The first lubricant I ever used was Astroglide and I remember the experience like it was yesterday. It hurt. A lot. I didn't really understand much about chemical sensitivity at the time so I thought perhaps it was due to the toy I was using, or the activity I was participating in, or something... but time and again, Astroglide just... didn't work for me.

The ingredients are as follows, and I will tell you what they are, or what they do, in parentheses: Purified Water (base), Glycerin (lubricant/thickener), Propylene Glycol (a humectant - moisturizing - alcohol), Hydroxyethylcellulose (Thickening agent), Aspartame (Sweetener?!), Methylparaben (preservative), Sodium Benzoate (preservative). First of all, there are several ingredients on that list which are known irritants (parabens, aspartame, glycerin) and secondly, why is there an artificial sweetener in a lubricant? Ick.

It does not last long and is quite sticky - more sticky than any other lubricant I've tried. It has a sickly sweet chemical taste (thanks, I suppose, to the aspartame) though I do not recommend that you drink or eat this stuff. It is water based so it is safe for condoms, silicone toys, and the like.

My main problem with it is that it STINGS. My secondary problem with it is that several times, after heavy use, I wound up with a yeast infection. NOT sexy. Sticky, tastes weird, smells weird, stingy? These are not qualities I want in any lubricant.

I have known people who swear by this stuff, and by and large they are all men who use it for self-pleasure, so I cannot speak on that. My experience, though, using it vaginally and anally with both a partner and with toys is that it is a great big NO NO NO.

Astroglide may be one of the great classics, but I cannot (and won't) recommend it to anybody. If you're looking for a water-based lube, look elsewhere - this isn't anything but a pain in the (insert body part).