14 Best Flavored Lubes of 2024 for Tastier Oral Sex
Birthday cake lube? Say no more.
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Hello, friends. Welcome to today's class about enhancing your sex life. First thing to know: Lube is your vagina's best friend. Second thing to know: Flavored lube is your mouth's best friend. Why is flavored lubricant so great, you ask? For one, you may find that different tastes enhance your arousal, pleasure, and presence during oral sex and sex play. "Just as we can be turned on by the smell and taste of foods, we're also affected by the scent and taste of our partner," says Astroglide’s resident sexologist Jess O’Reilly, PhD.
And flavored lubricant—which is just plain old lube with added flavorings to enhance the oral experience—could help with that. “Unflavored lube is perfectly adequate—especially if someone is sensitive to flavors and prefers a more natural taste of their partner,” says certified sex therapist and sexologist Jenni Skyler, PhD. But for those who aren't as eager to go au naturale, using flavored lube can make things a lil bit more enjoyable—especially if you go with one of our faves.
Our top picks for the best flavored lubes of 2024:
And btw, you don’t just have to use it for oral sex. O’Reilly recommends using flavored lube by dripping it on your partner’s chest and licking it off or putting a few drops on your lips before kissing your way all over their body. Yum. Ready to taste the rainbow during your next hookup? Try one of these flavored lube products for all the fun.
Is flavored lube edible?
Yes, flavored lube is edible. And tbh, whether flavored or not, any water- or oil-based lube that you use (including vaginal lubes or anal lubes) should be edible. After all, if a lube isn’t safe to ingest orally, then why should it be put anywhere your vagina or anus? The exception to this is with silicone lubes, which—though body-safe—should only be ingested in the *smallest* amounts.
Ofc, for a lube to be safe to ingest, you'll wanna avoid any lubes that contain parabens, which can potentially cause allergic reactions, and alcohol, which can dry ya out. Phthalates are also a big no-no when it comes to lube, edible or not.
Is flavored lube safe for penetration?
You've probably heard that you should never use flavored lubes for vaginal or anal intercourse because they're filled with sugars, and sugar = yeast infections. However, that's not always the case...and glycerin doesn't actually deserve the bad rap it's gotten (especially since it's a sugar alcohol, not a sugar). Sure, cheap grades of glycerin derived from petrochemicals or other sketchy sources can potentially cause infections. But natural glycerin—which is created from fats and oils—actually has great moisturizing and healing properties.
As Carrie Smith, the head of product development at Cake, tells Cosmo, "Glycerin is metabolized in the liver, not in the vagina. In most cases, if there is any type of reaction to using a lubricant, it is likely from not using enough lubricant, thus causing irritation from micro-tears in the vagina during intercourse or from a minor pH imbalance, not from a glycerin/yeast interaction." That said, Smith points out that flavored lubes are typically formulated to be slightly thinner than standard lubricants so "you may want to add a thicker lubricant when switching from oral to penetrative play, especially anal play, where additional glide is required."
What should you avoid with flavored lube?
While plant-based glycerin is FDA-approved and generally considered harmless (along with sugar-free sweeteners, like sucralose), there are definitely flavored lubricants out there that aren't safe for penetration. Flavored lubes that contain petroleum jelly, for instance, can trap bacteria and cause yeast infections, while certain preservatives—like pentylene glycol, pethylhexylglycerin, and phenoxyethanol—can cause irritation for folks with sensitive skin. Smith also suggests avoiding flavored lubes with artificial flavors and colors if you plan to use it for vaginal or anal play.
"Some people experience sensitivity to certain ingredients, but this applies regardless of whether or not a lube is flavored," O'Reilly adds. Do a skin test before using any sexual product, especially flavored lube. Place some on your wrist or forearm, wait 10 minutes, and see if you have any sort of reaction. If you don't, then chances are you're good to use.
How to choose the best flavored lube
A few tips for selecting the best lubricant for your body and needs:
Stick with reputable brands
Novelty products may seem fun, but your mouth deserves only the best, so make sure you buy lubricant from reputable sexual health brands that you know and trust (and that have lots of positive reviews).
Check out the ingredients
Again, flavored lubes often contain artificial flavoring, but you can opt for all-natural or organic ingredients if you want a safer option. Look for natural lubes if you'd like to limit your exposure to chemicals, and if possible, avoid any formula that contains parabens or other potentially irritating preservatives.
Find the best flavor for you
Sorry to tell ya this, but a chocolate-flavored lubricant probs isn’t going to make your partner's business taste like a straight-up Hershey bar. However! You can decide whether you're more into savory or sweet tastes and whether a lightly flavored or flavor-packed option is more to your liking.
Meet the experts
- Jess O’Reilly, PhD, is a Toronto-based sexologist and relationship expert as well as the co-author of The Ultimate Guide to Seduction and Foreplay.
- Jenni Skyler, PhD, LMFT, CST, is an AASECT-certified sex therapist, board certified sexologist, and a licensed marriage and family therapist based in Colorado. She’s also the director of The Intimacy Institute and resident sexologist for Adam & Eve.
- Carrie Smith is the head of product development at Cake, a sexual wellness brand.
Why trust Cosmo?
Here at Cosmo, we have v high standards when it comes to sexual health product recs. Every one of our round-ups adheres to the 15 Percent Pledge and includes options for all budgets and bodies. And you better believe we read those product reviews (and test many of the brands IRL) so you don't have to do it yourself. You're welcome!!
Corinne Sullivan is an Editor at Cosmopolitan, where she covers a variety of beats, including lifestyle, entertainment, relationships, shopping, and more. She can tell you everything you need to know about the love lives of A-listers, the coziest bedsheets, and the sex toys actually worth your $$$. She is also the author of the 2018 novel Indecent. Follow her on Instagram for cute pics of her pup and bébé.
Morgan is a freelance sex and wellness writer who lives in New York and loves to travel. In addition to Cosmopolitan, she also writes for Betches, Tinder, Shape, Health, and Well+Good. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @morganmandriota.
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