Before I got my hands on Coconu, I avoided oil-based lubricants like that long-ago mistake of a boyfriend who texts you in the middle of the night, wanting to “Netflix and chill.”

Oil-based lubricants have some major downsides, making them incompatible with certain sexual activities & undesirable for many individuals. First of all, any product that is oil-based is not latex-safe. (The oil will damage/weaken latex & polyisoprene condoms. Nitrile or polyurethane barriers must be used instead.) Secondly, most oil-based lubricants that are currently on the market are also “synthetic” or petroleum-based and not vagina-safe. (Because they do not easily wash away or get absorbed by our cells, they tend to remain inside the body for longer periods of time, providing a lovely little habitat for bacteria).

Coconu offers one of the few available plant-based oil lubricants, and the only lubricant to be USDA-certified organic. Plant-based lubricants are special; unlike their synthetic counterparts, they actually are considered safe for vaginal penetration.* Coconu’s ingredients include: sunflower seed oil, coconut oil, beeswax, shea butter, cocoa seed butter, sweet almond oil, canola oil, kukui seed oil, sea buckthorn oil, and Tocopherol (Non-GMO). There is no alcohol, petroleum, gluten, fragrance, or dye. Coconu’s formula is also paraben & phthlate free.

Coconu’s packaging is very simple & tastefully designed. The oil-based lubricant comes in a copper-colored plastic tube with a flip-top and is packaged within a sky-blue cardboard box. At $22 for only 3 oz, it is on the pricey side — even for high-quality lubricants. (Coconu also makes a water-based version, but the price is exactly the same.)

*With so many natural ingredients, Coconu prides themselves on being hypoallergenic & body-safe. However, as with all lubricants, please discontinue use if you experience any irritation or negative side effects. To my knowledge, there is little or no actual research on using coconut or other plant oils as personal lubricants. Some individuals still argue that it can clog pores and/or disrupt the natural environment of the vagina. As with any other controversial topic, my advice is to educate yourself so that you can make an informed decision. Remember: all of our bodies are unique, and it is rare that any single lubricant would be perfect for every individual.

Having never used an oil-based lubricant before, I didn’t quite know what to expect. For some reason, I had imagined a slick & runny consistency similar to cooking oil. However, Coconu looks & feels more similar to a tube of Vaseline: an almost gel-like substance that is very thick and gooey. As the lube spreads out & warms up with skin-on-skin contact, it becomes a thin & slippery oil sheen… but it never makes my skin feel sticky. Instead, I actually feel softer & more moisturized after using it.

Coconu has a very gentle, natural smell that does remind me of cooking oils, but which I personally do not find very sexy. It also tastes horrible — or rather, it doesn’t taste much at all, but the consistency is such that I want to gag. Being an oil-based lubricant, it takes a little more effort to completely wash away. (Water obviously doesn’t cut it. It helps to physically wipe off any remaining lubricant and then wash with soap afterwards.) It also has the potential to stain fabric, so be aware of that possibility when you’re breaking in a new set of sheets.

I tried using Coconu Oil-Based Lubricant in many different situations and (not surprisingly) I found it better suited for some sexual activities than others.

PIV Intercourse

This lube really impressed my partner & me. Even though it’s thick and somewhat awkward going on, it feels very thin and natural once the action starts. It allows for easy insertion & comfortable thrusting, but without feeling overly wet or squishy. (In this way, it was very similar to our experience with Pink Silicone Lubricant.) It lasted longer than we did, so we never had to reapply. And surprisingly enough, it seemed to make clean-up easier too. My partner and I are fluid-bonded, so we don’t often use condoms during PIV intercourse. Coconu seemed to allow his cum to slide out of me all at once instead of slowly dripping down my legs as I scamper awkwardly to the bathroom.

Anal Play

Anal play isn’t something that I do much anymore, so my experience here was limited to the very small Perfect Plug from Tantus. With just a thin coating of Coconu, the plug slid in effortlessly. (Always a good sign.) But what really surprised me was that it stayed lubricated! One of the reasons I hate wearing butt plugs for an extended period is that taking them out can sometimes feel uncomfortable if the lube has had a chance to dry. Although I certainly didn’t push for any world records (probably only wore it for 30 minutes or so), the plug was just as perfectly lubricated coming out as it was going in. The fact that oil-based lubricants are long-lasting is a huge perk for anal play.

Penile Masturbation

I’m rarely satisfied with lubricant options for hand jobs. Many lubes get tacky so quickly; I end up using a lot and yet still rushing through my partner’s pleasure. Coconu was perfect. It was warm & velvety soft, slippery without being messy. It allowed me to slow down and give my partner a long, teasing play session without ever needing to add more lubricant. Honestly, I think that this will be the primary way that our tube gets emptied.

Vaginal Masturbation

Although I loved using Coconu vaginally with my partner, I really did not enjoy using it with sex toys. I felt like it took a very large amount to coat my silicone dildo — and thrusting still wasn’t as comfortable as it should have been. I even purposefully chose a medium-sized, smoothly finished toy (the Vamp Lola), so that it would become super slippery. No dice. This lube just doesn’t seem to cut down on drag very much at all.

It’s important to note that oil-based lubricants should not be used with porous sex toys. (And I highly suggest that you shouldn’t be reintroducing them to your body either.) For more information on sex toy safety, click here. 

Massage

Coconu states on their website that the oil-based lubricant can also be used as a massage oil, but I was skeptical. I mean…it’s lube. Not exactly the most appealing consistency for a long, relaxing massage.

Reluctantly, I asked my partner to try it anyway — and I was incredibly surprised. It actually feels very nice on the skin. The oil allowed my partner’s hands to glide smoothly over my back without drying out, and it didn’t make either of us feel sticky. In fact, after gently wiping away the oil residue, neither of us felt the need to jump into the shower to wash it off. Although I don’t enjoy it as much as my favorite massage candles, it would do perfectly well in a pinch. (And it’s very convenient if you want to jump right into other sexual activities.)

Coconu Oil-Based Lubricant certainly isn’t an “across the board” lube for me, but it has still proven to be a pleasurable addition to my toy box. It’s a good silicone substitution for my fluid-bonded partner & I when we’re looking for that au naturale feeling during PIV intercourse. It has not caused any negative reactions within my body. And its strengths really shine during penile masturbation & anal play; the staying power is amazing!

There are a lot of considerations when deciding whether or not to use an oil-based lubricant. Consider what type of safer sex barriers you intend to use, what toys might come into play, how upset you’ll be if your sheets/clothes accidentally get stained, and where you stand in the “safety of plant-based oils” debate. But if you’ve decided that oil-based lubricants will fit nicely within your sex life (and you can afford the price point), I highly recommend Coconu’s organic oil-based lubricant.

Pros: feels natural, long-lasting (especially good for anal play & hand jobs), provides a long-lasting silicone lube alternative for use with silicone sex toys, doubles as a massage oil, USDA-certified organic, hypoallergenic, one of few plant-based oil lubricants on the market (vagina-safe)

Cons: not latex safe, may stain fabric, should not be used with porous sex toys, more difficult to remove from skin than water-based lubricant, bad taste, quite expensive (especially for how much I seem to use)

Special thanks to my lovely affiliate, Peepshow Toys, for sending me this item in exchange for an honest,  unbiased review! If you would like to purchase Coconu Oil-Based Lubricant, please consider doing so here. And don’t forget to use discount code “Mandi” at checkout to save 10%!