Coconut Oil As Lube? Here's What You Need To Know.

These days people use coconut oil on pretty much everything. You cook with it. You put it on your face (even though you shouldn’t). You put it on your baby’s butt. The list goes on.

According to Healthline, you can use coconut oil to treat yeast infections, skin conditions, and some digestive disorders. (But don’t skip the doctor, okay?) It can lower your cholesterol. Since coconut oil is anti-fungal and antibacterial, it’s suggested on Healthline to reduce dark circles, stretch marks, cold sores, and psoriasis. It’s like unicorn tears in a bottle.

RELATED: How to Last Longer in Bed: 7 Methods for Men to Try – Fatherly

But coconut oil in the bedroom? Well, that I had to try for myself. Hubs has long fallen down the hippie rabbit hole, so he agreed to give it a try too.

And Oh. My. Gosh.

This really is like unicorn tears in a bottle.

First, it’s more slippery than water, or silicon-based lubes, and a little goes a long way. In fact, it goes, and goes, and goes, because this stuff ain’t going anywhere. Unlike other lubes, you aren’t going to have to stop and reapply. It’s slick, it gets warm and stays warm, and did I mention it’s slick?

It’s better than the expensive-ass stuff I drop a bundle on that comes in a unmarked box from somewhere in the vast corners of the internet. It lasts longer and it feels better. The clean-up isn’t bad as long as you don’t use too much, but you know the rule with how to use lube: too much is always just enough. So if you like to shower after sex, you can do that but everything will be oh-so-moisturized and not dried out, like the way some lubes can leave you feeling.

And it’s not just me. Florida-based OB-Gyn Jennifer Landa, MD, chief MD at BodyLogicMD, told Health that “One of my favorite natural lubricants is extra virgin coconut oil. It is moisturizing and lubricating and doesn’t ball up like a lot of lubes you can buy.”

Sherry Ross, MD, a women’s health physician in Santa Monica, California and author of She-ology, calls coconut oil a “natural, preservative-free, and cost-friendly lubricant.” She also says that “it’s thicker and longer-lasting compared to silicone- and water-based artificial lubricants. At the same time, it won’t get clumpy, as other lubricants can.” And while all oil-based lubes can be messy, it’s less messy than, say, olive oil, the lube of choice of ancient Greeks and Romans.

But as with all good things, there are caveats.

Hubs got the big snip, so we can use coconut oil for lube without worrying about things like birth control. But according to Health, coconut oil can degrade latex condoms and possibly render them ineffective — eek! So unless you’re rocking a polyurethane condom, which you may be if you have a latex allergy — Skyn is a popular brand — stay far, far away from the coconut oil and pick up the less creative lube.

“Coconut oil cannot be used with latex condoms because it can break down the latex and cause the condom to break,” says Nita Landry, MD, an OBGyn in Los Angeles and doc on the show The Doctors told Health. “Only water- and silicone-based lubricants can be used with latex condoms without risking breakage.” LiveScience reports that 4.1% of sexual events involve using latex with oil — one of the top condom mistakes.

Women who are prone to vaginal infections may want to think twice about coconut oil as well. Because it’s antibacterial and antifungal, it can upset the PH balance in your girl parts and possibly set off an infection. Ouchie.

You also may not want to use it if you’re trying to get pregnant. Research shows, according to Women’s Health, that any kind of lube — including oil-based lube — can decrease sperm mobility or “alter PH levels in the vagina,” so you might want to steer clear if you’re trying for a mini-me.

Finally, what kind of coconut oil do you want? One kind: extra-virgin, unrefined coconut oil. The other stuff may have additives that can irritate your girlie area and even, doctors say, leave you drier than before. Not the point. Plus, do you really want to stick chemicals down there? I stick with the organic stuff too, to be safe.

Coconut oil is a rocking lube that, when used properly, makes for some seriously fun times in the bedroom. It’s long lasting. It’s slippery. And it’s a lot freaking cheaper than the other high-end lubes on the market. But the first time, you’re going to use too much. Put a towel down. Trust me. Just do it.