This is a reposting of an old toy review from a previous incarnation of Minxy and caged. Hopefully the information is still relevant for you.
There are so many lubricants on the market that it is difficult to test everyone without getting confused as to the quality and type of each one. Generally, I have purchased my lubricants from the supermarket and they seem to have a limited range of products, and as such, I was only introduced to Astroglide lubricants once I became and adult toy blogger and followed the Pleasurists review blog.
Ann from Astroglide Australia has commented here on Our Sex Secrets and has kindly sent both M and me a bunch of samples of their range of personal lubricants.
Ann provided samples for Astroglide Natural, Glycerin and Paraben Free, Original and Silicone based.
Astroglide Natural
Natural is a water based lubricant that is water soluble and is latex safe. It is classified as a natural product made from plant extracts to create a long lasting, super slippery lubricant.
Some people are sensitive to some of the ingredients found within lubricants and I have attached the list of ingredients here with a brief description of what each of them is and does:
- Purified Water;
- Xylitol – an organic compound, it’s a sugar alcohol found in fruit and plant fibres;
- Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice – aloe vera leaf juice, which moisturises and soothes;
- Potassium Ascorbyl Tocopheryl Phosphate – a blend of phosphorus with vitamins C and E that functions as an antioxidant;
- Pectin – a gelling agent found in fruit and plant fibres;
- Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract – therapeutic herb believed to have calming and bactericidal effects;
- Hydroxyethylcellulose – a gelling and thickening agent derived from plant cells; and
- Methylparaben – a preservative with anti-fungal properties
Astroglide Natural is the most fluid of the samples that we have tested. It is slightly more runny than any other lubricant we have used. Both M and I would like to see the Natural in a slightly thicker, more gel-like consistency to minimise dripping and ensuring it stays where we put it. I haven’t really tasted it, but some people have said that it has a neutral taste.
Glycerin & Paraben Free
Again this is a water-based, water-soluble product that has been manufactured for those whose bodies are sensitive to glycerin and paraben. We don’t want those people to miss out on a lubricant like this now, do we?
The ingredients list fo the glycerin and paraben free lubricant from Astroglide is thus
- Water;
- Butylene Glycol;
- Xylitol;
- Propylene Glycol; and
- Polyquaternium 15
Not being familiar with any of these ingredients apart from water, I will refer to you BuzzOnVibes review of this product for a description. There did appear to be a slight odour with this lubricant, and I’m not aware of the taste, but some have described it as bitter.
The lube goes on easily and stays fairly slick for most of the time. I only needed a small amount for it to continually work for both M and myself, and we actually found that even the samples contained too much lube for our regular use. I have seen some reviews giving a conflicting story about stickiness for the glycerin & paraben free lube, however, that wasn’t our case.
Astroglide Original
This was the first product released as an Astroglide lubricant and was founded as a lubricating oil for space shuttle’s cooling system.
The ingredients are as follows:
- Purified Water;
- Glycerin;
- Propylene Glycol;
- Polyquaternium 15;
- Methylparaben; and
- Propylparaben;
Our experience with the original lubricant has been limited as we were interrupted the few times that we attempted to use it. (One of the joys of living with family) Although the times that we did have we experienced a lubricant that was long lasting, remained slippery for long periods of time, and hardly required any additional applications to continue performance.
Conclusion
I have not touched on the silicone based Astroglide yet, and am leaving it for a separate post.
The three water based products that M and I tested together were equally long lasting, their slipperiness varied slightly between each one, but that may have been due to weather. We didn’t get a chance to review any of these lubes during anal play as we have limited samples, and opportunities to do so, but we expect these to stand up to anal play, just as they did with a finger, vaginal and toy play.
Being all water based, these lubes are suitable for use will all toys, including silicone toys. The long lasting slipperiness makes them ideal for all play time, and especially long sessions.
