YES natural lubricant ingredients & YES ingredients policy

All YES products are certified organic. We researched, investigated and tested many potential ingredients during the development of YES products and we believe that our resulting formulations are unrivalled in terms of purity, performance and benefits. YES is truly a no compromise range.

Mucous membranes are the moist layer of semi-permeable tissue lining the mouth, nose, eyes, vagina, tip of the penis and gastro-intestinal tract. Because they do not have the protective layer (Stratum corneum) found on the surface of the outer skin, mucous membranes can be damaged, irritated and penetrated by synthetic chemicals much more easily. Most old style lubricants are primarily made of synthetic chemicals, some with known or suspected safety issues, such as skin irritants, penetration enhancers or oestrogen mimicking properties. A few lubricant manufacturers do not even declare their ingredients; have a look next time you are shopping.

The ingredients used in all YES products are selected with the needs of the mucous membranes in mind. The criteria that ingredients have to meet to be used in a YES product include:

 
 

1. Certified and guaranteed purity and quality 

Organically produced wherever possible, as this ensures product integrity and no hidden chemicals carried over from the production processes, such as the recent FDA alert for Diethylene glycol (anti-freeze) in glycerin (1). All our ingredients occur in nature, contain no genetically modified ingredients and are not tested on animals.

 
 

2. A solid pedigree of safety and performance 

For example, flax has been cultivated by man for over 6000 years and the ancient Greeks and Romans used it to heal, moisturise and nourish skin (2).

 
 

3. No known skin or mucosal irritants


(a) No Grapefruit seed extract – see below in sections 7 & 8
(b) No Glycerin – is a mucus membrane irritant, feeds Thrush at concentration below 5% and in higher concentrations damages the mucous membranes (5, 6, 15). See section 9 below

 
 

4. No natural or synthetic products that have health issues or concerns


(a) No Parabens – Parabens, i.e. Methylparaben, are a range of synthetic preservatives that mimic estrogen and are potentially linked to breast cancer (7)
(b) No Glycerin – A sugar alcohol that feeds Candida albicans in certain conditions and so causes a bout of Thrush in women (15) see section 9 below
(c) No Propylene glycol – a penetration enhancer used in cosmetics, as well as lubricants, to “pull” other chemicals into the skin (8, 9)
(d) No L-Arginine – an amino acid that can initiate a Herpes outbreak in people with genital Herpes (10)
(e) No Petroleum by-products such as Mineral Oil (Liquidum Paraffinum), Petrolatum (petroleum jelly), Paraffin oil (lamp oil or premium Kerosine) or Paraffin wax. Two concerns, firstly they coat the skin preventing its normal functions (11) and secondly they are potentially contaminated with impurities linked to cancer or other significant health problems. The EU has restricted the use of Petrolatum in cosmetic manufacture (12)
(f) No Silicone oils such as Dimethicone, Cyclomethicone or Dimethicone Copolyol. There is so much information on and controvesy about the side-effect of breast implants which are made with silicone oils. We recommend you search for “silicone toxicity” in Google and take a view yourself.

 
 

5. Only plant based ingredients unless there is no effective or safe natural option

 
 

6. Preservation and product cleanliness are critical

We tested all commercially available natural and “natural” preservation systems and found that none were secure, reliable and safe enough to meet our criteria. For instance Grapefruit seed extract is a known eye irritant at low concentrations (13). We finally chose a combination of natural and synthetically produced preservatives for YES water based to deliver the performance required. Even the synthetically produced ingredients are naturally occurring. If you know of a natural preservation system that works, please let us know.

 
 

7. No Grapefruit seed extract (also called Citrus seed extract and Citrus grandis) 

Independent research (FDA) has shown that Grapefruit seed extract’s antimicrobial properties are exclusively due to adulterants: undeclared synthetic chemicals, commercially available preservatives and disinfectants such as Methylparaben, some of which are classified as poisons (14). YES products will never contain Grapefruit seed extract.

 
 

8. Glycerin (also called Glycerine or Glycerol) is a miracle molecule 

Glycerin is an integral part of metabolism for almost all life. It has multiple functions on and in the body and is very beneficial for the outer skin (stratum corneum). But glycerin is an irritant on the mucosa and, for example, Glycerin suppositories are used to relieve constipation by irritating the rectum. At low concentrations, (15) Glycerin is a nutrient for Thrush, and at higher concentrations it damages the mucus membranes.