Is Coconut Oil or Vaseline Safe as Lube?What Studies Show

Coconut oil, olive oil, baby oil and petroleum jelly are all in easy reach when you need some slip. They feel smooth and seem natural. Two kinds of research suggest caution.

Vaginal infections

Researchers in Los Angeles followed 141 sexually active women aged 18 to 65, tested them for bacterial vaginosis (BV) and yeast, and asked what they put in the vagina.¹

• Commercial lubricants were most common (70%), followed by petroleum jelly (17%) and oils (13%).¹
• Women who used petroleum jelly inside the vagina were about 2.2 times as likely to test positive for BV.¹
• Among women who used oils, 44% had yeast present, against 5% of others.¹

It’s one small study and can’t prove the products caused these infections, but it’s a reason not to treat household oils as harmless inside the vagina. See what bacterial vaginosis is.

Condoms

A lab test found that just 60 seconds of contact with mineral oil cut the strength of latex condoms by about 90%, measured by how much air they could hold before bursting.²

• Common products containing mineral oil, including a hand lotion and baby oil, also weakened condoms.²
• Glycerol, a common ingredient in personal lubricants, didn’t.²

UK health advice is clear: don’t use oil-based lubricant with latex condoms; use water-based or silicone-based lube instead.³

Choosing a lube

1. With latex condoms, use water-based or silicone-based lube.³
2. For dryness, a lube made for the vagina is a better choice than kitchen or bathroom oils. See how to read a lubricant label and vaginal dryness and what helps.
3. If you get repeat BV or yeast, note any products you use inside the vagina and mention them to your clinician.

Try: “I’ve been using coconut oil for dryness during sex and I keep getting yeast infections. Could the oil be part of it, and what should I use instead?”

Down There, Decoded covers this in Chapter 8, “Dry Spells,” in a section called “Lube, Explained,” which separates lubricants used for sex from moisturizers used for everyday dryness. Its Down-There Log notes products used before a change, so a pattern is easy to spot. See the book.