Slippery goodness from the sea

Carrageenan (named after one of its main ingredients) is a good all-around water-based lubricant. I like it for a variety of applications: jerking off a partner, lubing up a strap-on or other toy, or for a little more slide for masturbating with. It's not very runny like a lot of other water-based lubricants, which was a big plus for me.

I think it's a good all-purpose lube, however, there are some ingredients that you might be sensitive to, so be sure to read the label before use!

When I got it, I was pleased to find out that it came in a pump bottle. This made for much easier use and application; I hate flip-top lids or screw-on lids that you have to mess with once you're all slippery. The pump is one big piece of plastic (not like a soap dispenser, like the whole top of the bottle gets pushed down and the lube comes out of a little opening in the top). When it came out, it was pretty thick and didn't slide around a bunch; just because it's water-based doesn't mean it's like trying to control a puddle of liquid, which has been my experience with various other lubes.

It's smooth and pretty silky, and stays more or less in one glob until you apply it or spread it around. It stays put; when I tried to drip some off my finger, it stayed for a good long time upside down! I was impressed.

When using it in more "external" applications, it will eventually become a bit weak and evaporate, but it takes awhile to do so. Re-application isn't really a problem with this one, since it's in a pump bottle, you're not going to accidentally knock it over and spill lube everywhere (not like that's ever happened to me or anything.. ha).

This product has a very slightly sweet smell, though you really have to get your nose into it to smell it at all. I didn't find the smell offensive, plasticky, or chemical-ish. Its taste is equally inoffensive and slight; it's barely there at all. I am extremely sensitive to smells and tastes, and this passed the lube test. Compared to lubes I've used before, this one is pretty free & clear of all that junk.

Other lubes that I've used have had parabens and/or glycerin in them, which I think contribute to their yucky smell/taste/lingering effects.

This product has some real staying power! When I use it on my grrrly bits, I don't need to re-apply (and I usually go for awhile in my solo sessions); I would suspect if I had external genitalia, this might be different, but I still have to vouch for its ability to stay wet, even when exposed to air (I did the "lube up my palms and rub them together" test, and it didn't wear out for a good few minutes). It rinses off easily; no residue is left behind. If it dries, the only effect is that it leaves a little moisturizing effect behind (I attribute this to the Vitamin E in it).

Carrageenan comes in a box that isn't very obvious about its contents. The bottle says "Carrageenan" in big letters and "love with care" nestled below the name. The words "Silky, Sexy, Sensational" are below in swirly script, and in tiny letters at the bottom of the label, it says "Natural Personal Lubricant" which is a tip-off that this isn't hand lotion, but the bottle itself is pretty innocuous. I wouldn't have a problem leaving this out somewhere. I think it's discreet enough to be suitable for travel.

This product is not tested on animals and contains no animal ingredients! It's got vitamin E as well as aloe vera, so it has some nice moisturizing properties as a fun bonus feature. But if you're sensitive to those, you might want to skip this one.

My personal preferences regarding lube make me a very picky consumer! I wanted a water-based lube (so it was safe for my silicone toys), without parabens (yucky chemicals), glycerin (gives me a yeast infection!!!), that has no taste or smell (so it can be incorporated in play that involves oral sex), and comes in a pump bottle (for ease of use). Carrageenan got it right on all counts-- five stars!