When it comes to anal play, it’s safe to say lubrication is not a choice — it’s a necessity. After all, the whole point of any sex act is pleasure.
As such, proper care is crucial, especially if we want to avoid not just tears but also bleeding and general discomfort that can last for days.
Yet, in order to reach an earth-shaking climax, we need to figure out what kind of lube we can use.
Is it possible to use some essential oils as lube or any other condiment found in our kitchen?
Should we just stick to store-bought lubes and hope they don’t destroy our butt plugs?
Let’s find out by delving into the world of lubrication and all that it entails.
Why Should You Use Lubrication With Anal Toys?
Just like with anal sex, the use of lube when wearing butt plugs is essential!
First of all, putting a butt plug into the anus is not as comfortable as it might seem right off the bat. Unless the anus has been stretched plenty of times before, pain is inevitable.
Thus, every expert and anal play enthusiast will recommend lube in order to make the passage of the plug as smooth as possible.
However, that’s not the lube’s only job.
Since some sex toys can be porous, they can get damaged while they’re inside. Thus, lube also serves as a form of protection; it can keep our toys in top-notch condition and save us money, as we won’t need to replace them any time soon.
Finally, some experts believe that lube can also improve the effectiveness of the butt plug. Since there won’t be anything “blocking” the pleasure, i.e., everything will be nice and smooth, the butt plug will be able to do its magic.
However, we cannot pick just any lube out there. Our choice depends on the base ingredient and how it acts when in contact with the butt plug.
Types of Lubrication
When it comes to lube, the store-bought versions can either be water-based, silicone-based or oil-based.
Depending on the material of the butt plug, there are certain advantages and disadvantages to each one.
Silicone-Based Lube
Silicone-based lubrication is, in general, great to use for penetration.
Any sort of anal play will be that much more pleasurable with a few drops of this sort of lube, as it tends to last a lot longer than, say, water-based lube.
Since the anus tends to absorb water, water-based lubrication can disappear quite quickly. Luckily, if we are into longer romps, that won’t happen with silicone-based lube.
However, even though this form of lube is great even when used with latex condoms, the same cannot always be said for butt plugs.
If we own silicone-based plugs, we cannot use this lube purely because silicone breaks down silicone. Thus, the toy can start to disintegrate inside us, and let’s face it — that certainly won’t help us climax at all.
Still, for all other types of anal play, silicone-based lube is a good choice. It has a thick consistency, so a little bit goes a long way.
Also, it’s incredibly slick and long-lasting, so there won’t be a reason to stop until the earth is shaking beneath us!
Oil-Based Lube
If we are looking for silky smooth penetration without tears or bleeding, oil-based lube is a fantastic choice.
This sort of lube is also on the thicker side, so we won’t have to use a lot of it in order to pleasure ourselves (or our partner). Additionally, we can use it for water play too!
However, there’s a huge downside to this sort of lube — we cannot use it with rubber, PVC or latex.
Also, when condoms are involved, this lube is a no-go too, as it can destroy them or make them less effective.
Water-Based Lube
The overall winner when it comes to butt plugs seems to be water-based lube. Due to its properties, it won’t damage the sex toy nor will it lead to discomfort during anal play.
Additionally, water-based lube doesn’t have a smell, color or flavor. As such, it won’t lead to irritation or any stains whatsoever.
However, despite its versatility (we can use it with any sort of butt plug out there), the main issue we have with this type of lube is that it doesn’t last as long as other forms.
Because water is its main ingredient, it dries pretty fast. Thus, we would need to reapply it again and again, which takes away all the magic from anal play.
What’s more, it’s just not as slick as silicone or oil-based lube.
Still, safety always comes first, so water-based lube is the best choice for butt plug lovers. It’s compatible with all materials, so we will have some peace of mind while using it.
Also, if it dries up, we can sometimes get it to “activate” once more by adding a bit of water on it. Thus, we won’t necessarily have to buy a new tube or bottle every week — a great silver lining indeed.
Water and Silicone Lube
Although not a category per se, there is another variety of lube that some users are quite fond of.
Some manufacturers sell hybrid lube, which is a mix of water and silicone lube. In essence, it should give you the best of both worlds.
However, whether or not it’s compatible with a particular butt plug material depends on the manufacturer and the ingredients.
Thus, you’d have to research these hybrids thoroughly and ensure they won’t damage the toy.
What About All-Natural Lube?
Sometimes, when it gets hot and heavy in the bedroom or when we need to get out of the house quickly but cannot go without our butt plug, we might resort to using things we can find in our kitchen.
After all, even regular oils are slippery yet moisturizing, and they can protect our skin just as well as other types of lube!
Coconut and Olive Oil
Right now, coconut oil is all the rage, so it’s no wonder some butt plug enthusiasts have thought about using it as lube.
However, just like oil-based lube, it cannot be used with latex. In addition, if our sex toys are made of PVC, jelly or rubber, we ought to steer clear of it, as it can destroy them.
It’s also very difficult to clean, so even if we use it with a compatible material, there’s a good chance we will never remove it completely; it’s not water-soluble, so we’d need to resort to other cleaning techniques.
All this applies to olive oil as well. However, there are a few other disadvantages to it in comparison to coconut oil.
First of all, the smell of coconut can actually make our pleasure buds go wild. The smell of olive oil, however, definitely won’t, as it’s not the most beautiful scent ever. In fact, it often smells like it’s already off, so using it in anal play is not the best idea.
Furthermore, it’s even harder to remove than coconut oil, and it can badly stain everything around us.
Other Types of Oil
Now, you might be wondering if you can use sunflower oil or even avocado oil to lube up a toy. We’re here to tell you that, in theory, you can — but it’s not the best alternative.
Sunflower, avocado, canola and corn oil can leave a sticky residue behind. What’s more, they can build up, and since they’re also difficult to remove, this could lead to a variety of issues if you use them for anal play (or even just masturbation).
Homemade Lube
So in essence, we can use household items as lube. However, we don’t have to stop there.
The online world has plenty of recipes that can help us create our own homemade lube in about half an hour.
Yet, the problem with most of these recipes is that they call for the use of essential oils.
This is where we would draw the line, as essential oils can permanently damage the plug, depending on the material.
Furthermore, they are rarely used internally, purely because they might damage the tissue when ingested (or put into our body in any other way).
Thus, we wouldn’t recommend making homemade lube unless you’re in a real pinch.
In that case, just remove the essential oils from the equation, as they can do more harm than good.
Also, know that most DIY recipes use some sort of oil, so we can only use them with plugs made of metal, vinyl, and plastic.
Best Lubrication for Anal Toys
So now that we know what our options are, which is the best type of lubrication for butt plugs?
Well, it depends on the material.
In terms of longevity and general feel, silicone-based lube is our best bet. It won’t dry out, and it’s so smooth that placing the plug in will be effortless.
However, we have to be careful; using it with silicone butt plugs can lead to dire consequences.
Oil-based lube, on the other hand, has too many disadvantages.
Sure, even if we find a butt plug that’s compatible with this sort of lube, the oil is still too much to handle on a daily basis. It’s too slippery and very difficult to remove.
As such, the cons outweigh the pros; we would need to spend a while cleaning both our sheets and our toys afterward.
If we don’t know or we aren’t sure what the plug is made of, then water-based lube is our safest bet.
Yet, it doesn’t last as long as the silicone-based one, so we would need to reapply or add some H2O once in a while. That actually makes wearing a butt plug for longer than 20 minutes at a time almost impossible.
Additionally, this sort of lube usually contains additives that may cause an allergic reaction, which is definitely not what you want when looking to reach an orgasm.
What’s certain, though, is that we have to pay attention to the ingredients. Whichever lube we pick, it shouldn’t contain parabens, glycerin, propylene glycol or any other substance that may cause an allergic reaction or cause itching, rashes and inflammation.
Thus, silicone-based lube is yet again the best option because in most cases, it’s hypoallergenic.
The importance of lubrication during any sort of anal play cannot be overstated. There are various types of lube, and not all of them can be used with every butt plug. Here is a brief guide on lubes and plugs.
The Three Types of Lubricants
There are three main types of lube: oil-based, silicone-based, and water-based. These all have different properties such as lasting time, slipperiness, odor, etc.
But the most important aspect to consider is the fact that certain lubes can damage your plugs, which can lead to potential health problems once you put the butt plug in.
Oil-Based Lubricants
Oil-based lubes are thicker than the other types and provide fantastic lubrication. They last long (they don’t dry out) - great for extended butt plug usage, and are often less irritating than other types of lube.
However, they come with a big caveat – they cannot be used with latex, whether that’s latex condoms or latex plugs. Oil-based lubes are also much more difficult to clean, as they don’t dissolve in water.
Silicone-Based Lubricants
Silicone-based lubes are very smooth and silky and last quite a long time, so there is less need to re-apply it.
However, they cannot be used with silicone butt plugs, because the silicone starts to dissolve in the lube and may actually be absorbed by your colon once inside, causing all kinds of nasty health problems.
Water-Based Lubricants
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Water-based lubes are the most versatile of the bunch, they are easy to clean, and can be used safely with any type of plug.
These dry out quickly and get very sticky as they dry, so you will need to re-apply the lube often for optimal lubrication throughout your play time. Be sure to read our butt plug guide for more information. All of the above information also applies to our tail plugs.