The Best Massage Oils - How to Use Massage Oil - Cosmopolitan.com

[massage]

I don't know who needs to hear this, but you should be incorporating massage oils into your sex routine reg-u-lar-ly. Not only can they be used as foreplay and aftercare, but according to Lisa Finn, brand manager and sex educator at Babeland, a massage can "help add new forms of stimulation into our sexual repertoire." This is because you're taking the time to pay attention to your partner's whole body and not just their pleasure points.

"So often we dive right into genital touch that we ignore the other erogenous zones of the body that can really heighten our arousal," says Finn. Plus, when you use massage oils, they "can also add in sensations beyond touch—like scent, the visual aspect of an oiled body part, temperature (like with a warmed oil or a massage oil candle), and other elements like CBD."

As for what exactly to look for in a massage oil, first make sure that it won't aggravate you or your partner's skin—read the ingredients to check that no one is allergic (oils tend to include fruit and seed derivatives), and if you or your partner have sensitive skin, you might want to skip out on anything with fragrance. Finn also suggests looking at the ingredients for "Vitamin E, cocoa butter, shea butter, jojoba oil, and essential oil—they can be safely absorbed into the skin and have moisturizing properties that will leave skin refreshed after the massage as well."

And cause I know you're thinking it: No, massage oil isn't an ideal lube. Oil isn't compatible with latex, so be careful not to mix massage oil and condoms, but Finn also notes that "the added fragrances and botanicals could potentially be irritating, and may disrupt pH,” (aka UTIs).

So now that you're eager to give it a try, here are some of the best massage oils...