Let's kill a myth right now: needing lube does not mean you're not turned on, not attracted to your partner, or doing anything wrong. Lube is not a participation trophy for failing at arousal. It's a tool. Friction is the enemy, and lube is just good engineering.
Natural lubrication is not a scoreboard
How wet you get is affected by a long list of things that have nothing to do with desire: where you are in your cycle, stress, hydration, medications, hormonal birth control, antihistamines, and just plain timing. You can be extremely into it and still want backup.
Treating natural lubrication as the official measure of arousal sets a wild standard that bodies don't actually follow.
A 2-second guide to types
Water-based plays nice with everything, including condoms and toys, but dries out faster so you reapply. Silicone-based lasts much longer and is great in water, but skip it with silicone toys. Oil-based feels luxe but is not condom-friendly. When in doubt, water-based is the easy default.
Pilo's takeaway
Lube makes good things feel better and uncomfortable things feel good. That's not cheating. That's just being smart about friction.
Lube makes good things feel better and uncomfortable things feel good. That's not cheating, that's just being smart about friction.
In the Pilo Talk app, every fact like these links to its source behind an info icon, peer-reviewed whenever possible.
About the author
Pilo & the Pilo Talk team
Sexual wellness, sourced
Pilo is your pocket bestie who happens to have a medical library. Every lesson and article is written like a friend would talk and then fact-checked with OB-GYNs, sex educators, and clinicians, so the only thing you screenshot is the good stuff.