Sometimes women experience vaginal dryness and there are times when they want to make sex feel even better. There is one solution, which is a lubricant. Using a lube can provide the moisture that you need so that you can have great sex and not worry about dryness down there. It’s quite a challenge to find the right lubricant from the market as there are many options. Then there are kitchen ingredients often suggested by a friend or family member. Many think that since coconut oil works wonders on your face, it could also be used as a lubricant for sex. Is using coconut oil as a lubricant actually safe?

Any woman can experience vaginal dryness, but that shouldn’t come in the way of your sex life.

To know if coconut oil as lubricant is safe to have great sex, Health Shots reached out to Dr Rijaphin R, senior consultant obstetrics and gynaecology, Cloudnine Group of Hospitals, Chennai (OMR).

Vaginal dryness happens to be a common sexual issue

Vagina naturally produces lubrication that helps in sexual activity, so this lubrication plays a vital role in your sex life. Dr Rijaphin said that the lubrication “decreases friction and improves the sexual experience for both the partners.” Vaginal tissue is naturally moist, something that happens when the woman becomes sexually aroused, she adds.

Since it’s moist down there, it reduces friction in the vagina and increases comfort during sex while also reducing soreness and irritation.

However, vaginal dryness is a very common sexual issue, and to overcome this dryness, there are lots of lubricants available in the market.

Types of lubricants and how to choose

It’s not just the brands that you should think of, but also the types of lubricants. “There are water-based lubricants as well as silicon and oil-based lubricants,” said the expert. Also, whenever we choose a lubricant, it is very important to read the label. We should see whether they have preservatives, whether they are free of fragrance, paraben-free. Also, “suppose fertility is the issue then the lubricant should be sperm friendly,” said Rijaphin. It is also important to look for lubricants which are approved by Food and Drug Administration, but it does not review the ones that are labelled as organic or natural.

Use of coconut oil as a lubricant

She noted that there are studies to show that coconut oil is clinically proven to be safe and effective as moisturisers, but there is lack of research for its use as a moisturiser for vagina.

Pros of using coconut oil

It allows for longer lasting intercourse, so it helps vaginal tissue to retain its moisture and also to reduce the water loss. It hydrates the vagina and can help with doing away with vaginal dryness.

Cons of using coconut oil

It can disrupt the normal vaginal flora, which is acidic. It has a self-cleansing property, but she warned that coconut oil will shoot up the acidic pH of vagina to alkaline. Thereby, there are increased chances of infections. Also, the coconut oil being an oil-based lubricant is not compatible with condoms particularly the latex ones.

“If you use coconut oil as a lubricant then there is a higher chance of breakage and failure of condoms,” said the expert. Also, it doesn’t protect against sexually transmitted diseases, but coconut oil can be used with polyurethane condoms, and if at all coconut oil is chosen as a lubricant, it should be virgin unrefined cold pressed coconut oil.

So, go natural but keep these points in mind if you choose to use coconut oil as a lubricant during sex.