High-quality personal lubricants are an incredible way to own your sexual agency, engage in self-care, nourish your vulva and make sex so much better.
Lube has been around for over 1,000 years and still it remains a ridiculously taboo topic! Just the word lube has older people blushing and younger vulva owners falling over themselves to explain that they actually “need the opposite of lube”.
I am not at all innocent in feeding this awkward paradigm. Before I formulated and co-launched a lube company Lark Love, I had literally never in my life purchased said product. I would use the ol’ spit trick or waddle off to the kitchen for a swipe at the coconut oil. I have even felt the guilt of needing a little help in the slip and slide department, like I was failing my partner by not producing enough of the tell tale turn on juice.
How I came to be one of the founders of a lube company amazes me. I have always enjoyed sex but would rather rough it then peruse the shelves at the grocery store for a tackily packaged product that signals a lack of juice. I realize now that it's lucky that I didn’t slab on the dime store personal lubricant.
Most mainstream personal lubricants have ingredients that no right minded person would ever want to put inside of their bodies. Ingredients such as propylene glycol--that’s an ingredient in antifreeze, petroleum, silicone, and glycerin. These ingredients are not only not healthful for the vagina but they have also been linked to uterine cancer, infertility and they can cause tiny abrasions in the skin leaving a person much more susceptible to contracting an STI.
I get asked often (primarily by men) why I would not just slap on some coconut oil from Trader Joe’s rather than spending the money on a high quality personal lubricant. While I adore the gesture, coconut oil is not the best option for a few reasons. Being an oil, it will degrade a condom. Condoms don’t just prevent pregnancy but they also guard against the passing of STI’s. Secondly, coconut oil can feed bacteria, so if a vagina is prone to BV this will only aggravate it. Thirdly, coconut oil stains everything. Rancid sheets and stained lace are not sexy.
I am an herbalist and have been formulating natural products for over a decade. Serums and elixirs for the face to improve collagen, deeply hydrate, decrease fine lines etc….. I have always used very natural ingredients in the products that I formulate and am vigilant on my standards of any product that I put on or into my body. Once I got into my head to formulate a lube I had to know what else was out there. My partner and I began the research by buying every lube on the shelf. Two things shocked me: how it felt to be purchasing this product and what was actually inside the vast majority of lubes we purchased.
My partner and I decided that there was certainly a cause for a serious lube revival so we decided to whip up a batch of super slippery, botanically infused, personal lubricant formulated for vaginas. We gave bottles out like hot cakes to people in our community of all ages. Then we did what all humans love, we gathered, drank wine and talked about sex.
What we learned astounded us. First off, all of the vulva owners had lube in their bedside tables but not one of them knew what was in the product that their male partners had purchased. Secondly we discovered after speaking with our older and wiser subjects that vaginas change immensely as we age and that not only is lube necessary but fortifying vaginal tissue is a must. We learned that as we age and our bodies no longer produce their own lubrication as abundantly, the vaginal skin actually thins and even walking around or riding a bike can be excruciating.
Revival Intimate Elixer is like a fancy face serum for the vulva. Formulated with active botanicals and hyaluronic acid to restore tissue integrity, deeply hydrate, and improve collagen and elasticity. Use it daily as part of your personal care routine.
My partner Rainbow and I decided to create a line of personal lubricants that are formulated for the vagina using active botanicals and hyaluronic acid to keep tissue supple long after use. We also decided to do away with the tacky packaging that demands being kept locked in a drawer. Our mission became to empower people to own their sexual health by using high quality personal lubricants that celebrate and don’t shame their very important bodies and to put it into bespoke packaging that demands being kept on the nightstand.
Sexual self-care is so important and can become a habit like any other form of self-care. Using a high quality lube is a wonderful start or addition to your current practice. Keeping vaginal tissue moisturized and lubricated will prevent tiny abrasions that can easily occur with partner and solo sex. Vaginas moisture levels vary for a huge variety of reasons. Menopause, medications, alcohol consumption, mood swings, and genetics all play a role in vulvas producing their own lubrication. Being empowered to purchase, use, and display your personal lubricants is making an investment in your sexual future. It’s like wearing sunscreen on your face, future you will thank you!
Lube is amazing, it makes sex feel better and teaches vulva owners how to better treat our bodies. Lube gets the party started in a hurry which helps us get out of our heads to enjoy the moment. When the owner of the vagina is in charge of the purchase and use of lube they are acknowledging the dynamic needs and nature of this very important organ and take the stress off of the vulva to be constantly juicy and ever-reactive.
We are living in exciting times. The third wave of the sexual revolution is upon us. Vibrator companies owned by vulva owners are booming, leading to the de-stigmatization of female pleasure, period underwear and menstrual cups are redefining our relationship with our periods, and finally the time for empowerment in personal lubricants is upon us. It's the luberation baby, stay hydrated!
Romp Sexy Time Serum blends derivatives of seaweed and bamboo with hyaluronic acid and healing botanicals for an incredibly slippery serum that feels like your body’s own moisture.
Corrie Bradley is the co-founder of Lark Love, they create luxury personal lubricants formulated for the health of the vagina.
