Some of the most tried and trued solutions to common beauty and hygiene woes remain largely untapped by the commercial cosmetic industry. Raw coconut oil is a long loved panacea for almost any and every beauty purpose - used in dry hair to replace protein, used in place of shaving cream to prevent burning and reduce friction, for dry cuticles, feet, hands, knees, elbows and just about anywhere else. It has also long been used as a solo lube for men or for penetrative use; coconut oil has proven especially effective for anal use, not only reducing friction but also nourishing the delicate outer anal tissues.

It's pretty much miracle cream, right? Furthermore, it's a very well known one particularly among folks of Caribbean descent (I was first introduced to coconut oil by my Haitian friends). And yet, so little cosmetic industry press! Sensuous Beauty is a company committed to exploring the heal powers of natural and affordable materials such as coconut, and they are finally bringing this unsung stuff to more commercial light with Love Balm.

I have to admit I held off on getting this stuff because of the price. You can buy a massive tub of raw coconut oil in hair care stores for around $10 in New York on every other block, so $23 for three ounces? I was HIGHLY skeptical. I did ultimately splurge, however, for the promise of virgin coconut oil and for the same Tropic of Love Oil scent that I fell in love with months ago. Coconut oil is coconut oil is coconut oil, but that fragrance? It's worth the extra cash.

Sadly, Love Balm let me down in that regard, and that was my main reason for buying this. I should have known from the ingredients, which I will list in just a moment, but this stuff smells wholly of raw coconut. The wonderful thing about true coconut oil is that it smells exactly like a macaroon - just pure, sugary sweet coconut distilled, without the slightly milk-sour taste of coconut meat stripped from the bark. It's not an unpleasant smell at all and it's perfectly subtle while still being pronounced enough to give you a nice waft when you walk into a room. Unfortunately it is exactly the same as the scent delivered by common coconut oil that you could buy in a grocery or hair care store.

Sensuous Beauty's Love Balm contains all of the following ingredients in the Tropic of Love scent, although I believe the essential oils used to add scent may vary a bit from one "flavor" to another.

Virgin coconut oil
Vitamin E
Organic jojoba,
Alkanet infusion,
Sweet orange essential oil
Stevia leaf extract (a natural, non-sugar sweetener, safe to be used vaginally in my experience and I am VERY sensitive to glycerin causing yeast infections)

The vitamin E and jojoba are thrown in for extra skin repairing measures, and the alkanet, sweet orange and stevia leaf are there for scent and presumably flavor. I did not really notice that Love Balm was significantly sweeter than regular coconut oil due to the stevia. But, it's definitely a great oral sex lube because it stays in place even after lots of sucking and licking and has a very unobtrusive flavor. If you like to use lube in oral play but dislike feeling like your eating desert rather than tasting your partner this is a fantastic option. I love smelling and tasting my own partner's skin and pheromones while having a little elbow grease in the equation to aid supplementary jacking off. It's also fantastic for penetrative use - both vaginal and anal, as all natural oil lubricants are touted as being somewhat safer for vaginal use because they are easier to flush out of the body. If you are especially prone to bacterial infections like yeast infections, then you may not want to use this vaginally, but at the very least it should offer no problems if used anally.

I tend to be very, very, VERY prone to yeast infections but so far I've had no issue with this stuff. It's performed very well anally too, but there is one small catch. The very same thing that makes coconut oil great for cosmetic use is what makes it less than ideal sometimes for use as a lubricant/massage aid. Coconut oil is famously fast absorbing, unlike petroleum-based oils like baby oil. Love Balm can be scooped out of the jar in its solid state (be warned that coconut oil has a low melting point so it will turn to a highly messy liquid at temperatures as low as 70F) and immediately liquifies on contact with the skin. An appropriate amount can be rubbed easily into the skin with full absorption in just a few moments. While this is wonderful for moisturizing your skin, it can necessitate reapplication during demanding sessions - especially for anal. My partner finds this stuff extremely comfortable for anal but without fail there comes a point in our play where he yelps "AH! Wait!!! We need more of the stuff!" So yes, I recommend it highly, highly, highly for penetrative use because it does an awesome job of reducing friction, is very safe and smells way good, but for sensitive uses like anal be sure to monitor your partner's comfort if the session is long. We've noticed the friction can creep up suddenly without any warning, so make sure you check in after 10-15 minutes.

Please keep in mind that oil based lubricants like Love Balm are not compatible with latex condoms and can weaken them. If you plan to use Love Balm with a condom, make sure to use one that is non-latex to ensure that your condom's effectiveness is not compromised. Please note that oil may negatively interact with some toy materials like vinyl, jelly and some other soft materials. With the exception of silicone, use a condom with soft materials if you are using Love Balm as lubricant.

Overall? I have to rate this 4/5 stars because of how well it performs. I am forced to dock it a star - and a part of me kind of wants to dock it even more stars, but I think that would be unfair - because of the price. Just knowing that I have a big old tub of more or less the very same stuff in a larger quantity and for half the price? C'mon, Sensuous Beauty. I know the pretty label and attractive glass jar didn't cost you THAT much. I highly recommend coconut oil to anyone looking for an oil based lube, but I do have trouble recommending this brand specifically because it just seems like an exploitative price. Still, at the very least it does deliver.

Love Balm! (Sigh) Why are you so ridiculous? Sensuous Beauty products are all terribly pricey, although I find they *are* almost always worth the price. Still, this stuff is TOO. DAMN. EXPENSIVE. I went to Sally's a few weeks ago and got a giant tub of organic coconut oil for under $10 and frankly, while I did like this stuff, I don't plan on purchasing another now that it has run out. I go through oils like water because my dry skin sucks them up so quickly. I can't afford to drop $20 every few weeks on some coconut oil! Still, it does smell heavenly, works fantastically, comes in a classy jar that I am currently reusing to hold dried spices and...is organic and awesome. But $20? Get over yourself, Love Balm!