Lube and condoms, the combinations that are safe.

Water based and silicone lube are safe with every condom. Oil is not: coconut oil, olive oil, baby oil, petroleum jelly and lotion weaken latex and polyisoprene condoms within minutes. Only polyurethane and nitrile condoms tolerate oil. That is the whole rule, straight from the WHO 2012 advisory on lubricants and condoms.

The four condom materials.

Latex. The default. Most condoms on the shelf are latex. Strong, stretchy, cheap, and vulnerable to oil.

Polyisoprene. Synthetic latex for people with a latex allergy, sold under names like SKYN. It feels like latex and it fails like latex when oil touches it.

Polyurethane. A thin plastic. Less stretchy than latex, better at conducting heat, and unaffected by oil. The material in some latex free condoms and in older internal condoms.

Nitrile. The material in most internal condoms today. Also unaffected by oil.

If the box does not say, assume latex.

The compatibility table.

Lube type	Latex	Polyisoprene	Polyurethane	Nitrile
Water based	Safe	Safe	Safe	Safe
Silicone	Safe	Safe	Safe	Safe
Hybrid (water and silicone)	Safe	Safe	Safe	Safe
Oil (any kind)	Breaks it	Breaks it	Safe	Safe

Why oil breaks latex.

Latex and polyisoprene are rubbers, and oil is a solvent for rubber. It soaks into the material, swells it and weakens it, and the loss of strength is fast. The WHO advisory lists oil based products among those with a highly damaging effect on latex, and the list is broader than people expect: cooking oils, baby oil, mineral oil, petroleum jelly, body lotions, massage oils and butter. A condom that has been in contact with oil can look fine and still tear under normal use.

Silicone feels like oil and is not oil. It is a different chemistry, and it does nothing to latex.

What the WHO says.

The 2012 advisory from WHO, UNFPA and FHI360 was written for agencies buying condoms and lubricant in bulk, which is why it is so plain. Water based and silicone based lubricants are the recommended types for use with condoms. Oil based lubricants should not be used with latex condoms. Lubricant is recommended for anal sex, where friction is higher and breakage more likely without it. And for the lubricants themselves, the document sets the osmolality guidance we use across this site: ideally 380 mOsm/kg or under, never over 1,200, with a vaginal pH near 4.5.

Things that are secretly oil.

The condoms that break are usually not broken by a bottle labeled oil. They are broken by something that did not announce itself.

• Lotion and moisturizer. Nearly all contain oils.
• Massage oil. Oil, by definition.
• Vaseline and baby oil. Petroleum, which is oil.
• Arousal oils. Foria Awaken and Zestra are oil based botanicals. Both are listed as not latex safe on our index.
• Coconut oil and olive oil from the kitchen. Oil.
• Some natural lubes. Any lube with an oil in the first few ingredients.

Water based and silicone lubes are the only two categories that are condom safe without reading further.

Condoms that come lubricated.

Most condoms arrive with a thin coat of silicone lube already on them, which is why they are condom safe out of the wrapper. It is rarely enough for more than a few minutes, and adding your own water based or silicone lube on top is normal and expected. The one version to skip is the spermicidal condom, which carries nonoxynol-9. The WHO advises against nonoxynol-9 in lubricants because it damages the epithelium, and a plain condom with a good lube does the same job without it.

How to use lube with a condom.

• A drop inside the tip before rolling it on is fine and adds sensation. More than that can make the condom slip.
• Roll the condom on, then apply lube to the outside.
• Reapply if things dry out. Friction is what tears condoms.
• With water based lube, a drop of water revives it. With silicone, you rarely need to reapply.
• Keep oil off everything, including hands that then touch the condom.

Picks.

Good Clean Love Almost Naked is the water based pick, condom safe with everything, 240 to 269 mOsm/kg and pH 4.7. Uberlube is the silicone pick, condom safe with everything and the one that lasts longest. Coconu Oil Based is the oil we list, and it is here as the reminder: a good oil, never with latex or polyisoprene.

If a condom breaks, emergency contraception and STI testing are the next steps, and a clinician or Planned Parenthood can walk you through both.