Is It Safe To Eat Lube? 3 Best Edible Lubes [2024]

Lube is always a great addition to any sexual activity, and it tends to make things feel so much better. Is lube edible? Is it safe? Find out in this guide!

Edible Lubes

But when it comes to lubes for blowjobs or other activities that include your mouth, there come questions:

Should I be swallowing regular lube? What about the best cum lube?

Is it safe for toys? What’s the best lube for fleshlight?

Will it taste good? 

Or will the regular lube cause an upset stomach? 

All these questions are totally fair, and today I have all the answers that you’ve been looking for!

Let’s jump right in:


So, Is It Safe To Eat Lube?

The quick answer: It depends. 

There are plenty of different types of lubes on the market, and they’re all very different from each other. 

Types of Lube

The three common types of lubricants are: 

  1. Water-based Lube
  2. Silicone-based Lube
  3. Oil-based Lube

They have different ingredients, and even the quality of those ingredients vary. 

While ingesting some lubes might not have any side effects or just give you a mild stomach ache, other lubes can cause some serious illness like nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea.

If it enters your airway, it can even cause breathing issues like coughing or choking. 

And you don’t really want that type of side effects, just because you didn’t bother checking the ingredient label and safety, right?


Are Water-Based Lubes Edible?

The best kind of lube overall, whether that’s for consumption or use on-body, is water-based lubes. 

They formulated in a way that doesn’t usually have nasty chemicals in them, and it makes them safer for consumption. 

They have a light consistency similar in texture to the body’s native lubricants. In turn, they are less of an irritable substance to use against the skin or mouth. 

In the market, most flavored lubricants are water-based. So, they are most likely edible

But, manufacturers may also use glycerin and sugar substitutes in their composition, which increases the risk of infections. 

So, be more cautious when choosing your personal water-based lubricant. 


Are Silicone-Based Lubes Edible?

A small quantity of silicone-based lubricant is safe for consumption. However, not many people prefer swallowing them. 

Its thick texture can be a turn-off. And it can make your throat feel unpleasant. 

But despite those, they last longer and are a much slicker option than water-based lube overall. 


Are Oil-Based Lubes Edible?

Oil-based lubricants are technically edible. But they may be the least likely for you to consume out of the three. 

These types of lubricants can cause diarrhea, vomiting, or nausea. And to an extent, it can cause choking or coughing when swallowed. 

Another safe option, and probably the safest of them all, is coconut oil. 

It’s a food product that’s absolutely safe to eat, and it works fantastic as a lube during sex. 

Ingredients

There are a few ingredients that you should look out for in your lubes:

  • Glycerin 
  • KY Jelly
  • Sugar

These are just a few examples; if you’re interested in a full breakdown of ingredients to avoid, I recommend reading this great post.

Don’t worry if you’ve ever had to swallow the lube before reading this; lube is formulated in a way that is completely safe for your body if you swallow it in small amounts.

You can read more about this here if you’re worried.

Personally, I would not risk using regular lube for oral activities often as it can make you sick in the long run. 

Additional ingredients with ancillary effects include caffeine and menthol for the tingling sensation, anesthetics like benzocaine for numbing, and various edible flavorings.

Sources: Drugs.com, Poison Control


Usage & Safety 

The adverse effects of ingesting personal lubricants vary.

Each lube has specific kinds and amounts of ingredients. And not everyone has the same route of use for these substances in their bodies. 

They are generally classified as safe when used for penetrative purposes during sex. But the same cannot be said when used as an edible lube.

To prevent potential poisoning, best to keep in check with the guidelines provided by the manufacturer beforehand.


Prevention Practices

Again, always follow instructions or guidelines when using a product. Keep track of the label’s recommendations, like ‘how to ingest them’ or ‘how to store them.’

Refrain from using the lube when experiencing any form of discomfort or irritation. Instead, talk to your resident physician about the issue.

Finally, keep out of reach from house pets or children. You don’t want to risk having them experience adverse or fatal effects. 


What are the Differences Between Water-based, Silicone-based, and Oil-based Lubes?

To help you understand better, here’s a comparison table of the different types of lube mentioned:

Type of Lube
Water-based Lube
Silicone-based Lube
Oil-based Lube
For Vaginal Sex
Only if pH is suitable
Yes
Yes
For Anal Sex
Only if pH is suitable
Yes
Yes
For Oral Sex
Yes
Yes
Not recommended
Condom Compatibility
All types
All types
Only polyurethane, lambskin or nitrile
Sex Toy Compatibility
All types
All except silicone
All except latex
For Shower Use?
No
Yes
Yes
Can It Stain?
No
Yes
Yes

3 Safest Best Edible Lubes

Now, I have great news for you!

There is some really great edible lubes on the market that you can use for oral sex activities without worrying that they’ll make you sick. 

Here are three of my favorites:

Safest option

1. Sliquid H20

Sliquid brand lube is a great quality lube, no matter which product you’ll choose.

But this water-based lubricant is perfect for oral activities as it’s said to be the ‘safest and most natural lube you can buy.’

What’s mindblowing, that it has only a few ingredients:

  • Purified Water 
  • Plant Cellulose (from Cotton)
  • Cyamopsis (Guar Conditioners)
  • Potassium Sorbate
  • Citric Acid (100% Vegan)

And none of them are toxic or dangerous for your health. 

Also, as a benefit, it’s also 100% vegan, so if you’re into saving the planet, this will be right up your alley. 

It’s also hypoallergenic and doesn’t have a weird or unpleasant odor like some of the other lubes tend to have. 

Overall, a great option, but it does come at a higher price – $22.


Tastiest option

2. Sliquid Swirl Strawberry

Now, if you want something that is safe and good for you, but also tastes amazing, then this Sliquid Swirl lube is for you. 

It’s also a water-based lube formulated specially to have a nice taste without added sugar, which can disturb the natural flora of a vagina. 

It’s vegan, non-toxic, and long-lasting. 

Just like the other Sliquid lube, this one has just a few ingredients:

  • Purified Water 
  • Plant Cellulose 
  • Polyquat 007
  • Natural Flavourings
  • Aspartame
  • DMDM Hydantoin (100% Vegan)

No, nasty chemicals to make your stomach upset!

I think it’s a great lube because you can use it for oral activities, body massages, and then for your regular sex. 

It’s great to have a lube that’s great for multiple activities, so you don’t have to hoard ten different bottles in your draws. 

It costs $17, and you can find it on Lovehoney. 


Cheapest option

3. Coconut Oil

And the last on my list, but not the least, is coconut oil. 

Coconut oil is not only the cheapest edible lube you will ever find, but it’s also the safest. 

It’s a 100 % natural food ingredient, so you can swallow as much of it as your heart desires. 

I always recommend going to the best quality, raw, unrefined coconut oil, and you can easily find it at your local supermarket. 

What I do have to warn you about is using it during oral sex on a woman:

While coconut oil is a great lube for anal sex and for blowjobs, it’s not entirely great for using on a vagina. 

It can disturb the natural flora of a vagina and cause infection, so it’s best to stay clear of that area.

It has everything you need to know about using coconut oil as a lube.


Other People Tips & Experiences

Let’s look at what people on Reddit have to say about the best edible lubes:

Virgin, unrefined coconut oil. Doesn’t matter what brand, as long as it’s those two things you’ll be good to go.

You’re right about the unrefined part; it will retain its flavor if it’s unrefined! It will work for sex as well. However, I’m pretty sure it can’t be used with condoms (I’ve been told it can, but I’m not about to buy condoms to see if it works) so I recommend not using it for vaginal or anal sex.”


The ones I have tried before – the texture is no different from regular lube.

It’s a novelty mostly, and usually used for oral. I will happily perform a BJ au naturale, but I’ve known some women a bit more BJ adverse that used it to block out the taste of pre-cum while they were going down. That and just something different to try. I find even though they are “sugar free” they often get sticky pretty quickly so in my opinion not much good other than a gimmick for play time.

Never ever ever put that stuff inside a woman. As others have said even sugar-free ones can often jack with the internal pH.

WickedKitten81

Reddit user


You want to buy something quality since lower quality edible lubes can have sugars in them, which can cause yeast infections. Though I haven’t used it personally, I see a lot of people recommend Sliquid.

thriftstoredesk

Reddit user


Conclusion

And here you have it – everything you need to know about the safety of edible lube and the best options for you

You have to be careful and read the ingredients list before consuming any lube during sex.

Yes, while it’s OK to swallow small amounts here and there, if you’re using a toxic lube often and you swallow it, it can cause some health issues.

Your best option would be to go with water-based lubes that are natural and toxin-free or just opt for some good old coconut oil from your kitchen. You might also want to try flavored lubes.

Now that you know all about lube safety head over to our how to swallow cum guide for more interesting knowledge.

Dainis Graveris

Dainis Graveris

Over last 4 years Dainis have helped millions of people through his advice on this site (200+ guides and 1M+ visits/monthly). His work & advice has appeared on sites like: Healthline, Vice, Cosmopolitan, Men's Health, WomensHealthMag, MindBodyGreen & more. Read More.

Got Questions? Ping me on Twitter.