If you own silicone toys, buy water based. Silicone lube bonds to silicone and permanently degrades the surface, and there is no way to undo it. This is the one hard rule in lube, and it is why water based outsells everything else.
Read the label for glycerin. Glycerin is a sugar and it feeds yeast. If you get irritation or recurring infections, glycerin-free is the first thing to change, and switching costs nothing to test.
Osmolality matters more than most people realize. A very sugary lube draws moisture out of tissue and leaves it dry and irritated afterwards. Natural and organic formulas are generally the gentler ones on this, which is why they are worth the extra few dollars for regular use.
Thin for penetrative, thick for anal. A thin water based lube feels closest to natural. A gel or jelle stays put and cushions, which is exactly what you want anywhere the body does not lubricate itself.
Reactivate with water instead of reapplying. When it goes tacky, a few drops of water brings it straight back. Adding more product mostly adds mess.
With latex condoms: water based or silicone only. Never oil, never lotion, never coconut oil. Oil breaks latex down in minutes and the condom fails without looking any different.
Cleanup is nothing. Plain water on skin, cold water on fabric. Nothing here will stain, which is the quiet reason most people stay with it.
