The Best Lubes for Every Occasion

Photograph: Dame There are three kinds of lubes to be aware of: Water-based, silicone-based, and oil-based. Silicone lubes, on the other hand, are oil-based and they provide a much higher degree of friction reduction and last longer because they're not as readily absorbed by the skin. Natural oil-based lubes are becoming more common, and they typically use plant oils like coconut oil or avocado oil to provide lubrication. The upside of these is that they play nicely with silicone toys and won't degrade them like silicone-based lubes will, and because they're made from natural oils, they usually smell pretty good. Oil-based lubes also can’t be used with latex condoms and can leave behind one heck of a stain on your sheets.