Cute and a little unbalanced. Dignified and cute. Sensitive and supple. These are probably the first words that come to mind when I think of my vulva. But considering how prone I am to yeast infections and bacterial vaginosis, being picky deserves a spot on my list of descriptors downstairs. I don’t mean to be secretive – as a Cancer rising, I know exactly what it’s like to be a little touchy. But being prone to irritation and infection, it was nearly impossible for me to find a lubricant that would be effective at improving the sensations during intercourse without causing discomfort afterwards.
After much trial and error, I thankfully found a lube that was clinically designed for vulva owners like me who are prone to vaginal health issues: Playground Naked Love Lube ($20). Read on to learn all about this lube, which is clinically proven to instantly eliminate pain while helping to prevent post-race infections.
Playground Naked Love Lubricant — $20.00
according to: water | size: 3.7 ounces |Vending machine: clamshell
Main ingredients: Water, hyaluronic acid, ashwagandha, vitamin E
free: Glycerin, parabens, phthalates, genetically modified organisms, petrochemicals, mineral oil, propylene glycol, gluten, sulfates, dyes and hormones
- Clinically proven to reduce pain while enhancing pleasure
- Very long-lasting for a water-based lubricant
- Free of fragrance and potential irritants (such as glycerin and parabens)
- Contains moisturizing vitamin E and hyaluronic acid
- pH balanced to match the pH of the vaginal microbiome
- Safe to use with latex condoms and other barriers
- Suitable for all toys (including silicone toys)
- Lack of pump dispenser makes reapplying difficult
- The instructions on the bottle are difficult to read in the dark
- Not designed with anal sex in mind
Why the right lubricant is important
If you’re like me and prone to vaginal infections or vulvar irritation, you might decide that opting for vaginal dryness is a better option than risking infection with a store-bought lubricant. But find the right lubricant Do Taking advantage of your unique vulvovaginal chemistry can make your sex life more consistent.
“Anyone who wants to enhance their sexual experience should consider using a store-bought lubricant,” says pelvic floor physical therapist Heather Jeffcoat, author of “The Sex Experience.” Pain-Free Sex: A Self-Healing Guide to the Sex Life You Deserve. She explains that bottled lube is designed to replenish the vaginal fluids your body naturally produces during sexual arousal. This natural moistness is intended to promote and reduce friction during sexual intercourse, as genital tissue is very fragile and prone to microtears.
The truth is, some people consistently produce less vaginal secretion during sexual arousal than is needed to support the type or duration of sex, Jeffcoat says. Fluid levels can also fluctuate, such as when people are dehydrated, during certain phases of their menstrual cycle, or take certain medications. In these cases, “additional lubricant can help relieve any pain or discomfort that may occur,” says Jeffcoat.
Even if you naturally produce enough vaginal lubrication to facilitate pleasurable (vaginal) penetration, it can be beneficial to add a squirt or two of store-bought lube to your game, she continues. For example, because it is internal The vaginal canal produces lubrication produced by the body, keeping the vulva dry. So “lubrication around the vulvar vestibule (the inner part of the inner labia, or labia minora) and clitoris can make vulvar intercourse more pleasurable,” says Jeffocat. Plus: The rectum never lubricates itself, she says, which means store-bought lubricants during anal sex are crucial to protecting easily injured anal tissue and promoting pleasure.
About playground nude love lubricant
Playground’s Naked Love is a water-based lubricant. A refresher: Most lubes can also be used with silicone or oil, but silicone-based lubes cannot be used with silicone sex toys, and oil-based lubes can degrade condoms. For this reason, water-based lubricants (like Naked Love!) are widely regarded as the most versatile and easy-to-use type of lubricant.
But Naked Love is no ordinary water-based lubricant. Instead, it is a water-based lubricant Specifically Shyama Mathews, M.D., a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist and NAMS-certified menopause physician, says its formula is designed to protect the vaginal canal and vaginal microbiome.
“Naked Love contains a hydrating complex with vitamin E and hyaluronic acid to help provide long-lasting hydration to the area after sex,” she says. In a project published in African Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology Researchers have found that when used internally, hyaluronic acid and vitamin E can relieve vaginal symptoms and speed the healing of cells lining the vaginal tissue. Meanwhile, a second study was published in JJournal of Menopause Medicine Studies have found that these two ingredients are helpful for people in menopause who suffer from genitourinary syndrome, which is essentially vaginal dryness during sex and daily life.
“Naked Love’s clinical formula also helps maintain optimal vaginal pH during and after sex,” says Dr. Mathews. Normally, vaginal pH ranges from 3.8 to 4.2; if it’s outside that range, a person is at increased risk for common vaginal infections, she said. In fact, a pH above 4.5 is often a sign of bacterial vaginosis.
Because Naked Love is formulated with vaginal pH in mind, it’s less likely to disrupt the natural microbiome that controls vaginal conditions than lubricants containing fillers, sugars and other additives, Dr. Matthews says. In fact, in a clinical study funded by Playground, women prone to vaginal infections reported experiencing vaginal burning, irritation, and other symptoms when using Naked Love compared to using other lubricants or no lubricant at all. Fewer urinary tract infection symptoms.
My naked love experience
When I first used Playground Naked Love lube, I was shocked at how similar its texture was to bodily fluids. Many water-based lubricants are, watery In terms of texture. Naked Love, on the other hand, feels like a gel or serum. Because Naked Love matches the consistency of my semen, when I put my fingers between my legs, it doesn’t feel like I’m using a store-bought aid. Instead, I just felt like I was just using my fingers and what was downstairs to bring myself to orgasm.
I’m also happy to be complete Lack The scent of naked love. I know from trial and error with other lubes that most fragrance-free lubes smell like glue. Or worse, a day old chicken. But I never smelled any adhesive or meal prep during my dirty DJ set. Wow!
Finally, I was impressed with the longevity of the lubricant. When I opened the packaging of Naked Love, I was dismayed to find that it had a flip-top dispenser. While the pump allows for easy, mess-free reapplying, the flip-top dispenser requires a smooth “sexual hand” to grasp the bottle in order to reapply. However, every time I use Naked Love, it lasts throughout sex so I never actually have to reapply.
Oh, and if you’re wondering if my finicky vagina survived being alone without infection? The answer is, yes, yes, yes. In fact, I have been using this product almost every day for the last month and it has always been yeast and BV free. success!
final thoughts
Ultimately, every pleasure seeker has a unique vaginal anatomy and preferences for lubricants when playing alone or together. However, I would happily recommend Playground Naked Love to anyone in the market for store-bought lube. After all, even if your body able When dealing with pleasure aids filled with chemicals and additives, it’s best to treat your love tunnel with the utmost TLC. Yes, that means choosing a lube that’s formulated with your vaginal health in mind.
Well+Good articles reference scientific, reliable, up-to-date, and robust research to support the information we share. You can count on us on your health journey.
- Porterfield, Laura et al. “Vaginal vitamin E for the treatment of urogenital syndromes of menopause: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials.” Journal of Menopause Medicine roll. 28,1(2022):9-16. doi:10.6118/jmm.21028
- Lin, Yen-Pin et al. “Vaginal pH is used in the clinical diagnosis and treatment of common vaginitis.” Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) roll. November 11, 1996.
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