The questions people type into search about lube and silicone toys are all the same question in different clothes: will this bottle wreck my toy, and will it wreck me. Below is the answer for each type, what actually happens at the surface, and the one test that settles it for the bottle in your hand. Our toys are platinum-cured silicone, so everything here is about that material.
Water-based: the default
Water-based lubricant is compatible with every silicone toy, every condom, and every body. It cannot harm the surface because there is nothing in it to react with silicone. That is the whole reason it is the default recommendation across the industry, including ours.
Its weaknesses are practical. It dries, so you reapply, and on a long session with a large toy you will reapply several times. It can get tacky as it dries, which a spray of water or a little more lube fixes. Some formulas contain glycerine or propylene glycol, which some people find irritating; if a water-based lube stings, switch brands before switching types.
Buy more than you think you need. Every thread about first-time use of a large toy ends up at the same line: lots of lube. The people who say it are not exaggerating.
Silicone lube: a maybe, and how to make it a yes
Silicone lubricant is silicone. Put it on a silicone toy and, in theory, the two can interact: the lube can migrate into the surface and leave it softened, swollen, or tacky. That is the basis of the rule you will see everywhere that silicone lube and silicone toys do not mix.
In practice it depends on both formulations. Fully cured platinum silicone is more resistant than cheap or under-cured silicone, and a thin, high-quality silicone lube is less aggressive than a thick one. Many people use the combination for years without a problem. Others get a sticky patch after one night. You cannot tell which you will get from the labels.
So test it. Put a drop of the lube on the underside of the base, somewhere it will never touch you, and leave it for 24 hours. Wash it off. If the spot feels the same as the rest of the toy, that lube and that toy get along, and you can use them together. If the spot is tacky, swollen, or dull, that bottle stays away from that toy. Repeat for each new bottle; formulations change.
The reasons to want silicone lube in the first place are real: it does not dry out, it works in water, and a little goes a long way on anal play with a large piece. On a toy that has passed the patch test it is often the better choice for a long session.
Oil, and coconut oil in particular
Oil does not damage silicone. Coconut oil, olive oil, sweet almond oil, and the oil-based massage products all sit on top of a platinum silicone surface and wash off with soap. The search result claiming coconut oil "degrades silicone" is confusing silicone toys with latex condoms, which oil does destroy, in minutes.
The reasons we still list oil as not recommended on the materials page are these. It ruins latex and polyisoprene condoms, and a lot of toy use involves a condom, especially when sharing. It is hard to clean off completely, and an oily film left on a toy will collect lint in storage. And for vaginal use, oil is associated with higher rates of infection in some studies, because it lingers and changes the environment. For solo anal use with a toy you wash thoroughly afterward, coconut oil is a workable lube. For anything involving a condom, it is not.
Hybrids
Hybrid lubes are water-based with a small percentage of silicone added for longevity. They behave like water-based lubes on most silicone toys and are usually fine, but treat them as silicone for the purpose of the patch test. A hybrid that is mostly silicone with a little water is just a silicone lube with a friendlier label.
Things that are not lube
Lotion. Hand cream, body lotion, and moisturisers are made to absorb into skin and often contain fragrance, alcohol, and preservatives that sting inside the body. They dry fast. On the toy they are harmless. On you, they are a bad evening.
Saliva. It evaporates in seconds and provides no cushion for anal play, where the lining does not produce its own lubrication. It is also how you move bacteria from one place to another.
Petroleum jelly and baby oil. Both are oil, with the condom problem above, and petroleum jelly is thick enough to be genuinely difficult to wash out of grooves.
Numbing lubes. These exist for anal play and they defeat the one safety mechanism you have. Pain is information. If a toy hurts, the answer is a smaller toy or more time, covered in the sizing guide and the depth article.
How much, and when
More at the start than feels necessary, on both the toy and the body, and again whenever movement stops feeling smooth. With a large or long piece, reapply before it gets uncomfortable rather than after. A pump bottle next to the bed removes the friction of reaching for a tube with slippery hands, which is the real reason people under-lube.
A tangent from the comments we read. One of the most upvoted pieces of advice on r/SexToys is not about lube at all: do not shop for toys while aroused, because it works like grocery shopping while hungry. The lube equivalent is buying the tiny travel bottle. Buy the big one.
Questions we get
Does silicone lube ruin platinum silicone?
Sometimes, depending on the pair. Patch test the base for 24 hours and you will know for that toy and that bottle.
Can I use oil with silicone toys?
On the toy, yes. With condoms, no. Wash it off the same day.
Can I use lotion on silicone toys?
It will not hurt the toy. It is likely to hurt you. Use a real lubricant.
Is water-based lube good enough for anal?
Yes, if you reapply. Thicker gel formulas last longer than liquids. If reapplying is the problem, a patch-tested silicone lube is the upgrade.
What lube do you sell?
We do not sell lube right now. The recommendation is any water-based lube from a brand you trust, in the largest bottle they make.
