Massage oils

What are erotic massage oils?

An erotic massage oil is a skin oil that lets your hands slide without tugging, so the massage lasts longer and touch is felt more. You can use it on the back, legs, chest or wherever you like. Many have a scent, a flavour or an ingredient that gives a feeling of warmth. It is not a lubricant for penetration: for that there are lubricants, which are made for mucous membranes and, if water-based, do not damage condoms.

Types of massage oils

Besides neutral oils, which are only there to help your hands glide, there are two families with their own section. If you would rather the warmth came from wax, in massage candles you will find candles that melt and are poured lukewarm onto the skin. Drops and capsules taken by mouth are in aphrodisiacs, and stimulating creams are in erotic creams and powders.

• Edible: edible erotic oils, flavoured (strawberry, vanilla, chocolate…) for kissing and licking the skin during the massage.
• Warming effect: warming erotic oils, which give a feeling of warmth when rubbed onto the skin.

What the studies say

The studies below are not about specific oils, but about massage and touch between partners. In a study of fifty caregivers and 49 patients with cancer, after a short massage workshop they gave massages more often (from 1.2 to 2.7 times a week) and for longer (from 4.7 to 12.2 minutes), and the change held at three months (Collinge et al., 2007, J Soc Integr Oncol). In three studies with couples, physical touch was associated with greater psychological well-being, regardless of each person's level of attachment avoidance (Debrot et al., 2021, Pers Soc Psychol Bull). These are results in specific groups and associations: they say nothing about any particular oil.

Safety and care

Oil and latex do not get along: if you are going to use a condom, keep the oil to the back and legs, and use a water-based lubricant for penetration. The same goes for toys, because oil can damage some materials. If your skin is sensitive, try a drop on your forearm first and wait a while. Keep the bottle tightly closed, away from heat and sunlight.

How to choose

• Use: edible ones are flavoured and can be kissed off; warming ones give a feeling of warmth as you rub them in; neutral ones are simply for massage.
• Skin: if yours is sensitive, choose an unscented one, check the ingredients on the product page and try it on your forearm first.
• Condoms: oil-based products are not to be used with latex condoms, and of the product pages that state it, more than eight in ten say no. The few that say yes are not true oils, even if some are called that: Light My Fire by Bijoux Indiscrets is glycerine-based, Bruma Premium 3 en 1 is also sold as a lubricant and the others are massage gels from Control and Intimateline. If the product page does not say, do not use it with a condom. For penetration, use a water-based lubricant.
• Toys: oil can damage some materials; with toys, a water-based lubricant is better.
• Format: with a dispenser you control the amount better and it does not spill; a massage candle melts and is poured lukewarm.
• Taste and scent: the product page says whether it is edible and what it tastes or smells like; if it does not say, it is not for the mouth.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use a massage oil as a lubricant?

For massage on the skin, yes; for penetration, no, except those that the product page also sells as a lubricant, which are not oils: the Durex Massage Guaraná gel, which is water-based, and Bruma Premium 3 en 1. In a laboratory test, sixty seconds of contact with mineral oil reduced the strength of latex condoms by around 90% (Voeller et al., 1989, Contraception), and in a study of 141 women, using oils inside the vagina was associated with more Candida colonisation (Brown et al., 2013, Obstet Gynecol).

Can you swallow edible oils?

A little, while kissing and licking the skin, yes; they are designed for that and in small amounts, not to be eaten as food. If you have any allergy, check the ingredients on the product page.

How is it different from a massage candle?

The oil is used as it is, directly on the skin or your hands. The candle is lit, melts and is poured lukewarm. You will find them in massage candles.

Does it stain?

Yes, like any oil. Put a towel underneath and wash the bedding afterwards.

Can a warming oil burn?

It should not: it gives a feeling of warmth when rubbed in. Try it on a small area first, wash it off with water if you notice itching or burning, and do not put it on the genitals unless the product page says you can.

Can I use it on intimate areas?

On the outside, and only if the product page says so. Inside the vagina or anus it is not advisable; for that, use a water-based lubricant.

How do you give a massage with oil?

Use a small amount: a few drops in your hands, rub them together to warm it and spread it with long, slow movements. Add more when you notice your hands no longer glide.

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