By Rebecca Pinette-Dorin – North-American Brand Manager – EXSENS
If you’ve spent any time reading up on personal lubricants, you’ve probably come across blogs and articles warning you about the so-called dangers of glycerin. Claims range from calling it “a poison” to “a chemical” or “a sugar,” asserting that it’s something you definitely shouldn’t have in your lube. The claim that “glycerin causes STIs and yeast infections” is a common theme, but it’s also a major misconception.
Yeast infections can be caused by many factors: hormones, antibiotics, fatigue, poor hygiene or even too much hygiene. And yes, you can get a yeast infection by putting sugar on your vagina—but glycerin is not sugar. Nor is it a poison. True, glycerin is a chemical, but only in the sense that it is “a compound or substance that has been purified or prepared,” which is frankly not that big of a deal. (As the daughter of a chemist and microbiologist, I literally grew up in a lab, so I get more than a bit annoyed whenever I see this kind of fake science at work.)
In reality, high-quality vegan glycerin makes excellent water-based lube. It lasts longer, has a great texture, leaves no crusty residue, and provides the most natural feeling next to a woman’s natural lubrication. So, let’s try and clear glycerin’s name, shall we?
START WITH THE SCIENCE
Glycerin, or glycerol (C3H8O3) as it is scientifically called, can be derived from many sources. It is not the same as sugar, which is sucrose and fructose combined (C12H22O11). Sugar is a carbohydrate, while glycerin is an alcohol. And while yeast loves sugar, absolutely no real scientific study has ever shown that glycerin causes yeast to grow.
There are various types of glycerin, which can be made from either animal fat or vegetable oil. Only vegan, ultra-pure, medical-grade glycerin should be used in personal lubricants. However, food-grade glycerin could still contain some fatty acids, which might indeed cause a bout of candida, and personally, I would not like to use a lubricant made from animal-fat glycerol.
OSMOLALITY: THE KEY METRIC
Whatever your lubricant is made of, what you really need to know is its osmolality, the measurement of how much a substance pulls moisture from one side of a membrane to the other. In practical terms, osmolality measures how much a lube causes your vaginal or rectal skin to release its moisture. Lubes with high osmolality dry out your membranes, causing irritation and pH imbalance. An imbalanced environment in your vagina or anus is fertile ground for all kinds of trouble; yeast infections are just the tip of the iceberg.
The 2012 World Health Organization’s (WHO) study on lubricants for use with condoms found that the vast majority of US-manufactured lubricants had osmolality levels three to five times what WHO considered the highest limit for safe sex (1,200 mOsm/kg). One very popular lubricant that was listed in the study had an osmolality of 4523 mOsm/kg, and another industry standard came in at a whopping 8,064 mOsm/kg, almost seven times the safe-sex limit! And these products are not exceptions, they are the rule. Eighty-six percent of the lubes listed in the WHO study had osmolality levels well over the safe-sex limit.
GLYCERIN IS NOT REALLY THE ENEMY
Cheap and impure ingredients leading to high-osmolality lube are the problem, and the issue is widespread. High osmolality is rife, and it is true that most lubes are glycerin based. Correlation, however, does not prove causation.
We need to hold our lubricants to higher standards. We need transparency about where ingredients are coming from and what is their osmolality. We need to give people with vaginas the information they need to make informed decisions about their own bodies without resorting to scare tactics.
BECOME A LUBE PRO!
To make the best choice for your body, always read the ingredients list. Seriously!
Follow these four easy rules:
– If you can’t find the ingredient list online, don’t buy that lube.
– Avoid lubes with ingredients you wouldn’t want in your body. The inner walls of vaginas and colons absorb everything.
– Be mindful of potential allergens, especially if you have sensitive skin.
– If you’re prone to yeast infections, watch out for ingredients that raise osmolality, like PEG, propylene glycol or propanediol, (and to a lesser extent, glycerin).
– Order Matters: Ingredients are listed in decreasing order of volume. The first two ingredients usually make up 90-98% of the product.
When buying a new lube, compare ingredients with your previous one. Many brands repackage products, so you might not be getting anything new. Hit up google to decode complicated chemical names. Before buying, ask brands about their osmolality levels. If it’s over the WHO’s strict maximum, don’t buy it. If a brand can’t or won’t tell you their osmolality, it’s best to pass.
And for those with repetitive yeast infection issues, choose a lube with an osmolality around 350 mOsm/kg or below, as well as avoiding allergens, menthol and mentholated ingredients. Good Clean Love is a great example of a low-osmolality brand. (At EXSENS our personal lubricants have an osmolality of around 600 mOsm/kg.)
FINAL THOUGHTS
Being informed about your lubricant choices can make a significant difference in your comfort and health. Always read ingredients, understand what they mean and choose wisely. Empower yourself with knowledge and take control of your lube choices.
Happy exploring!
Rebecca Pinette-Dorin is the North-American Brand Manager for EXSENS.
