The bottle promises a better sex life. Ambitious little bastard, considering it hasn't met your partner or seen your work roster.
Sexual enhancers cover very different products, including sensation gels and supplements marketed for desire or performance. The useful question is what a particular product actually does, not how enthusiastically its packaging talks about sex.
A new sensation isn't the same as more desire
A warming or cooling gel aims to change how contact feels on the skin. That doesn't mean it treats low desire, creates an erection or guarantees an orgasm.
If you're curious about an extra sensation, that's a reasonable thing to explore. Use a product intended for the body area involved, and stop if it burns or irritates. Your clit or cock shouldn't have to endure something unpleasant because the bottle called it exciting.
Our warming and cooling lube guide explains those sensations in more detail.
Read the claim before buying the promise
Wanting sex, staying hard, delaying ejaculation and enjoying touch are different things. A product that claims to help one doesn't automatically help the others.
Look for a clear ingredient list, intended use and evidence for the actual claim. An ingredient appearing in a study doesn't prove that a different product, dose or mixture produces the same result. A glowing review doesn't establish that either.
“Natural” sounds reassuring, but it doesn't rule out side effects or interactions with medicines. The TGA has found undeclared prescription drugs in some sexual-enhancement products. That's a specific problem with those products, not proof that everything in the category is dodgy.
What Australian medicine labels tell you
For medicines, an AUST L number means a product is listed on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods. It does not mean the TGA individually tested its effectiveness before sale.
AUST L(A) identifies an assessed listed medicine whose health claims have been evaluated. AUST R identifies a registered medicine evaluated for quality, safety and effectiveness. Those letters tell you something useful; they still aren't a personal guarantee of a spectacular shag.
Not every cosmetic or lubricant is a medicine, so these numbers aren't a universal grading system for the whole bedroom drawer.
Match the help to what you actually want
If you simply fancy experimenting with touch, start there. If erection difficulties, changes in desire or ejaculation concerns keep bothering you, a GP or sexual-health clinician can help identify what's behind them. A pharmacist can assess medicine interactions before you try a supplement.
Sometimes desire also needs time and the right circumstances. Our guide to responsive desire explores that without treating you like a broken appliance.
As you browse our sexual enhancers, keep the goal specific and the promises in perspective. Curiosity is good. Paying extra for a miracle written in shiny lettering is less convincing.