There's a label on the K-Y Yours + Mine box that makes me very nervous.

But we’ll get to that. K-Y Yours + Mine is a heating/cooling lube combo. Funny, because this is only mentioned on the back of the box, so if you’re not into that, this isn’t a good choice for you.

The Yours (sub-labeled as For Him) is the heating lube. I gave it to my partner to give it a go and he was a little less than impressed. While the heating did feel pleasant (much more than a Trojan Ice and Fire condom) and did give him a nice tingle, he reported that the lube itself wasn’t very lube-y. It was more of a gel, which became very sticky when he attempted to use it like a typical lube.

As far as the Mine (sub-labeled as For Her) is minty, cool, and soft. It does feel more lube-like, and more slippery, which leads me to believe that these two products are meant to be used in tandem. However, based on some of the ingredients (listed below) we decided to forgo putting the Yours anywhere near my vagina.

We kept the Yours inside of his condom (with some additional lube courtesy of  WET Naturally Organic Lubricant to keep the condom from sticking) and the Mine stayed in me. And while I’ve had irritation from other cooling products before, this one wasn’t half so bad. The tingling was pretty neat.

I can see why K-Y Yours + Mine would be alluring in the store. These bottles are each 1.5 fl oz (44mL). and they come packaged together, like two test tubes, with squeeze tops. The Mine (for Her) is purple and the Yours (For Him) is blue, and while that may use some unnecessarily gendered language, again, I’d keep the Yours away from any and all mucous membranes, no matter how you identify.

And now on to that whole business with the label.

It says, “Compatible with latex condoms only!” I would like to know why that is. Especially since my partner and I used them with our favorite Trojan NaturaLambs while stupidly not consulting the label. Let that be a lesson to you: always read the label!

And then, on their website, I found this little gem:

Product not compatible with condoms.

What's going on here?

I couldn’t find any reliable info on the matter online, so I decided to take a look at the ingredients.

Yours For Him:

• Glycerin: Glycerin is non-toxic and can help keep a water-based lube slippery and tasting sweet. But it can sometimes cause yeast infections in women-- it doesn’t contain sugar, but it can be converted to sugar while in the vagina. Not every woman experiences this sensitivity, and sometimes, it can come and go. If you find that you commonly get yeast infections from lube, this may be the culprit.
• Propylene Glycol: This is used as an emulsification agent in a lot of lubes, which means it helps the ingredients blend together, and can even work as a moisturizer in lubricants. It has a very low toxic rating, but some people still have reactions to it.
• Maltodextrin: Maltodextrin is a thickening agent. It’s harmless, and often found in foods-- particularly beer and peanut butter. It can sometimes be sweet or tasteless and the sweetness should not affect the vagina. It’s also considered a gluten-free sweetener.
• Honey (miel): Believe it or not, honey-based lubricants are a thing! Honey is commonly used in warming lubricants, and are only meant for external play. And yes, that does mean this lube has a slight warming power.
• Methylparaben: Many safe-sex educators and skin-care professionals do not recommend any sorts of parabens. There is some evidence that leads us to believe that parabens in the amount that they are found in many cosmetics and lubricants can lead to tumors. Some people have also had allergic reactions to it. Methylparaben is found naturally in many fruits where it acts as an antimicrobial agent, and it is most often used a preservative in lubricants.
• Sucralose: Sucralose is an artificial sweetener. It is considered vagina-safe, although with the rest of this lube, I don’t think I would recommend it.

Mine For Her:

• Water: Most lubricants use some kind of purified or de-ionized water, which means it’s basically clean H2O.
• Propylene Glycol: This is used as an emulsification agent in a lot of lubes, which means it helps the ingredients blend together, and can even work as a moisturizer in lubricants. It has a very low toxic rating, but some people still have reactions to it.
• Polysorbate 20: This is another emulsifier, but it is also used to improve the spreading feeling of mint in some products. And yes, this lube does have a minty taste to it. It is considered to be non-toxic.
• Hydroxyethylcellulose: This is a thickening agent found in a lot of KY products. It is found in many cosmetic items, especially hair gel, and is considered non-toxic.
• Benzoic Acid: I have seen some information that seems to imply that benzoic acid and methylparaben are the same thing. I don’t know if this is true-- it was only one source that said it-- but they do seem to fall into the same category as preservatives.
• Menthyl Lactate: This is a cooling agent, much like menthol. It is clearly meant to contrast with the warming agents of the For Him lubricant. Menthyl lactate is derived from peppermint oil and is considered a safe alternative to menthol, although it can sometimes cause skin irritation.
• Methyl Salicylate: This is another cooling agent, also known as oil of wintergreen. It is considered toxic to people in high doses, although it is found in a lot of pain relief lotions and rubs, so the tiny amount that is in this bottle of lube should do no harm, even if you ingest it. Note that this is called oil of wintergreen. I cannot find any evidence that it isn’t condom safe, but my guess is that since it’s in such a small amount, it shouldn’t hurt your condoms.
• Fragrance: This has a strong minty scent which almost reminds me of Pepto Bismol. There’s no real reason for it to have a scent, especially since it has other minty products in it, which makes me wary of putting it in my vagina. As we know, fragrances do not belong in the sensitive mucous membranes down there. They can cause irritation.
• Sodium Hydroxide: Also known as lye or caustic soda, this is used as an antimicrobial, but it can be irritating to the mucous membranes.

So while I did find a lot of crap I wouldn’t normally want in my lubes, I didn’t find any reason this lubricant shouldn’t be used with non-latex condoms (or toys, for that matter).

The only thing I'd guess would be the oil of wintergreen; however, on my packaging, it says that latex condoms are kosher to use with either product and NON-latex aren't, which is just confusing. You'd think it was the other way around.

But it is always a good idea to follow the instructions on the box, so until we have more information, it may be best to keep this product to your latex condoms. I've contacted KY to get the scoop and will update this article once I hear back.

Final Verdict:

There is some nasty crap in this lube that makes me hem and haw about using it again. But the truth is, K-Y Yours + Mine didn’t break our condom, didn’t give me any irritation (we only used the Mine on me), and he enjoyed his (Yours). So the decision about whether you do on to use it or not is entirely up to you. If you’ve tried other warming/cooling lube combos to success, this may be a good choice for you. But if you find yourself plagued with irritation, skip this one.

Overall Rating: 2 Stars