Warming and Cooling Lube: Set Your Skin on Fire, Then Give It Shivers

You stroke it slowly along their cock, or over their clit. They look at you, a little unsure. Then you lean in and breathe on it, and you watch their whole face change as the warmth blooms under your breath. Now you've got their full attention.

Warming and cooling lubes add a sensation of temperature to your usual glide. They can turn a handjob into a slow, tingling tease, and make your skin feel twice as awake as it was before. All you need is a bit of curiosity and someone to try it on.

Warming: a slow, spreading heat

Warming lube builds a gentle heat wherever you put it, and it's great with slow hands and no rush. JO H2O Warming is a silky water-based one that builds as you tease, and the 60 ml size makes it an easy first try. Try blowing on it, or adding a bit of fresh lube, to wake it back up. Our warming lube range has more options.

You don't need to heat the bottle, so leave the radiator and the microwave out of it. Different formulas feel different on different people, too, so your partner loving it doesn't oblige your genitals to write the same glowing review.

Cooling: little shivers all over

Cooling lube gives you a fresh, tingling feel, not an actual blast of ice. The contrast with hot skin is the whole point. A bit of JO H2O Cooling mid-foreplay can spark a new rush just when you thought things couldn't get more intense. Browse more cooling lubes if that sounds good to you.

It may feel amazing to one person and just distracting to the next. Start with a tiny amount and give it time to settle. More isn't automatically sexier.

Want to try both?

The Wicked Sensation Kit pairs Aqua Heat with Aqua Chill, so you can see which side you land on. Use one on one night and the other on the next, or one on each of you and compare. Don't mix them, as they don't neatly cancel each other out, and you're flirting, not making a mystery sauce.

Tell them what's coming

Blindfolds and surprises are great, but with this, tell your partner what's going on before it touches them. "Want to try the warm one?" does the job, and it's a good question to ask with your hand already on their thigh. Something that makes them jump in the wrong way isn't the reaction you were after.

Use one new thing at a time, so you know what you're feeling. Try a bit on your inner arm first, though that doesn't guarantee comfort on more delicate skin. Avoid irritated or broken skin, and don't assume a genital lube is suitable for oral.

Tingling is good, burning isn't

If it burns, hurts or irritates, wash it off gently and stop. Adding more and waiting for it to get sexy won't help, and persistent symptoms need medical advice. Keep a plain lube around for when the effect has faded, and read our lube ingredients guide if certain things tend to bother you.

Then do what you came for

The formula still has to suit your toys and condoms, and our compatibility guide keeps that simple.

You might find a new favourite. You might save it for special nights. You might decide plain lube is pretty fucking great already. But you'll have had a great time finding out.