As part of my series of lubricant reviews I've made a point of listing the ingredients they contain where ever possible. The reason for this was two fold:

1] So that it's possible to make an informed choice as many sites don't list the ingredients of lubes that are sold today.

2] Some lubricants contain ingredients that some may wish to avoid for a variety of reasons.

So exactly what are those ingredients I hear you asking? I found myself asking the same question as I read through the sometimes confusing list of weird and wonderful sounding ingredients and decided to do some detective work of my own to discover just what they where. I soon discovered that the biggest majority of lubes use ingredients that are FDA approved, are common in many things other than lubes and that most lubes are produced under laboratory conditions. [Please note: The following should only be used as a guide as I'm no bio chemist or pharmacologist]

Below I've listed some of the more common ones found in many lubes today.

Glycerin
Glycerin is commonly used in many lubes. Chemically speaking it is very close to sugar and it's partly for that reason it is used in lubricants. It has a sweet taste and helps prevent the lube from drying up by keeping the moisture locked into the lubricant. A by product of fat, glycerin is commonly found in many common household items and cosmetics as well as lubricants. If you are prone to yeast infections then it may be wise to try a lube that doesn't contain glycerin.

Polymers
These interesting little molecules come in a variety of shapes and sizes as well as a plethora of varieties. Long chained polymers are found in many lubricants their properties make them ideal emulsifiers or thickeners. Or in other words they are what make a lubricant feel thick and slick in many cases. They are capable of holding huge amount of water, which are then released by rubbing or friction. Long chained polymers are actually biologically inert plastics that can found in a multitude of food and cosmetics. Common long chained polymers used in Lubricants are:
Polyethylene Oxide, Polyethylene glycol,

Nonoxynol-9
Nonoxynol-9 is a detergent that kills sperm and germs in a test tube. The last part of that sentence is an important one, as studies are still continuing on whether it's safe for use by humans. It's now thought that despite it's spermicidal properties it may actually help the spread of some STD's as it has been shown to irritate the vaginal and anal tissues. The medical jury is still out on this one! Many lube companies offer formulas both with and without Nonoxynol-9. Besides this controversy there is also the fact that by it's very nature you are likely to find that any lube that contains Nonoxynol 9 has a decidedly soapy taste to it because by it's very nature it's a detergent.

Preservatives
Lubricants contain a variety of preservatives that come in a wide variety. You will often see the word Paraben listed in the ingredients of a lubricant. There are four main types of Parabens that are commonly used as a preservative in lubricants today Propyl- Methyl-, Ethyl- and Butyl- Paraben and some lubes contain more than one type. All types act as a preservatives and antibacterial agents, or in simple terms stop your lubes going off.

Other common preservatives used are grapefruit seed extract and Sodium Benzoate, which again stops micro-orgasms/bacteria from growing inside your lube.

Aloe Vera
Many of the organic lubes contain Aloe Vera, a plant extract, which although has been known to have properties as a spermicide for many years. It is worth noting however that in the quantities used in lubes it has no marked effect and should not be used as a contraceptive device.

Hemp
There is at least one lubricant that contains hemp on the market today. Unlike its cousin cannabis the type of hemp used in lubricant contains no THC which is the active ingredient present in cannabis and gives it it's properties.

Deionized Or Purified Water
Almost all water based lubes are based on this ingredient. This is actually water that has had all of the ions (atoms or molecules) other than hydrogen and oxygen removed. It is considered one of the purest forms of water because of this.

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