Pharmaceutical grade silicone is a wonderful material as a base for lubes. It lasts for an incredibly long time and, since it doesn't dissolve in water, is ideal for use in the bath or shower. Because of the intense lubrication it is also superb for anal play.The drawback of silicone is that the body does not absorb it readily, so you will need to clean-up after yourself. We're not sure we like the idea of introducing silicone to the body on a regular basis, although every quality silicone lube uses pharmaceutical grade silicone. Our suggestion is to reserve siliconebased lubes for water play and anal sex. Silicone lubes are also condom friendly. A word of caution - be careful if you are using silicone toys. Silicone lube can sometimes react with silicone toys and they may start to dissolve on the surface! 'Silk' Lubricants More recently, some clever formulations have appeared which combine water and silicone components in one lube. The lube usually looks milky - because an emulsion of water and silicone has been created. Many people love this kind of lube - it is said to give a different feel and to provide just the right amount of slide and resistance to enhance the experience. As always, try it out and see what suits you best. For waterplay and possibly anal sex we would still, on balance, recommend a pure silicone product.