Being a nurse I am intimately familiar with K-Y Jelly as it is a staple in hospitals everywhere, and in my opinion that is where this product should stay. K-Y Jelly was originally developed for hospital use as a surgical lubricant because of its very neutral pH meaning that it should not be irritating in sensitive places. Because of its inert nature it does not tend to react with other substance, making it safe to use with latex condoms and silicone based toys. It has no noticeable scent or taste and does not stain clothing or linens.

Texture wise K-Y Jelly is very aptly named, when you squeeze out a dollop of this stuff you will notice it is has a very thick nearly jelly like viscosity and it tends to sit in a small mound before slowly beginning to disperse. This thick jelly like texture makes it absolutely perfect for inserting things, which is why it became a staple in hospitals where nurses insert many things into all sorts of places on a person. K-Y clings very nicely to anything you put it on, it works great for inserting anal plugs or for initial insertion of vaginal toys. This is about the only thing that it is good for though. K-Y dries out very quickly and it dries out it gets very tacky and when rubbed it tends to clump up into small balls, which is not so great during intercourse and can be highly irritating to the delicate skin down there.

While K-Y was developed to be hypoallergenic and very pH neutral it does contain glycerin and paraben which some people have sensitivities to. General word of advice is that if you tend to have sensitive skin that becomes irritated with the use of regular soap do not use products containing glycerin as you may find them highly irritating, meaning K-Y may not be the best choice for you as a lubricant. Another tidbit I learned was that if you get yeast infections easily it is best to choose a lube that is glycerin free because glycerin can actually feed the bacteria that causes yeast infections, yuck! Parabens on the other hand are the preservative in the lube and are what can cause a burning sensation that some people complain about, which is very common for people with sensitive skin. Lesson learned is that just because a product is labled hypoallergenic dosen't mean that you won't have some sensitivities to the ingredients so always test on a small patch of your skin first.

I have used K-Y countless times in my professional life and really recommend it to anyone who finds insertion of toys like anal plugs difficult. K-Y's "gloppy" texture really clings to things and puts a great thick coat around whatever needs to be inserted and I find it works very well with anything that has a "rubbery" texture that could be "sticky" on initial insertion.

I have used K-Y a couple of times in my sex life and have never been overly impressed. In fact the first time my hubby sweetly brought some home in response to my complaints of being a little dry my reaction was "You have got to be kidding, this is what I use to administer enemas!" I found that the K-Y needed to be reapplied multiple times and left me feeling sticky and gross where when I use a lubricant specifically made for sex I feel very natural and moist.

I never thought the stuff was any good for anything outside of the hospital setting, and I would prefer if the hospitals got rid of the stuff. It dries up way too fast and then pills up off the skin. About the only good thing about it is that it's water soluble and cleans up fast.