Cannabidiol, or CBD, is all the rage at the moment. This non-psychoactive and now legal (in many places, including the UK) compound found in the cannabis plant is touted as having all kinds of incredible benefits, from reducing anxiety to helping with chronic pain… and, yes, improving your sex life.

I am, it’s fair to say, rather cynical about such things. I don’t tend to believe amazing claims unless there’s amazing evidence to back them up. Maybe CBD really is a magical cure for all kinds of ills, and the science will prove it over the coming years. Or maybe it’s a very expensive and overhyped placebo. The reality, I imagine, in somewhere in the middle – it probably has some genuine benefits, and it’s probably been overhyped.

I wrote a little more here summarising very briefly what some of the available data says about CBD and sex so far. All this to say that I am approaching CBD-infused sex products, such as CBD lubes and oils, with a healthy amount of both curiosity and skepticism.

Bijoux Indiscrets recently offered me two new products to try: their Arousal Oil with CBD and their CBD Oral Sex Oil. But did they live up to their claims?

Bijoux Indiscrets Arousal Oil with CBD

Slow Sex Arousal Oil with CBD from Bijoux Indiscrets is made up of a range of natural oils and extracts including Coco-Caprylate/Caprate (an emollient derived from coconut oil), Olea Europaea Fruit Oil (AKA olive oil), shea butter, soybean oil, castor seed oil, and a number of others. Bijoux is an all-vegan company and uses only plant-derived ingredients.

The idea of the Arousal Oil is simple: apply it to your vulva and clitoris before sex or masturbation. The CBD, so it is claimed, may help to increase natural lubrication as well as stimulating blood flow to the area to increase sensitivity.

I did feel as though I experienced an increase in sensitivity when I applied a few drops of this arousal oil to my clitoris and labia and then waited a few minutes. When I touched myself, I was incredibly wet and sensitive and I reached orgasm very quickly. So from that perspective, yes, it worked!

Some sources I looked at claim that CBD is a vasodilator (something that opens the blood vessels, improving blood flow), which would go some way to explaining this effect. Others, however, claim that CBD without THC – that’s Tetrahydrocannabinol, or the high-inducing compound in cannabis – has few if any vasodilatory effects.

So what happened, then? Maybe the CBD had a direct causal effect on my arousal and sensitivity, and maybe it didn’t. Some of the other ingredients may have had an effect. The simple act of rubbing something on my genitals while in a sexual headspace might even have been the cause. Then, of course, there’s the potential for a placebo effect. At some point,I’d love to set up a blind experiment with this stuff and regular oil-based lube to see if there’s any difference when I don’t know which one I’m using.

Also worth noting that this product is only 1% CBD. That’s the equivalent of 0.3ml of CBD in a standard 30ml tube. That is, by anyone’s definition, a tiny CBD concentration and has left me a little doubtful that the CBD itself was the main cause of the effects I experienced.

The oil has a fairly strong and distinctive scent that I can best describe as “floral.” It’s fine, not really my sort of thing but not unpleasant either. Be careful when using the pump top bottle because it has a tendency to squirt out suddenly and go everywhere! I also found that my fingers felt quite sticky after applying this oil and I wanted to wash it off my hands as quickly as possible (neurodivergent sensory issues!? Me!?)

Bijoux Indiscrets Slow Sex Arousal Oil with CBD retails for £34/€38 for a 30ml bottle.

Bijoux Indiscrets CBD Oral Sex Oil

The Bijoux Indiscrets Oral Sex Oil contains far fewer ingredients than the Arousal Oil. It’s just sweet almond oil, coconut oil, cannabis sativa seed oil, CBD, peppermint oil, limonene and linalool. This product, too, is only 1% CBD.

The instructions say to apply a few drops to your lips and genitals, so that’s what I did. I was hoping I might feel some noticeable effect on my lips, such as tingling or an increase in sensitivity. Sadly, I didn’t feel much of anything even after several minutes and a reapplication.

It was the same when I tried it on my vulva and clit. The oil worked quite nicely as a simple lubricant, making everything pleasantly slippery. However, I did not notice any increase in sensitivity, sensation, or pleasure on any of the occasions that I tried it. This was a surprise, actually, since – whatever I do or don’t believe about CBD – peppermint-based products have worked well for me in the past.

The taste and smell of the Slow Sex Oral Sex Oil oil isn’t at all unpleasant. The overwhelming impression is of it being kind of minty. However, when I’m going down on a lover I want to be able to taste and smell them. (See also: why I don’t like flavoured lubes.)

Unlike the Arousal Oil, the Oral Sex Oil comes with a little eye dropper applicator. This makes it easier to apply to your lips and genitals with precision and without spilling it everywhere. It’s much less sticky than the Arousal Oil and didn’t give me the same sensory “ick.”

BIjoux Indiscrets Oral Sex Oil with CBD retails for £22/€25 for a 15ml bottle.

A Quick Word of Caution

Because they are oil-based, these products are not compatible with latex or polyisoprene. Don’t use them if you’re using safer sex barriers, such as condoms or dams, made from these materials. They’re okay to use with polyurethane, though.

Verdict

I remain intrigued but cynical about CBD in general, and for sex in particular. The available information is interesting, but far from conclusive. I’ve also now had a number of different experiences with different CBD products, and the wildly varying results tell me something in and of themselves.

If there was a simple causal relationship between CBD-containing products and increased arousal, boosted sensitivity, or faster and harder orgasms, surely I would experience that reliably every time in much the same way that I experience a reduction in pain every time I take a paracetamol?

The verdict, then? It’s complex and I wish there was more – and more reliable – data to draw on.

Ultimately though, if something works for you, I think that’s valuable in itself. I can’t explain why the CBD Arousal Oil worked for me (or why the Oral Sex Oil didn’t!) I suspect it has to do with a number of factors: the other ingredients, my headspace at the time, my level of cynicism, and possibly even the CBD itself.

All I can tell you about is my experience. Why not try it for yourself and see how you get on?

Thanks to Bijoux Indiscrets for sending me these products to review. All views, as always, are mine. Affiliate links appear in this post.