I received product in exchange for a review. This post contains affiliate links.
It’s no secret that I’m a lube pusher. Most of us are taught that vulva owners should be able to get wet whenever we’re aroused. That’s not the case.
We can’t all be Cardi B. (in more ways than one).
Lube is integral to sexual health and pleasure, but it can be confusing to navigate all the different options on the market.
While it’s easy to find a high quality all-purpose lube, there aren’t many lubes available or easily access for women in transition. When I learned about Chiavaye, which is for women during menopause or women with endometriosis, I had to test it out.
Keep reading for my full Chiavaye lube review.
About Chiavaye
Chiavaye (pronounnced KEE uh vay) was created by founder Kaylyn Easton. She struggled with severe endometriosis for most of her adult life and found sex very painful. She also listened the challenges her friends and family had about sex during menopause and after birthing children when formulating the lube.
Specifically, Chiavaye is designed for those with “vaginal dryness, discomfort, chaffing, irritation, burning, and thinning vaginal walls.”
It’s also billed as an everyday moisturizer for vaginal dryness.
Ingredients
Chiavaye is vegan and contains only 6 ingredients:
- sunflower seed oil
- grapeseed oil
- evening primrose
- coconut oil
- almond oil
- Vitamin E
Read more about each ingredient and their benefits on their site.
Note: As with any oil based lubricant, it is NOT condom compatible. Practice safe sex!
Oil based lubricants may stain sheets. I have not tested if it stained my sheets.
Packaging & Price
Chiavaye is comes a box with feminine colors. It arrived in a plain, brown shipping box. Very discreet and similar to how we ship our Bawdy Bookworms boxes.
The black glass bottle’s weight makes it feel very luxe. The dark glass also protects the ingredients from light. It’s available in 100mL bottle ($29.98) and 30mL bottle ($12.99) sizes. Prices are comparable with other lubricants of this quality.
I received the 100mL bottle for review.
Testing out the lube
While I’m not yet “going through transition” (that’s code for menopause), my Cardi B. moments aren’t as abundant these days. I’m tried many different lubes, but none formulated for vaginal dryness. When I’m reviewing a lube, I look at several factors.
Consistency
A good lube is neither runny nor gloopy. You don’t want it to drip all down your hand or bed before you can rub it on the right spots. And you don’t want globs of it stuck to your skin or hair. You want a Goldilocks lube.
Because it’s oil based, Chiavaye is runnier than I was used to. That’s not a bad trait at all. The bottle dispenses it in just the right amounts so I wasn’t worried about it dripping or running down my hand.
Chiavaye is light and non-greasy, which surprised me. During testing, I never felt like I was about to hop into the kitchen to fry eggs. (Not sure that metaphor worked.) In fact, after I rubbed into my skin (hand and more intimate body parts), some of it absorbed into my skin and moisturized it. There was still enough slickness remaining for playtime.
Because it’s light and non-greasy, you could use as an everyday moisturizer. Though if you have severe vaginal dryness, check with your doctor first.
Taste and scent
There’s no discernible taste or flavor. The ingredients are safe for oral play and will let your lover’s natural flavor shine through.
I’m sensitive to scents and did not detect any.
Using it on toys
Chiavaye should be compatible with most toys. I recommend sticking to ABS plastic, glass, and silicone. I bet the oil-based lube would be luxurious on a glass toy!
My main worry is cleaning the oil off toys with a lot of ridges or bumps. A good toy cleaner should be able to help with that.
Using it with a partner
After testing it solo, I didn’t have to do much convincing to test it out with my man. A little Chiavaye went a long way. It definitely moisturizes. It added just the right amount of lubrication without making me feel like a slip and slide.
While Chiavaye is designed for people with vulvas, it’s slick enough for people with penises to masturbate with. Probably not ideal, but it will do just fine.
My main concern while using this with my guy was the glass bottle. I’m sure the bottle is made of high quality glass (it certainly has heft). I was worried about grabbing for it in the semi-darkness or knocking it off my nightstand and possibly causing a mess. That concern took me out of the moment for a bit, but I pushed it aside to enjoy myself.
Post-sex, the lube didn’t feel sticky or greasy.
Final Thoughts
As someone who primarily uses a water based lubricant, I wasn’t sure how I’d like Chiavaye.
However after using it for a week, it’s earned a spot in my nightstand. In a safe spot that where the glass bottle won’t get jostled.
If you’re looking for a lubricant that can double as a light vaginal moisturizer, then Chiavaye is for you.
For those who use condoms or dental dams, I would stick with water-based lubes since the oils can degrade condoms.
And you ladies in transition, safe sex isn’t just about pregnancy–make sure to protect yourself from STIs (aka STDs for us old folks). Us older folks are even more susceptible to STIs because your vaginal walls are thin as we age, which can lead to tearing, which makes it easier to get infections.
You can purchase Chiavaye directly from their site. If you try it, let me know how it works for you!