How To Make Your Own All-Natural Vaginal Lubricant 

Your vagina is essential for life. I've made this announcement at international medical conferences with more than 400 male physicians in attendance. Their reaction: some laughs and many eye rolls! Regardless, it is true. We wouldn't be here if women didn't have vaginas. Our children's lives begin there. Sexual pleasure and bonding happen there. The vagina is also a window into our overall health, revealing pH, hormone imbalances, gut problems, and much more. The vagina, and indeed the whole vulvar area, is a key aspect of our femininity and should be embraced as such—not ignored or neglected. After your hormones begin changing, your health "down there" starts changing. Even though you might be embarrassed to talk to your gynecologist about this (don't be—we've seen and heard it all), you can't afford to ignore the changes. 

Maybe you can relate to Julie, a 57-year-old teacher. She was really struggling at this time of her life. She felt her second marriage was about to fall apart. She had zero sex drive. She told me, "And what's worse, I leak urine when I try to exercise." She also leaked urine when she coughed or sneezed, and the urgency was restricting her love of "just doing stuff." 

After further questioning, I learned that she also suffered with vaginal dryness and irritation after sex: "the few times we've had it in the past year" and a total lack of energy. As she said, "My get-up-and-go got up and left!" 

Nonhormonal vaginal lubricants and moisturizers help reduce dryness. Lubricants are applied just before sex; moisturizers are applied more regularly, for longer-term relief. Both are helpful, but they do not "cure" vaginal dryness and other symptoms of atrophy. Even so, consider natural options like Good Clean Love and Yes products. Both are paraben-free with clean ingredients and come in both water-based and oil-based options.

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a glass jar. Shake well.

Keep by your bedside, and use as much as desired prior to and during intimacy or with intimate massage.

* A few essential oils that I like to mix in with my DIY lubricant, and ones shown to soothe vaginal tissues, include clary sage, Roman chamomile (Anthemis nobilis) or Cape chamomile (Eriocephalus punctulatus), rose, lavender, frankincense, and sandalwood. A word of caution: Never apply essential oils directly on the vaginal or vulvar skin. Always use a carrier oil or the recipe above, and before using in the vaginal area, test on your inner arm skin first for signs of irritation.