What is Water-Based Lube?

If you’re not already incorporating lube into your sex life, it may be time you try. Personal lubricant is a slick, smooth substance that’s designed to reduce friction during sex. It’s designed to supplement the vagina’s natural lubrication, making sex a more comfortable, reduced friction experience. 

Lube isn’t just for those who experience vaginal dryness. Using lube can result in heightened pleasure, reduced irritation, and maybe even the best sex of your life. It can also be a fun way to improve solo-sex, especially when toys are involved. 

Lube falls into four different categories, each defined by their primary ingredient. You’ll commonly find water-based, oil-based, silicone-based, and hybrid lubes. The latter is typically a combination of two different bases, like water and silicone. Each has its own benefits, drawbacks, and recommendations for use. With so many options, it can be difficult to pinpoint the right lubricant for your sex life. 

Let’s start at the beginning with water-based lube. This formula is primarily water, making it a great choice for those who prefer a more natural feel. 

Ready to explore the wet and wild world of water-based lube? Read on to learn what water-based lube is, its perks and drawbacks, and how to incorporate this lube into your sex life. 

What is in Water-Based Lube?

As with all other types of lubricant, water-based lubricants are designed to reduce friction during sex. In doing so, they increase pleasure and make sex a more enjoyable experience. Water-based lubes can extend sex for more satisfying moments of pleasure. What’s not to like? 

Core Ingredients

What makes water-based lube different from silicone and oil lubricants is its makeup. Let’s review what is in water-based lube. 

Water as the Base

While oil-based lubricants use natural or synthetic oils as the base, water-based lubes get their name from their primary ingredient: water.

These lubes combine water with thickening agents, preservatives, and other additives, resulting in formulations that range from thin and slippery to thick and jelly-like, such as K-Y Jelly.

Glycerin

Some water-based lubricants may contain thickening agents like glycerin, a natural sugar alcohol that’s found in many personal care products, like toothpaste, hair conditioners, and more. 

Other common ingredients in water-based lube include hydroxyethylcellulose, a common plant-based solvent, or natural plant-based thickeners like xanthan gum or agar agar. Some even contain hyaluronic acid, a naturally occurring product that can hold up to 1,000 times its weight in water for maximum wetness.¹ 

The combination of these ingredients with the lubricant’s base of water result in a smooth, sensual lubricant that’s not too thick or too thin and quite versatile. More on that below.

Benefits of Water-Based Lube

Water-based lube is the most popular kind of personal lubricant—and for good reason. Read on to learn about the many benefits of this type of lube. 

Compatibility with Toys and Condoms

At the top of the list of reasons that water-based lube is better for many than oil-based lubricants is its compatibility with sex toys and condoms. Oil-based lubes are wholly incompatible with latex or polyisoprene condoms, no matter what type of oil they’re made out of. Oil deteriorates and breaks down both latex and polyisoprene, making your condom susceptible to breaking or leakage and rendering them unsafe to use. 

Same goes for sex toys: oil-based lube can damage silicone and other common sex toy materials. This can lead to cracks in your toys, in which bacteria and other nasty substances can grow, putting your health at risk. Oil-based lube residue is also hard to clean off of sex toys—again, this can create a breeding ground for harmful bacteria. 

On the other hand, water-based lube can be used with most condoms and sex toys. It poses no risk to latex, polyisoprene, or any other common condom material. Water-based lube is also a better lubricant for sex toys, as it won’t cause damage and is easy to clean off. 

Mimics Natural Lubrication

Many find that water-based lubricant tends to be the most natural-feeling lubricant on the market. Plus, it’s available in a range of viscosities depending on its ingredient balance. That means it’s easy to find a water-based lubricant with a texture that can feel great to you. 

Easy Cleanup and Residue-Free

Another benefit of water-based lubricant is its minimal mess. Oil and silicone-based lubricants pose the risk of staining sheets, clothing, and other surfaces, not to mention leaving a greasy film on your skin. Just like an oil stain, once oil and silicone lube stains have set in, they can be a challenge to remove.

Water-based lube, on the other hand, offers easy cleanup. The ingredients in water-based lube are quite similar to any other ingredient in your personal care collection and can be easily washed away. 

Drawbacks of Water-Based Lube

Just like any personal care product, there can be drawbacks to water-based lubricant for some. Consider the following when choosing your water-based lube. 

Shorter Duration

Because water-based lubricants are primarily water, they can be easily absorbed by skin. That means that, throughout the course of use, water-based lubricants can become less wet, and therefore less effective at reducing friction. Some find this to be a drawback of water-based lubes. The good news is that you can simply reapply as needed.

Potential Irritation for Sensitive Skin

Although water-based lube tends to be a pretty skin-friendly product, some may experience reactions to certain ingredients. 

It’s always recommended to test a new personal care product on a small patch of skin to ensure it's a safe lube for your skin before diving in head-first. 

Washes Away in Water

Funny enough, one of water-based lube’s perks can be a drawback in specific sexual encounters. Water-based lube easily washes away in water, making it less suitable for sex in water, like shower sex. For these types of sex, it may be better to use an oil or silicone based lube. 

How to Use Water-Based Lube

Ready to explore the world of water-based lube? Follow these tips for your best result. 

Application Techniques and Tips

Because of its compatibility with most condoms and minimal risk for stains, water-based lube can be applied just about anywhere. It may be applied directly to the penis or vagina, inside and outside of a condom, on a dental dam, or anywhere else. Some even use water-based lubes as massage oils during foreplay. 

Here are a few additional tips for your best lube application results: 

• Warm it up first: Lube sits at room temperature, which can be significantly colder than body temp. Before applying it, put a small amount between your palms and warm it slightly as you would when applying lotion. This can minimize that cold shock when introducing it. 

• Use minimally inside your condom: Lube can be either dripped into your condom or applied directly to the penis before putting a condom on—but apply sparingly. Too much lube between your condom and your penis may cause the condom to unintentionally slip off during intercourse, especially if your condom already comes pre-lubricated.

• Incorporate it into foreplay: Applying lube doesn’t have to be an awkward or weird experience! Incorporate lube into your foreplay to make it a fun and sexy part of your sex life. 

Reapplication for Extended Comfort

As mentioned, water-based lube doesn’t last as long as silicone or oil-based lubes because it can be absorbed by your skin, especially during longer sex. That means, over time, your lube can become less slippery and less effective at reducing friction and improving sensation. More friction also puts you at a greater risk for tearing your condom. 

If using a water-based lube, you’ll want to keep it handy so that you can reapply regularly as needed. There’s really no risk of using too much lube, except between your condom and your penis, so feel free to go wild! 

Interested in incorporating a water-based lube into your sex life? Explore our range of water-based lubricants. We offer a wide array of condom-compatible, water-based lubricants. You’ll even find options for intense pleasure, with cooling and warming sensations, tingling lubricants for a bit of extra “zing”, and body-friendly formulas made without the use of sulfates, colorants, hormones, parabens, or fragrances. 

Whatever your desire, you’re bound to find the perfect option in our selection. See our top five picks to find your new favorite lube. 

References

1. National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). Nutrition and Health: Guidelines and Assessment Tools. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2018, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK482440/.