water-based lube

Good Clean Love Bio-Match: Restore & Balance Review

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Good Clean Love‘s Bio-Match line was created with the vagina’s natural environment in mind, mimicking pH levels, salt balance, and lactic acid production in order to create products that are vulva-friendly and health-conscious. The line consists of two products: Restore (a lubricant) and Balance (a “personal wash”).

RestoreDescription

restoreGood Clean Love’s Bio-Match Restore is a water-based gel lubricant, which is safe for both silicone sex toys & latex barrier methods of contraception. It is free of petrochemicals, parabens, & glycerin — with a minimal list of ingredients: organic aloe barbadensis leaf juice, xanthan gum, lactic acid, natural flavor, potassium sorbate, and sodium benzoate. It can be used to add lubrication to sexual activity or simply to alleviate daily vaginal dryness and discomfort.

Restore comes packaged in a small, cardboard box that includes (1) a 2 oz. tube with a screw-on top and (2) a plastic applicator for easy internal reach. Good Clean Love estimates that each tube is good for approximately 15 applications.

Experience

restore consistencyAs I’ve mentioned before, my body’s lubricating abilities have been drastically reduced with the emergence of my “low libido.” My partner and I are always looking for a lubricant that feels natural but lasts an impressively long time, and that’s why Restore piqued my interest. If it mimicked the vagina’s natural environment, would it mimic natural lubrication too?

Turns out, it does an okay job. It’s relatively thin and slippery without being too watery and it lasted as long as we needed it to (albeit we didn’t push for any world records). However, even though the instructions say to apply to both partners, it’s definitely more of a lube for the receptive party. It dried out almost as soon as we applied it to my partner’s penis; not even lasting the few moments it took for us to get into position before intercourse.

Thankfully, it works much better when applied inside of the body, and that’s where the handy plastic applicator comes into play. As I went through the process of squirting lube directly into my vagina for the first time, I found myself wondering… Could this be injected ahead of time, purely in anticipation of sex? Would it be a good option for individuals who do not produce enough natural lubrication but maybe don’t want to pack lube with them for a night on the town?

restore applicatorThe next time my partner and I had to run some errands and go grocery shopping, we tested it. We were gone for a couple of hours, we came home, grabbed a condom (to cut down on friction, just incase the lube had dried out), and jumped straight into a PIV quickie. To my surprise, Restore had maintained its wetness — whether this is a testament more to the lube or the handy applicator that gets “all up in there,” I’m not sure.

The only thing that really bothers me about this lube is the smell. It’s similar to Almost Naked‘s vanilla cake scent, but has a twang of something that smells sour and reminds me of sterile environments. (If you’re thinking that this would taste particularly terrible, you would be correct.)

Bottom Line

Honestly, Good Clean Love’s Restore lubricant did what it was supposed to do, but it didn’t feel so good that it truly impressed me. If you’re looking for a health-concious water-based lube that comes with a handy applicator and feels somewhat natural, maybe this will be perfect for you. But I’m still smitten with their (much more cushiony) Almost Naked lube — which also happens to be more affordable ($15/4 oz vs. $20/2 oz).

restore box

3star

BalanceDescription

Whereas many commercial cleansers can be too harsh for more sensitive areas of the body (like the genitalia), Good Clean Love’s Bio-Match Balance has been specially crafted for this exact purpose. It is both petroleum and paraben-free. However, the list of ingredients is much longer than for Restore, including: water, sodium cocoamphoacetate, glycerin, lauryl glucoside, sodium cocoyl, glutamate, sodium lauryl glucoside, carboxylate, cocamidopropyl hydroxysultaine, coco-glucoside, glyceryl oleate, lactic acid, aloe barbadensis leaf juice, mahonia, aquifolium (oregon grape) root extract, hydrastis canadensis (goldenseal) extract, allium sativum (garlic) bulb extract, calendula officinalis flower extract, lavandula angustifolia (lavender oil), potassium sorbate, and sodium benzoate.

Good Clean Love’s Bio-Match Balance arrives in a 4 oz. plastic bottle with a press-to-open top and has a relatively thin, watery consistency. (It is important to note that although this product is marketed as a personal wash, the bottle clearly states that it is “for external use.“)

Experience

DSC03709_phixrFirst of all, let me say that I don’t have particularly sensitive skin. I can suds up my pubic hair & outer-most vulva bits with regular old body wash and experience no ill effects. I’m also a huge fan of cleaning in between my folds with a simple combination of washcloth & water, never allowing scented products to cross that intimate threshold. So naturally, when I first tried using Balance for its intended purpose, I felt extremely neutral. Sure, I was a fan of the soft lavender scent — and yes, it made me feel quite “fresh.” But there was nothing uniquely special about it, and that hardly justifies a $14 bottle of soap in my life.

As I was wondering how I would possibly be able to write such a lackluster review, I had an idea: I could wash my Lunette menstrual cup with this! After all, it’s made to be a mild intimate wash that is safe for vulvular contact. And although it says “external use” on the label, it wasn’t like I would be pouring it directly into my vagina. I’d simply make sure to rinse my cup very well afterwards.

The verdict? It works wonders. Generally, I like to give my cup a quick wash with soap and water whenever I empty it (to do-away with any lingering smells) and then boil it in-between my periods for a more thorough clean. Unfortunately, I’ve experienced mild irritation from certain soaps and I’m happy to report that Balance is not one of them. It helps me feel clean throughout menstruation without any discomfort or negative reactions.

It’s important to remember that this is not what Good Clean Love’s Bio-match Balance is marketed for — and may even go against their printed instructions. As I mentioned before, my body is not overly sensitive to most products, so although this worked for me, I cannot recommend this alternative use for everybody.

Bottom Line

Do I think that Balance is worth the price tag? No, not for me…even if it is a good menstrual cup cleaner. However, if you’re the type of person who has really sensitive skin and/or has a difficult time finding soap that is genital-friendly, this might be a good product to try — unless you are also sensitive to glycerin.

3star

Special thanks to Good Clean Love for providing me with these items in exchange for an honest, unbiased review. 

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If you would like to purchase Good Clean Love Bio-Match products, please consider doing so through my affiliates: SheVibe and Sexy Time Toys. 

Good Clean Love – Almost Naked Lubricant Review

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I love lube. 

I love it so much that my partner has officially declared me a “goo hoarder” and placed an embargo on any further lube purchases until we start emptying a few bottles. But when Good Clean Love offered me some of their products in exchange for my honest opinion…well, I simply couldn’t say no. And dear holy lube gods, both my partner and I are very glad that I didn’t!

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DSC03667_phixrGood Clean Love prides themselves on being an organic, earth & body-friendly company. They are a member of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics & Organic Trade Association, a Coop American Green Company, a Certified B Corp, and certified organic by Oregon Tilth. Basically, they want to raise awareness of the potentially harmful ingredients commonly found in sexual wellness products — and offer you safe & natural alternatives. (I plan on doing a separate post on lubricant safety soon!)

Good Clean Love’s Almost Naked lubricant is free of all petrochemicals, parabens, and glycerin. It is 95% organic and 100% vegan, with a very limited list of ingredients: organic aloe barbadensis leaf juice, xanthan gum, agar, potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate, sodium lactate, lactic acid, and natural flavors (including lemon & vanilla).

It arrives in a small flip-top tube and is available in 2 different sizes: a travel-handy 1.5 oz and the regular-sized 4 oz. (You can also purchase 4 ml sample packets.) The lubricant itself is a water-based gel that is safe for use with latex condoms and silicone toys.

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The first thing that I noticed about the Almost Naked lube was the smell; it’s sugary sweet and reminds me of cake icing. As a lover of all things buttercream, I obviously had to do an immediate taste test. I was surprised that, despite the distinct smell, there is little-to-no taste that can be detected — either by myself, my partner, or my wonderfully cooperative friends. (Not gonna lie… I was slightly disappointed. But I guess I don’t need to be eating  the lube.)

DSC03685_phixrAs I settled into bed with my beloved Jopen Comet II and my tube of Almost Naked, I quickly discovered that there was something special about this particular lube. First of all, the gel is simply fantastic. I can apply it to the tip of my toys and it stays perfectly still. It waits for me to spread it out in whatever way that I desire — rather than sliding out-of-control all the way to the base of the toy and dripping onto the sheets.

I’m no newcomer to gel lubricants either. I own multiple varieties, but not a single one of them will last more than a few seconds if I turn my toy upside down. Almost Naked will stay in its little “dolloped” shape without any perceptible change, completely defying gravity. It’s basically magic.

When in use, I find that the gel feels both cushiony and slippery — and a little goes a long way. (All of these things should make it absolutely fantastic for anal sex, but I haven’t personally tried it yet.) My partner and I have always used lube, but it has truly become a necessity over the last couple of years as my libido has taken a nosedive. If we’re wanting something that feels natural, we’ll definitely reach for a thinner silicone lubricant. But if we’re in the mood for extremely wet and squishy sex…Almost Naked is perfect. It never seems to dry out (no matter how hard we go at it), and yet it wipes off with no fuss.

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I can’t say it enough: I love Good Clean Love’s Almost Naked lubricant! It has amazing staying power, feels gloriously squishy, and (most importantly) is health-conscious. At approximately $15/4 oz, it is a smidge more expensive than some other water-based lubricants, but I’ve also been much more impressed with it. To be honest, I think this will be our go-to gel lubricant from now on.

5stars

Pros: gel has incredibly thick consistency, only need a small amount, long-lasting, safe for the body and the environment, water-based (so it’s safe for toys & contraception), little-to-no taste

Cons: sugary smell can be off-putting for some individuals

If you would like to purchase Good Clean Love’s Almost Naked lubricant, please consider ordering from my lovely affiliates: Good Vibrations, SheVibe, or Sexy Time Toys.

A big thanks to Good Clean Love for sending me this item in exchange for my honest & unbiased review! 

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