't be titillating, but it will be informative.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

That's right. We're going to be straight as an arrow here and cover this. Just the facts, but we hope you'll leave today with a bit of guidance on how to shop for lube that you like. We'll be right back.

[Bianca Alba]

Foreign.

[Kyra Blackwell]

Welcome back to the Wirecutter Show. Today we're talking with Bianca Alba, wirecutter sex toy writer. Bianca is a non binary sexual health educator with a master's in public health. This is the second time they've been on the show. In October, they spoke with us about vibrators, which was very informative. They've also written our guides to condoms and anal toys, among others. For the lube guy, Bianca tested more than two dozen personal lubricants.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

Welcome back, Bianca.

[Bianca Alba]

Thank you for having me.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

So, personal lubricants, it's A huge category. It's a really personal category. I want to start by asking who are lubricants for?

[Bianca Alba]

I mean, really for everyone. So what a lubricant does is it both enhances pleasure, it enhances sensation, but it also protects the skin by helping things move smoothly. So for something like anal sex, you absolutely have to use lubricant because the body does not make its own lubrication in that regard. But even for solo sex or other types of partnered sex, it really helps to enhance the experience, making it more comfortable and pleasurable for both partners.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

To that point, it sounds like what you're saying is also that there's just a huge swath of people using lubricant. And so this guide has to kind of thread a needle. We can't speak to every single instance. How would you say we, we cover lubes in general?

[Bianca Alba]

Well, we say that, you know, we want something that's going to work for most people. So we ended up selecting a water based lube as our top pick. I alo cadabra that is thick enough for anal play. It's maybe not our first choice for anal play, but it could work for that. It's pH balanced for vaginal sex. It can be used for masturbation. We tried to pick something that would work well for most people, but that doesn't necessarily mean that it's the best choice for a specific use case, if that makes sense.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

Yeah, that totally makes sense. You know, I think that there's this real stigma around lubricants for certain groups specifically, I'm thinking for heterosexual women.

[Bianca Alba]

Yes.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

It's almost like there's, you know, something wrong with you if you need a lube. Do you think as a sex educator, do you think that resonates with you?

[Bianca Alba]

That's absolutely true. And as a result, a lot of women end up not asking to use lube during sex and experiencing discomfort or pain as a result. There's this sort of expectation that you should naturally be able to produce enough, but everyone has times where they're dry. Menopause and perimenopause can cause dryness. Pregnancy and hormonal shifts around pregnancy can cause dryness. Certain medications can cause dryness. And so there should be no shame around needing a little extra help.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

Okay, so basically what I'm hearing is that tons of people, men, women, whoever, could be having more comfortable, pleasurable, more fun sex, basically with lube, but there's no one best lube for everyone. And for a lot of people there's a real stigma about buying and using lube. So if someone is feeling a little lost or hesitant about lube, let's walk through how to find the right one for them.

[Bianca Alba]

I would start with, what are you going to be using this lube for? Is it going to be for vaginal sex, anal sex, solo masturbation? And then based on that, you know, are you going to be using silicone toys? Are you going to be using condoms based on that? Then you can make a selection. And if you have access to a sex toy shop in your town, I know not everyone does, often they'll sell little sample size versions of different lubes so that you can kind of pick and play or you can go online and different sex toy retailers will have like sample packs with a bunch of different lubes in them. So I think that's a good way to get started.

[Kyra Blackwell]

I like that. It's like when you go to a bar and they're like, do you want to buy a flight?

[Bianca Alba]

And it's just exactly a lube.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

That's good marketing. They should do flights of lube.

[Bianca Alba]

Yeah, yeah.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

I mean, this isn't like buying a sex toy. I mean it's, it's not like lubes are so expensive. Right. I mean, you could buy some like full bottles and try them out too.

[Bianca Alba]

Yeah. A lot of brands will have a one or two ounce mini travel size bottle that's gonna be ballpark $10. That's not such a huge investment that if you buy it and you hate it, that you're screwed. So it's less of a risk to buy a small bottle of lube to try it out than it would be to buy a hundred dollar sex toy.

[Rosie Garant]

I imagine some of the lube on the market is overpriced like anything else. What are the price points you should sort of be aiming for? Do you get more if you pay more?

[Bianca Alba]

I generally apply the same rules to buying lube that I do to buying a bottle of wine, which is that you don't want to spend less than $10 unless it's like a really tiny little bottle. But once you clear the $30 mark, you're probably just paying for hype. Unless it's like a gallon of lube. Swiss Navy does sell gallons of lube that are $200. But I mean, if we're talking like a standard 1 to 8 ounce bottle of lube, I would say between 10 to $30 is the sweet spot. And really 15 to 20 is generally where I like to land.

[Kyra Blackwell]

Bianca, there are tons of lubes out there. On Amazon, for example, you could search lube and like, a thousand things will just pop up. So it seems a bit intimidating to try something and maybe you have an adverse reaction to it.

[Bianca Alba]

Sure.

[Kyra Blackwell]

Do you have any just overarching advice for somebody who might feel like all these choices are overwhelming?

[Bianca Alba]

For sure. Again, we're going to need to circle back to what are you using the lube for? But the reason I did pick Aloquedabra as our main choice is because it's very hypoallergenic. The ingredients list is very simple and unlikely to trigger an allergy if you have issues with that sort of thing. And it works well for pretty much anything. Like I said, it's maybe if I was going to recommend an anal lube, it's maybe not the number one thing I would recommend as an anal lube, but you could use it that way in a pinch. So this is why I'm recommending that one.

[Rosie Garant]

What if you are allergic to product titles that have puns or are too cute? For instance, aloe Kedabra.

[Bianca Alba]

Sorry, does it come with, like, a.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

Little white rabbit or something?

[Bianca Alba]

Like, some people have complained about the artwork on the label, which is this woman in a white bikini diving in the ocean with a giant white scarf.

[Kyra Blackwell]

No, it's not.

[Bianca Alba]

Yes, it is.

[Rosie Garant]

I don't.

[Bianca Alba]

You know, but it's a good product.

[Rosie Garant]

You do you boo.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

Bianca. I think a lot of people out there are, you know, they might want to potentially avoid harmful chemicals or anything synthetic that they're putting on their body. And these folks might use something like coconut oil or other types of oils. What are the pros and cons of something like coconut oil?

[Bianca Alba]

I mean, it is definitely more cost effective to buy a jug of coconut oil and just use that. I would recommend. Just think about hygiene. If you're going to be using a jar of coconut oil from the grocery store, you know, scoop a little bit out into a little bowl or something that you can dip into so that you're not just sticking your sexy fingers into the raw bottle of coconut oil. You really don't want to do that. I will add one more thing, which is that the MDs, the doctors that I interviewed, the OBGYNs and urologists, people like that, the majority of them, when I said, what do you recommend for lube? A lot of them were like, coconut oil. That was their go to. And these are medical doctors.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

Are they hippie medical doctors? Because that seems like a hippie medical doctor thing to say.

[Bianca Alba]

No, actually. I mean, I'm from California. I Don't have these word hippie doctors.

[Kyra Blackwell]

I wanted to ask, when you're testing lubes, do you take into account how the lube comes out of the container?

[Bianca Alba]

Absolutely.

[Kyra Blackwell]

Because like when I do sunscreen testing, it just really plays into like how much sunscreen I'm gonna put on my face. Because it's like hard to get out. The pump bottle versus a squeeze. Like, is that something that you really think about when you're recommending lubes too?

[Bianca Alba]

That was one of the things we considered some of the more like runny lubes you had to be careful opening cause they would just come squirting out. Whereas some of the thicker ones might be harder to get out. We have squeeze bottles, we have pump bottles. There was all kinds of different types of bottles. For example, uber lube, which is the silicone lube we recommend, is really nice because it's got this pump bottle that works very well and is very hygienic. So like bacteria can't get into it. It's like sealed so that nothing can get into it. You can't even remove the top.

[Kyra Blackwell]

Okay, so what I'm hearing is that you really want to hone in on the type of sex that you're having to decide what kind of l. And then depending on that, you might even want to get more than one type of lube. If you're feeling a little bit overwhelmed, it might be a safe bet to just go for the Alacadabra. Because that's the one that you would recommend for most people, right, Bianca?

[Bianca Alba]

Yes. The one caveat I would give is if you're specifically looking for a lube for anal sex, I would start with silicone.

[Kyra Blackwell]

Got it.

[Bianca Alba]

Rather than the Alacadabra.

[Kyra Blackwell]

And then the last point around price was that if you're in like the 15 to 30 range and you get a 2 to 4 ounce bottle, that's like sweet spot.

[Bianca Alba]

Yeah.

[Kyra Blackwell]

And you can always just get, you know, a jar of coconut oil from the grocery store.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

As long as you're not allergic.

[Bianca Alba]

Allergic, allergic or using condoms.

[Kyra Blackwell]

And that's a safe bet.

[Bianca Alba]

And it's pretty effective and cheap and doctor recommended. And not just woo woo hippie doctors either.

[Kyra Blackwell]

After the break, Bianca will tell us why when it comes to lube, you're going to want to know a little bit about chemistry. Be right.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

Welcome back to the Wirecutter Show. This episode we're talking all about personal lubricants with Bianca Alba.

[Kyra Blackwell]

Okay, so in your guide on our site, Bianca, you list four main types of lube water Based, silicone based hybrid and oil based. Can you tell us a little bit about each of these and then maybe tell us about the pros and cons too? Can we start with water based?

[Bianca Alba]

Sure. So water based lubricants are versatile. You can use them vaginally, anally. You can use them with silicone toys and condoms without the materials degrading.

[Rosie Garant]

And what are these made of, Bianca?

[Bianca Alba]

Water based lubes. The first ingredient ideally is going to be water or something like aloe vera juice, a water based thing. And then they'll generally have a thickener in them, which is something like xanthan gum or propylene glycol. And then they'll have preservatives, which is something like sodium benzoate or citric acid. And the thickener helps give the lube that slippery viscosity. And then the preservative keeps it from growing mold, which is very important, or other bacteria, because if it's water based, it's prone to that kind of degradation.

[Rosie Garant]

So those are the pros of something that's water based. Are there any cons?

[Bianca Alba]

Absolutely. Water based lubricants tend to have more ingredients. Like I said, they need to have preservatives in them. And some of those preservatives or other ingredients can be irritating to some folks. Like a lot of people have allergies to parabens, which is a common preservative. If you do have a sensitive biome or sensitive tissues, you might want to stick to a product that has a shorter, more natural ingredient list.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

And by biome, we mean microbiome, those little bacteria and other organisms that live on and inside our bodies.

[Bianca Alba]

Yes. And water based lubricants, they can dry out or even become sticky, depending on the formula you may need to reapply over the course of use.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

If they're water based, can you just add water?

[Bianca Alba]

Yeah, that's actually something that sex educators recommend. Even having a spray bottle adding a little bit of water can wake up water based lubes and help them be more slippery.

[Kyra Blackwell]

Okay, Bianca, what about silicone lubes?

[Bianca Alba]

So silicone lubes are generally made only from different types of silicone. Occasionally they'll have like maybe vitamin E in the mix, but it's pretty much pure silicone. And silicone does not contain any water, so it stays slippery. They're really great for penile masturbation, anal sex, vaginal dryness, anything where you want it to stay slick and slippery. And another great thing about silicone lubes is that they are compatible with most condoms in the same way that water based lube is.

[Kyra Blackwell]

And what about the cons?

[Bianca Alba]

It can stain fabric and you can't use it with silicone toys. And this is another controversial thing. Some people claim it doesn't damage their toys. Other people have had toys melt. But I prefer to listen to the opinions of the chemists who say that don't use silicone loops with silicone toys.

[Kyra Blackwell]

So what happens to the toy? Exactly. It gets like gummy if you pair them together.

[Bianca Alba]

Apparently, like the molecules in the silicone lube can bond to the molecules in the silicon of the toy. So you can have like tackiness, stickiness, gumminess, just degradation of the material of the toy, which you don't want.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

Yeah, that definitely sounds like something you want to avoid. Okay, so then there's this hybrid category, right? You've got a combo of water and silicone, Is that right?

[Bianca Alba]

Yes. So it has a lot of the same qualities of a water based lube, but it stays wetter longer because of the silicone components. And it's also by and large safe to use with silicone toys because the percentage of silicone in the formula is low enough that it doesn't do that type of damage.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

That kind of seems like it's got more pros than cons. Like, it seems like it's got like a lot of the good things that water base has, but you avoid some of the bad things.

[Bianca Alba]

Yeah, more or less.

[Rosie Garant]

It's the medium porridge.

[Bianca Alba]

It's the one that's hybrid is always my personal favorite in terms of the lasting power. I've always been a big fan of hybrids.

[Kyra Blackwell]

So then we have our final category, which is oil. What are the pros and cons of that?

[Bianca Alba]

So oil is the oldest personal lubricant known to humanity. There's documentation of the ancient Greeks using it in 350bc.

[Kyra Blackwell]

Wow.

[Bianca Alba]

So people have been using oil based lubricants for centuries now.

[Rosie Garant]

What?

[Christine Cyrclassette]

Yeah. Is it like, did they find that out on like a shard of a pot or something? Like something like that?

[Bianca Alba]

I was doing research and yeah, there's like actual written documents, documentation of people using olive oil as lubricant. And some people still do these days.

[Rosie Garant]

Now, Janet, the more you know, huh?

[Bianca Alba]

Yeah. So the real advantage of using an oil based lubricant is like silicone. It doesn't dry out. You know, it can be nourishing for the skin. It's especially good for penile masturbation and anal sex. Things where you don't want it to dry out or get sticky. Some people find that using oil in the vagina upsets their biome. And the problem is, if you are one of those people, once it's in there, it's kind of hard to clean it out because it's not water based. It kind of sticks in there. But other people swear by it and use it. That's all they will use. So that's one drawback. The other big drawback is that oil is not compatible with latex or polyisoprene condoms. Polyisoprene is actually synthetic latex. Basically oil will break down the molecules in latex and make a condom more likely to break. So if you are using condoms, oil is not recommended. And like silicone lubes, it can stain fabric.

[Kyra Blackwell]

I want to talk about what people should know about the basic chemistry of personal lubricant because it seems like there's a real science behind it. So all I know, and this is in your guide, is that you need a lube with a certain ph. Why is that?

[Bianca Alba]

This is true for water based lubes. And basically the vagina and the anus have different phs. And with the vagina in particular, if you're using a lube that is not PH balanced, then you can end up with a yeast infection or bacterial vaginosis. They're not sexually transmitted diseases, but they are infections that can occur if your vaginal biome is off. So that's why having a PH balanced lubricant is important.

[Kyra Blackwell]

Should I know what my PH is at all times? Is that a common thing that people know?

[Bianca Alba]

I mean, because you're asking the question. I don't think it is a common thing that people know. The lubes that are intended for vaginal use will generally have a ph of about 4.5.

[Kyra Blackwell]

Okay.

[Bianca Alba]

And that is within a healthy range. And so if you see PH balanced on the lube bottle, that's generally what it will mean. However, the anus actually has a much higher ph. So lower PH means more acidic. Higher PH is neutral or basic. So the PH of the anus and the rectum is more neutral. It's about seven. So you might actually want to have a different lubricant if you're having both vaginal and anal sex because these are two different PH environments.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

Interesting. And is PH listed on lube bottles?

[Bianca Alba]

Most lube bottles will not state the ph. They might say PH balanced. Sometimes if you go to the website they will have the PH listed or you can email and ask. You can also buy PH strips very cheaply off of Amazon or wherever and test your lube at home if you want to get really nerdy with it.

[Kyra Blackwell]

That's very wirecutter esque.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

Bianca, from your guide, I know that certain lubes should not be used if you're trying to conceive. Can you tell me why that is and what are the safe lubes you are trying to conceive?

[Bianca Alba]

If you're trying to conceive, you need a certain ph or certain environment in the vagina in order to like, make sure that the sperm make it alive. So you're going to want to buy a lubricant. The one that's coming to mind immediately is pre seed, but I know that there's a bunch of other ones as well that is specifically marketed for people who are trying to conceive.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

I am also curious. You know, a lot of cosmetics have expiration dates. Is that the same with lubricants? Should you be getting rid of them after a certain amount of time?

[Bianca Alba]

Water based lubricants, at least. Aloe cadabra. I'm looking at my box here, which I got a few months ago, and its expiration date is May 20, 2026. So I would say it's probably like a year and a half or two years. Silicone lube I don't think would expire oil based. You know, it might go rancid or something like that, but you should be able to smell it and know that something's wrong.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

So use it or lose it, people.

[Kyra Blackwell]

Yeah, you told us this really shocking story about somebody had sent you a test sample of a lube and it was like moldy or something like that.

[Bianca Alba]

Yeah, it was an oral sex lubricant that I picked up at a trade show many years ago that was supposed to be honey flavored.

[Kyra Blackwell]

Oh, God.

[Bianca Alba]

And I had it in my cabinet for a few months and I opened it up and there was a wad of black mold in it.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

Golly.

[Bianca Alba]

And I did message the company. I was like, hey, I don't know what's wrong with this. But just so you know. And that's why when people are like, oh, you don't want lube that has preservatives in it. No, you do want lube that has preservatives in it so you don't get a wad of black mold in it.

[Rosie Garant]

Like, that's contraire. Honey.

[Bianca Alba]

Sodium benzoate, citric acid and potassium sorbate are three preservatives that you'll commonly see in lubricants which, like, maybe they sound scary, but they've been used commonly for a very long time and are safe. And my recommendation is if there's something on that label that you're nervous about to do your own research and not only read what bloggers say, but also look at what the FDA says, what cosmetic chemists say, because there is a lot of misinformation and scaremongering about ingredients and lube. And just a little follow up with, you know, if you're concerned about the chemicals in your lube, irritating, like, you know, take a shower after you use it or like wipe it off. You don't necessarily want to leave it on your skin.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

This is not moisturizer.

[Bianca Alba]

Exactly, exactly.

[Rosie Garant]

Okay, I just want to recap. Essentially, what you have on offer for personal lubricants are water based, silicon based, hybrid or oil. And you're really going to want to look for ph balance no matter what. You might use something different vaginally versus anally and ingredients. Check them out online, look at some of the ingredient lists, make sure that you're comfortable with whatever they contain before you pick something up.

[Bianca Alba]

And if it's water based, select one that has water as the first ingredient.

[Rosie Garant]

Water, water, water, water, water, water.

[Kyra Blackwell]

So before we wrap, we usually ask all of our guests the same question. What's the last thing you've bought that you've really loved?

[Bianca Alba]

So I make candles as a hobby and sell them on Etsy as my little side business. And so I bought a vulva shaped candle mold off of Amazon, which is honestly gorgeous and really cool. And I've been making vulva candles.

[Kyra Blackwell]

This is amazing.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

This is really very on brand.

[Bianca Alba]

It's really cool to go outside. Yeah. I'll send you a link to it.

[Kyra Blackwell]

Please do.

[Bianca Alba]

Please do.

[Rosie Garant]

Extraordinary. Thank you, Bianca, for that and for everything. Love having you on the show.

[Bianca Alba]

Love being here. Thank you.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

Well, I feel like we learned a lot from that episode. Kyra, what did you, what did you take away?

[Kyra Blackwell]

My takeaway is lubes are way more complicated than I ever give them credit for. But if you're feeling overwhelmed, I loved Bianca's advice that you could just reach for the aloe cadabra and be okay. It's probably going to work for you. And I love that it's simple and clear.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

I like that too. I think another takeaway I have from Bianca is that, you know, lube really is for everyone. You, you know, you might just need to try out some to see what you like and just kind of hone in on what kind of sex you're having. That's going to give you a really great indication of what kind of lube to get.

[Rosie Garant]

I think that's great. I think building off that water based lube, if you're going that route, you really want water or a water derivative to be the first ingredient. So that's like a real shorthand thing to look for. And then also, whatever lube you choose, you want it to be pH balanced. That is very important.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

That's right.

[Kyra Blackwell]

Good to know.

[Rosie Garant]

Good to know. And that's it for us. If you want to find out more about Bianca's coverage of sex toys, vibrators or of course, personal lubricant, you can check that [e-mail] wirecutter or you can find a link in the show notes to Aloe cadabra and other products we talked about today. Peace.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

Bye. Bye.

[Kyra Blackwell]

And here's what's coming up next week on the Wirecutter Show.

[Rosie Garant]

How many mattresses have you tested at this point?

[Kyra Blackwell]

Oh, my gosh. Well, I've lost count, but it has to be nearly 100 at this point. Point. Make sure you're following the show on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss it.

[Rosie Garant]

The Wirecutter show is executive produced by me, Rosie Guerin and produced by Abigail Keel. Engineering support from Matty Mazziello and Nick Pittman. Today's episode was mixed by Katherine Anderson. Original music by Dan Powell, Marian Lozano, Alicia Ba Itupe and Diane Wong. Wirecutter's deputy publisher and interim general manager is Cliff Levy. Ben Fruman is Wirecutter's editor in chief.

[Kyra Blackwell]

I'm Kyra Blackwell.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

I'm Christine Cyrclassette.

[Rosie Garant]

And I'm Rosie Guerin. Thank you for listening.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

We're talking about Lube.

[Rosie Garant]

Abigail is going to add the air horn in post.