Believe it or not, I’ve never tried a stimulating gel. While I’ve used lubes a plenty, an arousal enhancer never came to mind, in part because I have never believed they would work. Recently I decided to test the waters, so to speak, and I didn’t want to try anything too strong, so I chose the ID Stimulating Gel for her in mild strength.

ID Stimulating Gel comes in a pink and red box with the product showing through a window in the front. The back of the box has instructions for use as well as the ingredients, and claims this will enhance arousal, increase sexual excitement, and heighten orgasmic intensity. Inside the box is the bottle of gel and a sample of ID Glide Personal water-based lubricant.

This stimulating gel should be stored at room temperature. The packaging warns not to let it come into contact with your eyes or ears, so you should always wash your hands after applying it. If any irritation occurs, you should consult your doctor. The gel also contains parabens, so you’ll want to steer away if you’re allergic.

The ingredients for this gel are: Water, Glycerin, Ethoxydigycol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Passiflora Incarnata Flower Extract, Coryanthe Yohimbe Bark Extract, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Lepidium Meyenii, Turnera Aphrodisiaca Extract, Citric Acid, Flavor, Niacin, Methylparaben, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Stevia Rebaudiana Extract, and Vanillyl Butyl Ether.

The gel comes in a bottle that looks a bit like a test tube with a pump on the top. The bottle is clear with light purple lettering and it’s fairly discreet – you could store this in the medicine cabinet or on the dresser without anyone giving it much of a look. It’s fairly small, but the 1/2 ounce of product will last for quite a few applications. The bottom of the tube is flat so it stands up easily. The top locks so it won’t dispense by mistake and makes this great to travel with. A small twist counter-clockwise is all it takes to make this ready to use.

The gel doesn’t have much of a scent at all, is colorless, and has no flavor. It’s also pretty thin. While it’s thicker than a liquid, it’s not so thick that any amount stays in place on your finger and it runs fairly easily.

All that’s necessary is a pea-sized dollop on the pad of your index finger, which is roughly what is dispensed when pressing the top. Rub it in lightly on your clitoris, and then wait for a few minutes to start feeling the effect. It can be reapplied as necessary. The warming effect lasts for a while after use, but disappears if you wash the area. Since it wipes away easily with water, the gel is best used out of the tub so you can enjoy the sensation.

I was really curious to see if this would work, and I decided the best way to try this was with some of my less powerful toys that I occasionally use for warm up but not to actually get off with. The warnings made me a bit nervous, so I started with a really small drop and rubbed it in. I didn’t feel anything at all, so after about 15 minutes I decided to use a bit more. After a few minutes, I felt a bit warm, but not really tingly or in any discomfort, so I decided to bring out the toys.

Siri was the first up. This one has yet to get to orgasm by itself or in combination with anything else, really, so I figured it would be a good test. Was I really going to be more aroused?

Surprisingly, yes. The gel created a warming effect when used with Siri that was pleasant, and it seemed to make me more sensitive. While it still took more than Siri alone, using Siri clitorally actually allowed me to orgasm, and not after an unreasonably long time. Siri felt a lot warmer when using the gel than without, and I noticed afterward that I still felt warm and also a bit tingly. It wasn’t unpleasant, and lingered for about 30 minutes.

The other toy I tried this with was the Form 2, which I’ve had the same problem with. Again, the Form 2 wasn’t enough by itself, but it did allow me to climax with the help of another toy, which it hadn’t done before.

The warming sensation was a lot more noticeable when using a toy – it felt a bit like it was mildly overheating, even though it wasn’t – than it was when I applied the gel and let it sit. I did find that using this gel didn’t work very well if I was wet in any way, so I had to make sure I had dried off before use.

While I likely won’t use this with my powerhouse toys because it isn’t necessary, I think it will come in handy when I want a change and get some use out of the less powerful toys I have.