Warming, cooling, tingling, enhancing, sensitizing, lasting… when I read about any of the wealth of arousal lubes on the market these days, I end up more confused than anything else. How do they do what they do? And how do they do all these things at once? How does something warm, then cool, or cool, then warm? In pursuit of answers, I investigated the makings of Eden’s most popular arousal lubes, and then went for help. Five bloggers - Ansley Agnello, Baby Sinead, Persephone, ~Storm, and Thursday’s Child - will put five lubes through stringent testing, rate them each, and choose the best. But first, a look into what makes these lubes do whatever it is that they do. The lubes in question: Pure Passion, Climax Bursts Aphrodisiac Enhanced, ID Pleasure, Wet Heating Massage Lotion and, the dark horse pick, JO Clitoris Stimulation Gel. The key ingredients:

1. Menthol: Present in three of our contestants (and numerous other sensation lubes), this is the same substance that gives Vicks Vaporub, Tiger Balm, toothpaste, gum, and some cigarettes their tingly, refreshing sensation.

2. Arginine HCL: Arginine is an amino acid that is considered essential to all mammals. Consumption of L-Arginine (one of the most common forms) has a number of benefits, the most relevant being increased circulation. Interestingly, it’s also been used to treat erectile dysfunction (in combination with other chemical components).

There’s some evidence that consumption of Arginine can exacerbate herpes outbreaks, so people with HSV should avoid this ingredient. Because of this concern, Arginine presence is noted in the safety features of lubicrants on the site; it’s not in four of the lubes in question.

3. Herbs: Panax quinquefolium (american ginseng) root extract, ginko biloba leaf extract, horny goat weed, wild yam extract, guarana seed extract, damiana extract, and others. We are a nation obsessed with, among other things, herbal remedies, enhancements, and so on. Some of these herbs, like horny goat weed, are believed to be aphrodisiacs and also make appearances in various OTC libido enhancement supplements. Some are sold as supplements for other purposes. I’m going to leave the speculation about what these and other herbs do for arousal and sensation alone, and let the testing speak for itself.

Five bloggers, five lubes. Which goo will come out on top?

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