My 58-Year-Old Mom Tried the Best Lubes for Menopause and Vaginal Dryness—Here Are Her Honest Thoughts

This brand, which caters to menopausal and perimenopausal women, was founded by actress Naomi Watts. “I created Stripes because we deserve support, solutions, and the space to figure it all out,” writes Watts on the brand’s Our Story page. With the Oh My Glide lube, you get that mission in a bottle, metaphorically speaking. In actuality, you get 3.3 ounces of Stripes’ best-selling oil-based lube. An important PSA: Oil-based products aren’t safe to use with latex condoms and may erode your silicone sex toys. To err on the side of caution, stick to oil-based lubes when you’re masturbating with your hand or having safe and consensual unprotected sex.

My amá (Spanish slang for mom) tells me she appreciated this personal lubricant when she tried it out. “I noticed that when I used this, it was a little oily for me, but it didn’t feel bad,” she says. “What I liked the most is that, the next day, it felt like I had no dryness at all,” she says.

Like a bouquet of different spring flowers, there’s a lot to love about this water-based lube. Firstly, since it’s water-based, it’s safe to use with latex and polyisoprene condoms. Secondly, it’s pH-balanced and plant-based. Lastly, you get a solid 3.7 ounces for $25. While that may seem a little steep, a little of this lube goes a long way—and it smells fantastic, like musk and smoky oud wood.

“I like that it’s not oily and that it’s slimy to the point where it almost feels natural,” says my mom. In part, that’s because of the vitamin E and hyluronic acid, which both provide a silky and slippery experience. While we can’t say enough good things about After Hours, it’s worth explicitly noting that this product contains fragrance. If you’re sensitive to that in other products, like lotion or cleansers, you should probably avoid them in your lube, too, and maybe go with a lube for sensitive skin.

I am a huge supporter of Bloomi and will be until I die, honestly. Their products are top-notch, as they’re always formulated with body-safe ingredients and without glycerin, gluten, phthalates, sulfates, parabens, alcohol, artificial dyes, and synthetic fragrances. This oil-based lube might not have been made to relieve menopausal dryness, but it does that nonetheless. For that, we can thank the ingredients list, which contains sunflower seed extract and shea butter.

The three-ounce earthy brown bottle is actually more of a tube, which you squeeze to get the product out. I’ve tried Bloomi’s Smooth Water-Based Personal Lubricant and can attest that it’s not sticky nor does it dry out easily.

Hybrid lubes are mixes of silicone or oil bases and water bases, with the latter making up most of the composition. However, the bit of silicone in a given formula makes it more slippery and longer-lasting. And that’s exactly what you get with Jo Classic Hybrid Personal Lubricant. What’s great about this lube is that it’s available in four sizes—one, two, four, and eight ounces—that it’s water-resistant, and that it’s fragrance-free. Additionally, since it’s silicone-based instead of oil-based, clean-up is a breeze.

It’s completely acceptable to want to only give your special areas the very best. If we eat organic fruits and veggies because we’re careful what we put in our body, shouldn’t we also check what we put on our body? If that sounds like your jam, meet the Sliquid Organics Natural Lube, my favorite organic lube. The 8.5 ounces of water-based, glycerin- and paraben-free lube you get are A1. The formula contains 95 percent organic ingredients, so it’s a great choice for folks with sensitive skin.

Queen says she loves “that it contains vitamin E” as well as the fact that “this lube uses botanicals, including cellulose, for thickening.” She adds that she’s a fan of Sliquid as a brand. “While they don’t aim for menopausal users specifically, this can be a good choice for menopause-related dryness as well as general use.” There isn’t much slander to stick to the Sliquid lube, but if I’m nitpicking: the bottle isn’t exactly the most aesthetic of the bunch.

“This one is my personal favorite. I’m really impressed by the ingredients list,” says Dr. Sanchez. “It’s water-based, hypoallergenic, and doesn’t have artificial additives. These are the types of products that I recommend most at my practice,” she adds. The price is right here, with a tag of $14 for 1.7 ounces of this water-based lube. The formula is sans bad-for-you ingredients like synthetic flavors and colors. Plus, it’s pH-balanced and the bottle has a one-handed pump as well as a locking mechanism.

My mom also tried Lola’s personal lubricant. “I love it because it doesn’t leave you sticky and it instead gets absorbed so that it’s more refreshing than anything,” she says. “Even the next day, I felt less vaginal dryness.” (Love that for her, tbh.)

Longtime fans of KY Jelly will notice that the water-based formula has changed. For instance, there are far fewer ingredients in this and the consistency is thinner. In the two-ounce tube, you’ll get a personal lubricant that’s water-based and anal-safe. This is one of the products Dr. Sanchez recommends to her patients. “I just mention ones that I know I like, like KY Jelly,” says Dr. Sanchez.

As open as I am about my sexuality, sometimes I don’t really want to be seen holding lube at the drugstore. Sometimes, I’d rather privately purchase my personal lubricant from the comfort of my own home. And that’s why I know that #LubeLife is the best the internet—or, at least, Amazon—has to offer. A couple of highlights: the formula is without parabens, glycerin, and oil. Also, since it has a silicone and water base, it’s extremely slippery. This is definitely the most affordable options, since you get eight ounces of this lube for $13.