For too long I have believed that maybe my sex-having was the cause of my recurrent urinary tract infections UTIs. I love sex, but every time I had sex, I’d spend the next however many hours sat on the toilet, holding my stomach and begging for it to stop burning. The doctors knew when I’d had sex too – I’d be back for another round of antibiotics. 

 Eventually, I kept cystitis drinks on standby and a bottle of water on my bedside. Along with my post-coital shower, downing a glass of CanesOasis was just to be a new part of my love life. It even became something of a joke – I didn’t have to dash off to spit, I had to dash off to clean up before the UTI could set in. 

But whilst I was rapidly buying my share in Canesten, I knew that something had to give. I couldn’t keep drinking those drinks. Whatever the culprit was, we had to find the solution. 

Theories abound at first: maybe Master Levi was too vigorous with me, too big for me (that didn’t compute, though my baffled brain thought it momentarily possible). Maybe one of us wasn’t clean enough, maybe it was my pill, or too much sugar in my diet? I altered my diet, tried gentler sex and sex with condoms too. It didn’t matter; time and time again, I wound up with a UTI. 

Maybe it’s our lube?

Well, that’s a very broad conclusion, except it wasn’t that it was our lube so much as what was in the lube that we were using. You see, when I was asked to review some lubricants on behalf of Pjur I initially refused, citing my ongoing battles with UTIs and lubes. Affiliate Manager Michael suggested that it may be because the lubricant that we were using contained glycerin, and so he invited me to review some lubricants that are glycerin-free.

What Is Glycerin?

According to Health.com:

“Glycerin, or glycerol, is a carbohydrate added to skincare, medications, and foods… Glycerin also has water-retaining properties that can help moisturize the skin and eyes…”

So on the surface glycerin should be good for us and our sex lives. However, all is not as it seems. 

How Glycerin Harms The Body

The side effects page lists a handful of side effects of glycerin, including skin rashes, irritation and dehydration. Whilst there is no mention of it being fatal if consumed in large quantities, it seems that anyone who did is likely to be in for quite a miserable time. 

But how else might glycerin be harmful, especially in lubricants?

Keep in mind the line above, that glycerin is a carbohydrate. Anyone who didn’t sleep through biology class will know that the body breaks carbohydrates down into sugars, and what do yeast cells and bacteria love most for reproduction? Warmth, moisture, and free food!

More than that, for people with diabetes, free sugars can wreak havoc for maintaining stable blood sugar levels. Indeed, when I discussed the topic of this post with my friend Martin, who is a type 3C diabetic, he said that:

 “Anything that keeps sugar on the skin is bad news, and of course, much worse news if it’s inside. Same reasons as a UTI but as most diabetics have more sugar in their blood which the body tries to sweat out it’s a recipe for disaster because we also don’t heal so well.”

So if I thought those extra sugars were bad for my body, they’re even worse for someone living with diabetes.

How Often Is Glycerin Used In Lubricants?

I’d love to say that few lubricants contain glycerin, but if you want to avoid this potentially problematic ingredient, it’s worth reading the ingredients list on the back of the bottle. Indeed, just for this bit of investigative journalism I went (online) shopping for lubes, and what I found was rather concerning. Glycerin was found in all of these popular products:

• Pasante lubricating jelly
• KY Jelly
• Durex Play Feel lube
• Pjur Aqua water-based lubricant
• Fifty Shades Of Grey Ready For Anything water-based lubricant
• Boots Silky lubricant
• Superdrug Original lubricant

So as you can see, not just any lube will do. 

Fortunately, whilst lubricants from some of the most popular brands do contain glycerin, I am pleased to report that many brands have products that don’t, or even don’t use glycerin in their products at all. From my homework, I am pleased to report that own-brand lubricants from Lovehoney are all glycerin-free.

For manufacturers, it’s important to note that alternatives to glycerin (for example, propylene glycol) are available, which are less likely to have an adverse affect on the human body.

So What Glycerin-Free Lubricants Does This Goddess Recommend?

If you’re looking for an affordable, glycerin-free lubricant, I highly recommend Lovehoney’s water-based lubricant (unaffiliated links). Their flavoured lubricants are glycerin-free too, so you won’t have to worry about sugars whilst sucking on a birthday cake-flavoured cocksicle. You’re welcome!

Ready to splash the cash? If you fancy a luxurious, stress-free lube in a beautiful glass bottle, I highly suggest you check out our review of the all-new Pjur Infinity. 

Until next time.

Stay safe & have fun,

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