What You Need to Know about Warming Personal Lubricants
There's good reason for the expression, "in the heat of the moment." And a lonely tube of lube, languishing in a nightstand drawer can be colder than cold—and certainly colder than room temperature.
Warming it up between two palms isn’t effective, since the lube breaks down and your hands absorb the product. Which is perfectly fine…if you want well-lubricated fingers.
“Genitals are a naturally warm place—and highly sensitive when aroused,” says Seattle-based naturopath and Pulse advisor, Dr. Cindi Buxton, N.D., LAc. "If you hit the genital area with a cool liquid, it can be a shock to the system." Not only does this "cold shower" cause a temporary shrinkage of the capillaries and slow blood flow (which is necessary for arousal and orgasm), but it’s a psychological interruption. "It can take the whole lube experience from a loving, ooey-gooey place to a clinical, gynecological place,” she explains. Um...no thanks.
And that’s why we created Pulse. We wanted a warming system that brings lube to a comfortable, sumptuous temperature designed to promote blood flow and lead to arousal. And we wanted it flawlessly delivered using a touch-free system that’s both elegant and mood-matching. In fact, the delivery is so quick—we call it “heat in a heartbeat”—that there’s no time for the lube to take on a chill. So you can proceed full speed ahead, minus any roadblocks.
Mind you, there are other options on the market that advertise a warming "sensation" upon contact with skin. But they have everything to do with chemicals, and nothing to do with the good, safe, comfortable, physical heat of Pulse. This heat-sensation technology is called thermoception, and manufacturers concoct said feeling by combining glycerol—a gunky sugar alcohol—with chili peppers. (Pause for reaction. A perfectly normal response to this news would be to reactively grab your own crotch, cross your legs, and do a full-body cringe.) Admittedly, some people love the feeling, says Dr. Cindi. “But if you have any vaginal dryness, or are prone to allergic reactions, warming lubes can be harsh." (As in, almost-a-week-to-recover-harsh, according to one famous Dr. Cindi client story.) What’s more, chemical warmers aren’t so easy to wash off. Think: drinking water after swallowing a habanero pepper. It doesn’t really kill the afterburn.
So before you sprinkle your love muffin with some cayenne, we highly recommend—nay, we beg—you test it on the inside of your wrist first. Or, even better, go with Pulse, the safest, most pleasurable way to warm up lube. “Physiologically, the vagina wants to be moist and it wants to be warm; that’s how you’ll get the proper sexual response,” explains Dr. Buxton. And that’s the beauty of our unique Pulse system. In the heat of the moment, it stays hot—not a chili pepper in sight.