On the bonus side, you can lube her up, play for a while, go down on her, and it doesn't taste awful!

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Also, don't use any flavored lubes, as they often have sugars in them.

And lubes that contain spermacide, like nonoxynil-9 (sp?) can kill the good bacteria that keeps the vagina's chemistry in balance. Every ] time I've used a spermacidal lube, I've gotten a horrible, smelly infection. Luckily I don't need contraception anymore.

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Couple of questions....

1. Can't olive oil cause a latex condom to break? She can't take the pill for 8 more months....

2. We've been using Durex lubricated condoms, and she hasn't gotten any infections. So might the previous lube ("Wet", in a clear and blue bottle) have been the issue?

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2. Yes, it's entirely possible that the lubricant was the problem. Wet Light, the one that comes in a cobalt blue bottle, contains glycerin.

Blowfish.com gives complete ingredient lists for the lubricants they sell. You might try a [invalid URL removed]water-based lube that doesn't contain glycerin (e.g. Liquid Silk, Maximus, Slippery Stuff, etc.), or a [invalid URL removed]silicone-based lube.

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Edited by - Kimi Lixx on 8/24/2006 9:01:02 PM

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[invalid URL removed]"Never let a latex condom touch oils in any form–no petroleum jelly, no baby oil, no mineral oil, no vegetable oil, not even talcum/baby powder. Oil causes condoms to deteriorate." Source: "Tips for Success," TrojanCondoms.com

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But I see there are plenty of places on the Internet, especially alternative health sites, which do recommend vegetable oils for vaginal lubrication. :shrug: Good luck, FrankSld; I hope you find something that works.

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YogaDame's links and info are valid. I found some others, too. I also found some backing the veggie oils. Everyone condemns the glycerin lubes for vaginal health, though they are condom safe.

I use condoms all the time, I use veggie oils frequently with them. I haven't had problems with vaginal irritation or yeast infections. I haven't had a single condom break. That's ONLY anecdotal, so it's useless.

You could try non-latex condoms, I suppose. I don't like silicone lubes, but that's a personal issue. Your wife might love them.

Good luck.

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I've been taking the "oil and latex don't mix" dictum on faith all these years. This morning, I decided to do a little experiment and see for myself. I sacrificed two nonlubricated Durex condoms to the cause. I took them out of their packages and left them rolled. I applied organic extra virgin olive oil to both sides of one condom, and roughly the same amount of Maximus water-based lubricant to both sides of the other. I then proceeded to rub each one between a finger and thumb, like rubbing a coin.

Time to breakage with the vegetable oil lubricant: two minutes.

Time to breakage with the water-based lubricant: still intact after ten minutes. I was rubbing hard and literally wore out my hands before I wore out the rubber.

That wasn't exactly a fully scientific approach, either, but it was enough to convince me. I am genuinely happy and relieved that you've never had a problem. It seems a little risky, though, and I personally wouldn't be comfortable taking that risk.

ETA: I hope my posts here don't sound too brusque. I'm actually very sympathetic to the desire to use more natural products. I wish I could find a lube that I trust, and I'm frustrated by my inability to do so. My current lube, Maximus, is one of many that contains parabens as a preservative. There is some evidence of a link between parabens and breast cancer, and I'd really like to find a better alternative.

Edited by - YogaDame on 8/25/2006 4:25:42 PM

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I'm not planning to change my choices in lubes. The general concensus on the latex/condom sites is that all oils, veggie or otherwise, are harmful to the integrity of the latex product. Maybe I've been incredibly lucky up to this point, or maybe the decrease in integrity isn't enough to cause breakage in my normal usage, but after this many years and thousands of condoms used, if I haven't had a problem yet due to my lubes, I don't think that's going to be what gives me trouble. In the past year I have switched almost entirely over to female condoms, they're polyurethane and oils aren't an issue with them.

[invalid URL removed]Wikipedia has a nice overview on condoms, but doesn't really give you much to go on about lubes.

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I've never tried a female condom. I wish they were a little more perfect at preventing pregnancy. You're right, though, PU is definitely compatible with oil. I hadn't read any positive info about vegetable oils for vaginal health before this thread, but the experts are obviously split in their opinion. And it's clear that you and plenty of other women actually can use them with no ill effects. Sounds like you've found a great solution for you!

Another possibility I haven't yet tried is the Sensua Organics lube. It's glycerine-free and paraben-free. It's basically aloe vera and guar gum with natural preservatives (grapefruit seed extract and vitamin E) and optional flavoring. I just haven't ordered it because my usual store doesn't carry it, and also because I'm skeptical about the homeopathy angle.

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