Lube Through The Years

Forms of Sexual Lubricant have been around forever!

Okay, maybe not forever, but it's been around for centuries. We know that might be surprising to hear, since in this century, lube has been catered to mostly men and mostly people trying to start families - as it's located under the 'Family Planning' section in many drugstores. But let us tell you, even the Ancient Greeks knew that wasn't the only use for lube. The same culture that brought us the Olympics and sex, was the same one that recorded to be one of the first societies to use olive oil as a sexual lubricant.

From the Ancient Greeks to our current media's take on it, here's a brief history of lube. (We're betting, you're going to want to try it for yourself after reading what it's capable of.)

350 BCE - The Early Greeks recorded using olive oil for sexual lubrication, specifically for anal sex. Aristotle himself refers to lube in his text, The History of Animals, "if the parts be smooth conception is prevented." While the Greeks were on to something here, they definitely were wrong about the contraception part. While lube makes sex more enjoyable, it does not prevent pregnancy. And, if you're going to use lube on a latex-condom, we recommend getting a bottle of WET Platinum Silicone Lube since using olive oil would only erode the material.

1603 BCE - Yams and clove oil. Not ingredients for your next meal, but maybe for your next snack, wink wink. It worked for the societies in Japan that used both as lubricants for anal sex. The Edo period in Japan was known to use a yam-filled formula called 'tororo-jiru' to provide lubrication. Clove oil was also a popular ingredient to help satisfy and is still a popular ingredient in modern formulas due to its muscle relaxing properties.

1872 - The first petroleum jelly was patented by American chemist Robert Chesebrough. He marketed it as 'Vaseline' which is still a household staple today. While it was never intended to be used for sex, the components of vaseline are similar to what societies used before, to smooth out their sex kinks. We want to make it clear though, Vaseline is not to be used for this purpose, if you want to glide in and out, there are plenty of WET Lubes that will do the trick.

1904 – The first commercially manufactured lubricant arrives on the market.

1989 – WET Platinum Lube arrives on the scene! Over the last 30 years WET has continued to expand and innovate in the personal lubricant industry.

Modern Day - Lube today is sold worldwide. Its wide variety of formulas and ingredients helps us pick the best product that will work for our desires. (If you want to learn more about the best type of lube for you, check out our recent blog posts.) But even though this is the case, there are still many common misconceptions about lube that hold consumers back from wanting to try it. So many of the myths and associations with lube stem from rumors and media portrayal.

Lube in Media - It's pretty rare that lube is seen in the cultural zeitgeist. The lack of lube in porn videos (when they are almost, always using it on-set) gives viewers this unrealistic expectation that lube isn't needed to have good sex. And, when lube is mentioned in media, it's rarely positive. In the 2007 film, Superbad, Jonah Hill's character actively makes fun of Michael Cera's character for being a weirdo who brought lube to a party. There are also plenty of songs from pop stars such as Nicki Minaj and Cardi B who rap about natural vaginal wetness and it being an asset to their image. While these songs and mentions in media are sex positive, they promote harmful stereotypes that people need to be naturally wet in order to be feminine or desirable, when in fact, many folks struggle with sexual friction.

Current Stigmas

Many folks have taken on this idea that if they're not creating enough natural lubricant, there is something wrong with them - spoiler alert: there isn't! According to Women's Health Concern, close to 20 percent of women ages 18-50 struggle with vaginal dryness. Despite media portrayal, there is nothing wrong with using lube. In fact, it's sexy to know what you want in bed and come prepared for it. If you know that dryness or friction is something you want to avoid, bringing lube like you would a sex toy or a condom, is a sign of confidence. And it's a way of showing your partner that you're here for a good time.

Many folks think that turning to lube is admitting to defeat. If they can't arouse their partner enough, they're doing something wrong and it takes them out of the mood all together. If you're worried about getting your partner aroused, lube might be a great option for you! That way you don't have to worry about making sure you're both in the right state before penetration. You can simply communicate with your partner and assure the other that you're horny for them without the guessing game.

Conclusion

Exploring sex is a natural human desire that's been around since the dawn of time. Even though there are harmful stigmas that suppress our sexual desires and expectations, we are here to assure you that wanting to have good sex is 100 percent natural. And WET Lube has amazing options for you to try. Heighten your next sexual experience with WET Lube. #justaddsex