Warming & Cooling Lubricants

A lubricant efecto calor does not heat up. A lubricant efecto frío does not cool. Neither changes the actual temperature of anything, and understanding why is the key to using them well and knowing when to avoid them.

Lubricants | Water-Based | Flavoured Lubricants | Natural Oil & Lubes

What really happens

The skin detects temperature through specific receptors, and these receptors can be activated chemically without any thermal change.

The TRPV1 receptor responds to real heat and also to capsaicin, the spiciness molecule. The TRPM8 receptor responds to real cold and also to menthol. A sensation lubricant takes advantage of exactly that mechanism: it activates the receptor, the brain interprets heat or cold, and the sensation is real even if the temperature has not changed even one degree.

Hence an important practical consequence: the intensity increases with movement and breathing, because the stimulus is reinforced. Blowing on an area with a menthol product multiplies the sensation of cold.

What ingredient does each one contain?

Efecto calor. Typically glycerin or propylene glycol, which produce a mild warm sensation, or cinnamon, ginger or capsicum extracts in the more intense formulas.
Efecto frío. Menthol or mint extract, with variable intensity depending on the concentration.
Efecto vibrante u hormigueo. The so-called lubricant estimulante, with niacin or extracts that cause a tingling sensation due to local vasodilation.

Pretest is not optional

This is the most useful tip on the entire page, and almost no brand includes it.

The mucosa is much more permeable and sensitive than the skin, and the reaction to these products varies greatly from one person to another. What for someone is pleasant warmth, for another person is burning.

Apply a small amount to the inside of your wrist or the crook of your elbow and wait five minutes before using the product on any other area. Always start with a very small amount, because in this category the effect is not proportional: twice the product can give four times the sensation.

How to remove it if it is excessive

A practical fact that saves a lot of time: water does not always solve it. In products based on essential oils or capsicum, water can extend the sensation instead of removing it.

What is effective is mild neutral soap, or a neutral vegetable oil applied with a cloth to remove the product and then wash. The sensation subsides on its own within ten or twenty minutes in any case.

When not to use them

It deserves to be said clearly. They are not recommended if there is irritation, persistent dryness, or active infection, because any of these situations amplify the response. They are also not a good choice for anal play, because the tissue is more delicate and there is no natural lubrication to modulate the effect: thick and neutral formulations of Anal Lubricants are the correct thing to do there.

If you are prone to recurrent infections, keep in mind that many heat formulas contain glycerin, which is a sugar and can promote them. In that case, the additive-free options are in Natural Oil & Lubes.

Compatibility

Most of these products are water-based, making them compatible with latex condoms and silicone toys. Check the label anyway, because some are hybrids with a silicone fraction and in that case they should not be used on silicone toys.

The neutral range is in Water-Based, the long-lasting options in Silicone-Based and the flavored products in Flavoured & Fun.

The effects, compared

Neither changes the actual temperature. What they do is activate the skin's thermal receptors, and each ingredient does it differently.

Effect	Common ingredient	Home	Duration	Caution
Gentle heat	Glycerin or propylene glycol	Immediate	10 to 20 minutes	Intensifies with air
Marked heat	capsicum extract	1 to 2 minutes	20 to 30 minutes	Preliminary test required
Cold	Menthol	Immediate	10 to 15 minutes	It may be excessive
Tingling	Menthol and niacin	1 minute	15 minutes	Minimum quantity
No effect	Neutral formula	None	According to the basis	The safe option

If the skin is reactive, the alternative is Water-Based without active ingredients, or Natural Oil & Lubes.

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Frequently asked questions

Do they really heat up?

No. They activate the thermal receptors in the skin, which send the brain a signal of heat or cold without the temperature changing even one degree.

Do I have to do a prior test?

Yes, always. A drop on the inside of the forearm and twenty-four hours of waiting. The mucosa is much more sensitive than the skin of the arm.

How is it removed if it is excessive?

With a cloth and neutral soap, or with a little vegetable oil, which removes the active ingredients better than water. Water alone can intensify the sensation.

When should it not be used?

With irritation, with active infection, during pregnancy without consulting and in people with very reactive skin. Nor in anal use, where the mucosa is thinner.