Lovely and a lil’ lop-sided. Demure and adorable. Sensitive and supple. These might be the words that first come to mind when I think of my vulva. But given how prone I am to yeast infections and bacterial vaginosis, finicky also deserves a place on my downstairs descriptor list. No shade to my snatch intended—as a Cancer rising I know all about what it’s like to be a little sensitive. But being prone to irritation and infection has made it almost impossible for me to find a lubricant that effectively improves sensation during sex, without also leading to discomfort afterward.

After much trial and error, I’ve thankfully found a lubricant that was clinically designed for vulva owners who are as prone to vaginal health issues as me: Playground Naked Love Lube ($20). Read on to learn all about this lubricant that has been clinically proven to replace pain with pleasure in the moment, all while helping prevent infections from popping up post-play.

Playground Naked Love Lubricant — $20.00

Base: Water | Size:3.7 ounces | Dispenser: Flip-top

Key ingredients: Water, hyaluronic acid, ashwagandha, vitamin E

Free of: Glycerin, parabens, phthalates, GMOs, petrochemicals, mineral oil, propylene glycol, gluten, sulfates, dyes, and hormones

Pros: 

• Clinically-proven to support pleasure while reducing pain
• Very long-lasting for a water-based lubricant
• Free of fragrance and potential irritants (like glycerin and parabens)
• Includes moisturizing vitamin E and hyaluronic acid
• pH balanced to match pH of the vaginal microbiome
• Safe to use with latex condoms and other barriers
• Compatible with all toys (including silicone toys)

Cons: 

• Lack of pump dispenser makes for slippery re-application
• Instructions on bottle are hard to read in the dark
• Not designed with anal play in mind

Why the right lube matters

If you, like me, are prone to vaginal infections or vulvar irritation, you might assume that it’s better to opt for vaginal dryness than to risk infection using a store-bought lubricant. But finding the right lubricant that does work with your unique vulvovaginal chemistry can do your sex life a serious solid.

“Anyone that wants to enhance their sexual experience should consider using a store-bought lubricant,” says pelvic floor physical therapist Heather Jeffcoat, DPT, author of Sex Without Pain: A Self-Treatment Guide to the Sex Life You Deserve. Bottled lube is designed to supplement the vaginal fluid that the body naturally produces during sexual arousal, she explains. This natural wetness is made to facilitate and decrease friction during intercourse, as the genital tissues are incredibly delicate and prone to micro-tearing.

The thing is, some folks consistently produce less vaginal fluid during arousal than they need to support the type or duration of sex that they are having, says Jeffcoat. Fluid levels can fluctuate, too, like when folks are dehydrated, at certain phases in their menstrual cycle, or taking certain medications. In these instances, “supplementing with a lubricant can assist in reducing any pain or discomfort that may be present,” Jeffcoat says.

There are benefits to adding a squirt or two of store-bought lube into your play, even if you naturally produce enough vaginal lubrication to facilitate pleasurable (vaginal) penetration, she continues. For example, because it is the internal vaginal canal that manufactures body-made lube, the external vulva remains dry. As such, “applying lubrication around the vulvar vestibule (the inner part of the inner labia, or labia minora) and clitoris can make external vulvar play more pleasurable,” Jeffocat says. Also: The rectum never self-lubricates, she says, which means store-bought lubricant during anal sex is essential for protecting the injury-prone anal tissues and facilitating pleasure.

About Playground Naked Love Lube

Playground’s Naked Love is a water-based lubricant. As a refresher: Most lubricants are also available with silicone or oil, but silicone-based lubricants can’t be used with silicone sex toys and oil-based lubricants can degrade condoms. As such, water-based lubricants (like Naked Love!) are widely considered the most universal and accessible lube type.

But Naked Love isn’t just any ‘ole water-based lubricant. Rather, it’s a water-based lubricant that has been specifically formulated to protect the vaginal canal as well as the vaginal microbiome, says board-certified OB/GYN and NAMS-certified menopause practitioner Shyama Mathews, MD.

“Naked Love has a hydrating complex that contains vitamin E and hyaluronic acid which help provide long-lasting hydration to the area after intercourse,” she says. In one study published in the African Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology researchers found that when used internally, hyaluronic acid and vitamin E relieved vaginal symptoms and increased the speed of healing of the cells lining the vaginal tissues. Meanwhile, a second study published in the Journal of Menopausal Medicine found that the two ingredients were helpful to people in menopause with genitourinary syndrome, which is essentially vaginal dryness in sex and daily life.

“Naked Love is also clinically formulated to help the vagina maintain its optimal pH during and after intercourse,” says Dr. Mathews. Typically, a vagina’s pH ranges between 3.8 and 4.2; if it falls outside of this range, an individual is at a heightened risk for common vaginal infections, she says. In fact, a pH higher than 4.5 typically signals bacterial vaginosis.

Because Naked Love is formulated with the vaginal pH in mind, it is less likely to disrupt the natural microbiome that keeps things in check than lubricants with fillers, sugars, and other additives, says Dr. Mathews. In fact, in a clinical study funded by Playground, women who were prone to vaginal infections reported less vaginal burning, less irritation, and other UTI symptoms when using Naked Love than when they used either another lubricant or no lubricant at all.

My experience with Naked Love

The first time I used my Playground Naked Love lube, I was shocked by how similar it is in texture to bodily fluids. Many water-based lubricants are, well, watery in texture. Naked Love, on the other hand, feels like a gel or serum. Because Naked Love matched the consistency of my cum, when I brought my fingers between my legs it didn’t feel like I was using a store-bought aid. Rather, I simply felt I was using nothing more than my digits and downstairs to make myself orgasm.

I was also pleased by the complete lack of scent of Naked Love. From trial and error with other lubes, I know most fragrance-free lubricants smell like glue. Or worse, day-old chicken. But at no point during my dirty DJ-ing did I get a waft of adhesive or meal prep. Woot!

Finally, I was impressed by the longevity of the lubricant. When I unpackaged Naked Love, I was bummed to discover that it has a flip0top dispenser. While pumps allow for easy, mess-free re-application, flip-top dispensers require grabbing the bottle with slippery “sex hands” in order to re-apply. Each time I’ve used Naked Love, however, it’s lasted the duration of sex sessions, so I’ve never actually needed to re-apply.

Oh, and in case you were wondering if my finicky vagina survived the solo sesh sans infection? The answer is yes, yes, yes. In fact, I’ve been using the product almost daily for the last month and have remained yeast and BV-free. Success!

Final thoughts

Ultimately, every pleasure-seeker has a unique vaginal make-up, as well as preferences for their lubricants during solo or partnered play. However, I’d readily recommend Playground Naked Love to any individual on the market for a store-bought lubricant. After all, even if your body can handle a pleasure aid jam-packed with chemicals and additives, it’s probably best to treat your love tunnel with the utmost TLC. And yes, that means opting for a lube that is formulated with your vaginal-health in mind.