Let's Talk About Sex Baby... — exhiLARAated wellness

Let’s talk about you and, whoever the hell you want.

I am not here to promote sex, or shame sex; I am not bothered by who you choose to do it with, or not do it with, but whether some people like to admit it or not, sex brought you into this world and it is wildly hushed, yet crucially significant to our wellbeing.

I personally could talk about sex all day. I rarely make it through a dinner without handing someone a condom, ask my friends. This is mainly because I adore my friends and care about their overall wellness - as well as their sexual endeavors, let’s be honest…

Besides the tremendously obvious benefits of doing the dirty; sex improves sleep quality, strengthens the immune system, reduces stress hormones, lowers blood pressure, and the pain relief aspect is more productive than taking an aspirin. The release of endorphins, serotonin, and phenylethylamine brings pleasure and euphoria to every aspect of your life.

I have spoken a few times on this blog about my eagerness to remove synthetic hormones from my body in regard to my thyroid health, hormone balancing strategy, and mission to heal my Hashimoto’s Disease so sayonara birth control! but like my pal Lil Wayne says,

“Safe sex is great sex, better wear a latex cause you don’t want a late text, that ‘I think I’m late’ text.”

It is excessively common to discuss what we should be putting into our bodies to be healthy, but we need to talk about EVERYTHING that we put into our bodies, not just everything that we put into our mouths. That means condoms and tampons and everything else (I don’t know your life) because just like food, these entities may contain hormone disrupting chemicals that can be harmful to your overall wellness.

Believe it or not, it takes more than just rubber to protect against STDs, STIs, and unwanted pregnancies. Below are some of the common chemicals found on a condom box:

Latex - Not too harmful, as long as you don’t have a latex allergy!
Nitrosamine - A detrimental byproduct of latex production that, when ingested, can provoke tumor growth (stomach and colon cancer). While companies are encouraged to remove nitrosamine from their products, it is not a requirement. This is the same compound found in secondhand tobacco smoke. Mind blowing, I know.
Nonoxynol-9 / N-9 - This is actually required by the FDA to be labeled. It lubricates, and kills sperm. Ya know what it also kills… vaginal and rectal cell walls. Thank you, next.
Casein - Yup! For all of my vegan, paleo, whole30, lactose-intolerant friends and beyond, casein is commonly used to make latex condoms smooth.

Now let’s talk about the things that are NOT required to be on the label.

Dry Dusting Powder is used to give non latex condoms the ability to unfold without ripping. It is supposedly made out of cornstarch for the most part, but who knows what other undisclosed ingredients are mixed in.
Benzocaine is a localized anesthetic. Along with a numbing sensation, it can cause itchiness, inflammation and irritation, which are not exactly the feelings I desire in the bedroom.
Lidocaine is similar to Benzocaine and used for a numbing effect, but it lasts longer and is absorbed deeper into the skin.
Glycerin is a very common ingredient found in flavored lubes and condoms. Glycerin is water-based, and while it tastes sweet, it’s not actually sugar, but if left inside a woman for too long, glycerin can transform into sugar. This throws off your pH balance, which leads to fungi growth and yeast infections, along with other not-very-fun consequences.
Parabens are used to prevent bacteria growth and while they are usually listed on cosmetics, the same cannot be said for condoms. These estrogen disrupting little suckers mimic estrogen in the body causing pandemonium on hormonal function. They have been banned in the European Union, yet are not a label requirement in the US, just saying.

All of that being said, here are my recommendations for anyone who is interested in cleaning up the products that enter their body:

Sustain - my personal favorite. Certified Vegan, Non-GMO Verified, Fair-Trade Rubber, Parabens-free, Nitrosamines-free and gluten-free. I also really admire their treatment of the community they source their rubber from in regard to aspects like fair wages and healthcare.

* Use code EXWEL25 for 25% OFF a 1x purchase (including subscriptions!) SHOP HERE

LOLA - Only three ingredients; Free of parabens, nitrosamines, casein, gluten, glycerin, synthetic colorants, synthetic flavor, and fragrance.

GLYDE - the OG. They also have great fair trade and labor practices, with a minimal carbon footprint. Certified with The Vegan Society, PETA’s Caring Consumer Program, Ethiquette, the Green Business Network and B Corp.

I just want your overall health longevity to surpass that post-sex glow and dopamine high.

XO #ExWel