If you buy any kind of high-quality sex toy — whether it's a butt plug, a vibrator, or a masturbation cup — there's a good chance it's made of silicone. It's a body-safe material that, unlike plastic or jelly, feels realistic and lasts super long if you take good care of it. The tough part? One of the easiest ways to break down your toy is also one of the easiest mistakes to make: using silicone-based lubricants. It sounds counterintuitive, but the best lubes for silicone sex toys are pretty much anything but those containing silicone.
According to Dr. Jess O’Reilly, Astroglide’s resident sexologistwith a background in sex education training, silicone-based lubricants aren't a good match for silicone sex toys because they can affect their longevity and possibly destroy them in the long run. "The materials react with one another and may cause the surface of the sex toy to break down over time," she tells Mic. The good news is your silicone lubricants won't go to waste if you use them for other types of play. "Silicone-based lubes, however, are safe to use with toys made of hard materials such as plastic, aluminum, ceramic, steel, glass, and marble," Dr. O'Reilly adds.
So what can you use with your silicone toys? You're going to want to look for lubes that are either water- or oil-based. Water-based formulas are, as the name implies, water-soluble, so while they may not last as long as other types, cleaning them up is a breeze.Oil-based lubes, on the other hand, will typically last much longer without needing reapplication — and because of this, they're great for anal sex, since you need a lot of lube for backdoor play. But oil-based lubes are not compatible with latex condoms, so you should only use them if you and your partner are fluid-bonded.
Fortunately, there are few perfect options on Amazon to choose from. Scroll down and you'll find the best lubes for silicone sex toys, along with a little more expert insight from Dr. O'Reilly to help you pick the best option for your needs.
We only recommend products we love and that we think you will, too. We may receive a portion of sales from products purchased from this article, which was written by our Commerce team.