It’s been a while since I’ve reviewed a lube! But the #12DaysofLovehoney campaign is giving me an opportunity to try a few things I might not normally get to. Today, we’re looking at a special limited edition product for the festive season: Lovehoney’s caramel latte flavoured lube!
Oh, and check out the rest of the series while you’re here.
Festive Flavour
Lovehoney’s caramel latte lube is a new seasonal release. It’s a water-based formula that comes in a 100ml (3.4 fl oz) pump bottle. It is the latest edition to Lovehoney’s growing flavoured lubes line.
The bottle bears the signature bubbles design that features on various Lovehoney lubes. In this case, the bubbles and product name are… well, caramel coloured.
Ingredients
This is a water-based lube, and so it is unsurprising that water is the first ingredient on the list.
Let’s take a quick look at the other main ingredients:
- Sorbitol. This is a sugar alcohol which is generally recognised as safe (including for consumption) in small quantities. However, it’s worth being aware that sugar can cause yeast infections, so exercise caution and maybe avoid this lube if you’re prone to them.
- Potassium sorbate. This is a preservative that is generally considered safe and is a much better alternative to parabens.
- Polysorbate 20. This is a non-toxic emulsifier that is added to many water-based cosmetics and skincare products.
- Diazolidinyl urea. This is an antimicrobial preservative used in many cosmetics. The answer to “is it safe?” seems to be “maybe.” According to The Skincare Chemist, it can cause an allergic reaction. Be careful if you have allergies or sensitivities.
- Citric acid. This natural preservative is extremely common and is broadly safe, though has been known to cause irritation to some very sensitive people.
- Sucralose. This common artificial sweetener is essentially a form of sugar. That means it’s another risk for yeast infections if you’re prone to such things.
So what’s the verdict? There’s nothing in here that makes me go “oh hell no!” off the bat, but I’d recommend exercising caution if you have allergies, sensitivities, or are prone to infections.
To be fair, the bottle does specify that the lube is for external use only. For that reason, I recommend keeping it for oral sex only, and keeping it away from any internal areas. If you’re using it for oral, take a minute to rinse off before doing any penetrative play. Switch to a gentle water-based lube for anything involving penetration.
By the way: this lube is also completely vegan-friendly, as it contains no animal-derived or animal-tested ingredients.
How Does It Taste?
Honestly, not bad!
I wasn’t at all convinced I’d like the caramel latte flavoured lube. I don’t always get on well with anything with artificial flavourings and I find a lot of fruity lubes are either too sickly sweet or just taste like chemicals.
But this one was a pleasant surprise! It’s sweet but not overly sickly, and you only need a little bit to get the flavour. It also actually tastes like a caramel latte!
Feel and Clean-Up
The caramel latte lube can get a little sticky if you leave it for too long. I guess that’s due to the sugar-based ingredients. However, it lasts fairly well and I didn’t need to keep re-applying it, which I appreciated.
As it’s water-based, the caramel latte lube is a breeze to clean up. Just rinse off with some warm water. It also won’t stain your sheets. Water-based lube is compatible with all body-safe sex toy materials including silicone, glass, ABS plastic, stainless steel, and wood.
Do I Recommend It?
I wouldn’t suggest the caramel latte lube as a bedside staple to use every time you play. For the reasons I’ve mentioned, it’s really only suitable for external use (though oral sex is the entire point of flavoured lubes anyway.) But if you’re not sensitive to any of the ingredients and enjoy a sweet, slightly coffee-ish flavour, it can be a good sexy stocking stuffer or a fun way to change up your oral sex routine once in a while.
The Lovehoney caramel latte lube retails for £7.99.
Thanks to Lovehoney for sending me this product to review! Views are, as always, my own. Affiliate links appear in this and all my review posts. Want to support the blog? Buying me a coffee is a great way to do that!