After seeing all those commercials for K-Y® Brand YOURS + MINE® couples lubricants on TV, my curiosity got the better of me and I just had to find out. What chemicals are behind all that sexual chemistry hype? My research started at the K-Y® website...
Figure 1
In the product description for K-Y® Brand YOURS + MINE® (Figure 1), I am going to let slide the two most chemistry-sounding phrases. "It takes two lubricants to make chemistry.." - gets a pass as I'm sure they mean the colloquialism "sexual chemistry". Also getting a pass is "catalyst for exploration", as it seems clear K-Y® doesn't mean their lubricants are catalysts by a chemistry definition.
Having dealt with the chemistry-sounding stuff, it's time to get down to the chemistry. Specifically, the chemicals behind what YOURS will do ("An invigorating warming sensation for him") and what MINE will do ("A thrilling tingling sensation for her"). What chemicals responsible for the "warming" and "tingling". What makes this product different a "plain" lubricant such as K-Y® Brand Liquid personal lubricant?
Figure 2
YOURS FOR HIM®:
- Glycerin - commonly used lubricant and appears to be the main ingredient in warming lubes.
- Propylene Glycol - commonly used lubricant (where else will you find propylene glycol?)
- Maltodextrin - in lotions & creams, it serves as non-irritating filler, inhibitor of crystal growth and humectant (helps product stay moist)
- Honey - can serve as a lubricant, moisturizer, contains antibiotic chemicals and appears to be a common ingredient in warming lubes.
- Methylparaben - commonly used for its antibacterial and antifungal properties
- Sucralose - is an artificial sweetener and that might be it's function here
MINE FOR HER™:
- Water - universal solvent
- Propylene Glycol - see YOURS FOR HIM®
- Polysorbate 60 - emulsifier helping oils and water get along
- Hydroxyethylcellulose - commonly used thickening agent
- Benzoic Acid - commonly used preservative as an acid or salt.
- Menthyl Lactate - a menthol-like compound serves as a cooling agent (we perceive it as cooling our skin) and "minty" fragrance
- Methyl Salicylate - found in wintergreen and sweet birch bark oils, commonly used in muscle pain lotions as a warming agent (we perceive it as warming up our skin)
- Fragrance - catch all for things they've added strictly to make the product smell nice
- Sodium Hydroxide - used to control pH in cosmetics and personal care products
K-Y® Brand YOURS + MINE® has chemicals for "warming" and "tingling" (cooling), or rather K-Y® MINE® does. One can think of K-Y® MINE as a sexy IcyHot. Cooling agent menthyl lactate is for "tingling" and methyl salicylate is for "warming". Yes, the "warming" promised by K-Y® YOURS is in K-Y® MINE. Interestingly, K-Y® MINE looks a lot like K-Y® Brand TINGLING® Jelly (Figure 3).
Figure 3
...and K-Y® YOURS looks a lot like a plain K-Y® lubricant (K-Y® Brand Liquid; Figure 4) and K-Y® Brand WARMING® Liquid (Figure 5).
Figure 4
Figure 5
In regards to K-Y® YOURS "warming", perhaps a plain lubricant is warming enough? Or maybe by adding in glycerin and honey, both more viscous than propylene glycol, K-Y® YOURS is a stickier (and worse) lubricant thus providing a feeling of warmth? [I look your comments! 
Oh-uh..]
There's a little sexy science for you! Plus, perhaps knowing more about the chemistry of K-Y® Brand YOURS + MINE® will help potential users calculate if it's worth the purchase.
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Figure image attributions:Figures 1 & 2: Screen capture of the K-Y® Brand YOURS + MINE® website http://bit.ly/qYd6Wi Figure 3: Screen capture of K-Y® Brand TINGLING® Jelly website http://bit.ly/qjhYrB Figure 4: Screen capture from K-Y® Brand Liquid website http://bit.ly/oLARbl Figure 5: Screen capture from K-Y® Brand WARMING® Liquid website http://bit.ly/pNpuof
