Sustainable Sex Guide: Safe & Sound
We bet Cupid prefers his treats organic, too.
With Cupid’s arrows on overdrive this month, most of us are fretting about how to lasso new lovers or get long-term partners back in the mood. But trust us when we say that store-bought cards, conventional flowers, poisonous perfume, conflict-gems and pesticide-laden chocolates so won’t do the trick. Instead, become an ecosexual to get what you want!
Don’t be misled by those who say going green in the bedroom will take the fun out of it. The opposite is true: Green sex is healthy sex, and that’s what you need more of, darling—and not just on Valentine’s Day. Plus, we scored more than $700 in eco-sexy swag to help you get busy!
Sustainable sex doesn’t start with tracking down a willing partner; it begins with your relationship to your own body. Think about it: are you really going to enjoy getting down with someone if you’re worried about how you smell, taste and feel? We like to create a modern-day Cleopatra vibe at home while prepping for a big night. Start the moment you wake up, and make it last all day—and all night long.
Smooth—and sustainable—skin starts by thinking beyond the disposable razor. Unfortunately, most conventional wax contains parabens and petrochemicals—stuff that you definitely don’t want near your naughty bits.
After years of waxing, we’ve discovered something even better: sugaring. Conventional waxing products can contain resins, which adhere to the skin cells. Not so for sugaring products made from sugar, lemon and water, like the ones made by Alexandria Sugaring. Start with an exfoliating salt scrub and follow with a professional sugaring for ridiculously supple, soft and totally touchable skin. Everywhere.
Alexandria Professional Salt Spring Scrub ($24)
With super-smooth skin, you’re almost ready for action. But have you thought about the climactic conditions in your nether regions? Even if you’re wearing sexy organic cotton lingerie and smelling like a rose, your body may not have gotten the memo.
Lubrication can be an issue for many women, whether it’s from age or hormones, that awkward, time before (or after) your period, anxiety or a side effect of medication. But there’s far more to your K-Y than meets the eye. Conventional lubes are a minefield of dangerous chemicals, including parabens and petrochemicals that can rub your insides raw and make you more susceptible to STDs and yeast infections. Luckily, there are amazing, natural solutions for keeping everything slick and slippery when you need it most. Choose lubes made from organic ingredients like Aloe Cadabra. It’s condom-compatible, contains certified organic ingredients, and is pH-balanced. Oh, and it’s also edible, in case your partner wants to take the hint.
Aloe Cadabra Organic Lubricant ($9.95)
Want more? Our sustainable sex guide covers safety, seduction, staging and, um, toys. Check back here next week!
Stefanie Iris Weiss is the author of Eco-Sex: Go Green Between the Sheets and Make Your Love Life Sustainable (Crown Publishing/Ten Speed Press, 2010) and eight other books. She writes about sustainability, sex and relationships for Above Magazine, TheDailyGreen.com, and many more. Learn more about the ecosexuality movement she started at EcoSex.net and follow Stefanie on Twitter @EcoSexuality and on Facebook.
