The best silicone lube, and the one rule that comes with it.

The best silicone lube is Uberlube. Three silicones and a little vitamin E, no water, no scent, and a few drops last through an hour. Pjur Original and Wet Platinum are the thicker, cheaper alternatives. All three work with every condom. None of them belong on a silicone toy.

What silicone lube is.

Silicone lube is made of silicone polymers, usually dimethicone, dimethiconol and cyclomethicone, the same family of ingredients in most skin creams and hair serums. There is no water in the bottle. That one fact explains almost everything about how it behaves.

It does not evaporate, so it does not dry out mid session. It does not absorb into skin, so a small amount goes a long way. It does not rinse off in water, so it works in a shower and needs soap afterward. And because it is not a water solution, it has no osmolality and no pH, which takes the biggest problem with water based lubes off the table entirely.

Why osmolality does not apply.

Osmolality is a measure of dissolved particles in water. Vaginal tissue sits around 260 to 290 mOsm/kg, and a water based lube far above that pulls water out of cells by osmosis. That is the mechanism behind stinging and drying, and it is why we rank water based lubes by that number.

Silicone has no water, so there is nothing dissolved in it and nothing to measure. It sits on the tissue as a slippery film and does nothing to it chemically. The Pelvic Health and Rehabilitation Center and the Edwards and Panay review both treat silicone as the simplest way to sidestep the osmolality problem, especially for people whose tissue is already thin or fragile. Our index lists osmolality and pH as not applicable for all three picks, and that is a feature.

How we ranked these.

With no numbers to grade, the ranking comes down to ingredient list, texture and value.

Rank	Product	Texture	Ingredients
1	Uberlube	Thin, silky, feels like skin	Three silicones, vitamin E
2	Pjur Original	Medium, the classic feel	Silicones only
3	Wet Platinum	Thickest of the three	Silicones only

1. Uberlube. The shortest ingredient list and the lightest texture. It is the one that disappears into skin rather than sitting on top of it, and the brand sells it as a hair and skin product too, which tells you how clean the formula is. Glass bottle with a pump. Costs more per ounce than the others, but a bottle lasts months.

2. Pjur Original. The classic silicone lube, made in Germany, sold worldwide for decades. Slightly thicker than Uberlube with the same no reapply staying power. A few drops really do go a long way. The best value of the three for most people.

3. Wet Platinum. The thickest and the cheapest per ounce. If you want cushion rather than glide, this is the one. Same silicone, same condom compatibility, same toy caveat.

The silicone toy rule.

Silicone lube and silicone toys do not mix. The lube can bond with the surface of the toy, and over time that surface softens, swells or turns permanently tacky. It does not happen in one use with a high quality toy, but it happens, and a ruined toy costs more than a second bottle of lube.

The fix is simple. Use water based lube on silicone toys. Use silicone lube with glass, steel, ABS plastic, or skin. If you only want one bottle and you own silicone toys, make it water based. Our pick is Good Clean Love Almost Naked, and the full material table is in lube safe for toys.

Condoms.

Silicone lube is safe with every condom material: latex, polyisoprene, polyurethane and nitrile. The WHO advisory on lubricants and condoms lists silicone and water based products as the two types to use. Oil is the only type that damages latex and polyisoprene, and silicone is not oil, despite feeling like it.

Washing it off.

This is the part people do not expect. Silicone lube beads in water and stays on skin until soap gets involved. In the shower, that is why it works. Afterward, it means a proper wash rather than a rinse. On sheets, it can leave a mark; dish soap on the spot before the wash takes it out. Some people dislike the residue enough to prefer water based lube for everyday use and keep silicone for specific occasions.

Who silicone suits best.

• Menopause or daily dryness. Thinning tissue is the most sensitive to osmolality, and silicone has none. It also does not dry out, so there is no mid session reapply on tissue that does not want friction. Pair it with a vaginal moisturizer used every two to three days, which handles the dryness between sex. See lube for menopause dryness.
• Water play. Showers, baths, hot tubs and pools wash water based lube away instantly. Silicone stays.
• Long sessions. Anything where reapplying is a nuisance. A few drops last an hour or more.
• Anal sex. The WHO notes that high osmolality lubes may be more damaging rectally, and silicone has no osmolality. It also lasts, which matters more here.

Who should pick water based instead: anyone with silicone toys, anyone who wants a rinse and done cleanup, and anyone who dislikes the feel of a film that stays. Many people keep one of each.

If dryness, pain or bleeding during sex persists whatever lube you use, see a clinician. A lube reduces friction. It does not treat the cause.