K-Y Jelly

Last updated
K-Y
K-Y brand logo 2020.png
Product type Personal lubricants
Owner Reckitt
CountryUS
Introduced1904;119 years ago (1904)
Previous owners
Website www.k-y.com

K-Y Jelly is a water-based, water-soluble personal lubricant, most commonly used as a lubricant for sexual intercourse and masturbation. A variety of different products and formulas are produced under the K-Y banner, some of which are not water-soluble.

Contents

History

Various K-Y Jelly tubes K-Y Gel.jpg
Various K-Y Jelly tubes
The origins [and meaning] of the brand name 'K-Y®' are unknown. Two popular myths are that (1) it was created in Kentucky and (2) the letters represent the key ingredients used to make the lubricant. ... [W]e can confirm that neither of these myths are true ... [1]

Introduced in January 1904 by pharmaceutical company and suture manufacturer Van Horn and Sawtell of New York City, [2] and later acquired by Johnson & Johnson, K-Y Jelly's original stated purpose was as a surgical lubricant, and it was often chosen by doctors because of its natural base. The product is now more widely used as a sexual lubricant to supplement the moisture required for performing sexual acts. [3]

Reckitt Benckiser purchased the brand in 2014 and integrated the brand as the sub-brand of Durex. [4]

Properties

Unlike petroleum-based lubricants, K-Y jelly is biologically inert, reacting with neither latex condoms nor silicone-based sex toys, and contains no added colors or perfumes. [5] It is non-staining and easy to clean up. Despite having a thick consistency and a tendency to dry out during use, it can be "reactivated" by the addition of saliva or water. [6]

The product contains no spermicide and thus cannot be used to prevent pregnancy. A formulation containing nonoxynol-9 was removed from the market after the spermicide was found to facilitate the spread of HIV. [7]

K-Y Jelly has been available over the counter in the United States since 1980. [8]

Composition

K-Y NG uses glycerin and hydroxyethyl cellulose as the lubricant, with chlorhexidine gluconate, glucono delta-lactone, methylparaben and sodium hydroxide as antiseptic and preservative additives. The liquid form of the product combines glycerin with propylene glycol, sorbitol, and Natrosol 250H (a brand of hydroxyethyl cellulose) for lubrication, with benzoic acid, methylparaben and sodium hydroxide as additives.[ citation needed ]

Uses

Medical

In addition to its use as a personal lubricant,[ citation needed ] K-Y Jelly is employed by clinicians to perform prostate and gynecological examinations.[ citation needed ]

It is used by dentists to cover composite restorations when light curing. This prevents the oxygen inhibitation layer which causes marginal discolouration of restorations.

It has been noted as an alternative to conventional ultrasound coupling gel. [9]

Other

It is also used by special effects technicians to create a "slimy" appearance or simulate saliva for animatronic monsters, most notably the Alien series. [10]

Related Research Articles

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Gelatin desserts are desserts made with a sweetened and flavoured processed collagen product (gelatin). This kind of dessert was first recorded as jelly by Hannah Glasse in her 18th-century book The Art of Cookery, appearing in a layer of trifle. Jelly is also featured in the best selling cookbooks of English food writers Eliza Acton and Isabella Beeton in the 19th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Soap</span> Substance used for cleaning

Soap is a salt of a fatty acid used in a variety of cleansing and lubricating products. In a domestic setting, soaps are surfactants usually used for washing, bathing, and other types of housekeeping. In industrial settings, soaps are used as thickeners, components of some lubricants, and precursors to catalysts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Windex</span>

Windex is an American brand of glass and hard-surface cleaners—originally in glass containers, later in plastic ones.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Petroleum jelly</span> Chemical substance used as a lubricating agent and topical ointment

Petroleum jelly, petrolatum, white petrolatum, soft paraffin, or multi-hydrocarbon, CAS number 8009-03-8, is a semi-solid mixture of hydrocarbons, originally promoted as a topical ointment for its healing properties. Vaseline has been a well known American brand of petroleum jelly since 1870.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nonoxynol-9</span> Chemical compound

Nonoxynol-9, sometimes abbreviated as N-9, is an organic compound that is used as a surfactant. It is a member of the nonoxynol family of nonionic surfactants. N-9 and related compounds are ingredients in various cleaning and cosmetic products. It is widely used in contraceptives for its spermicidal properties.

Spermicide is a contraceptive substance that destroys sperm, inserted vaginally prior to intercourse to prevent pregnancy. As a contraceptive, spermicide may be used alone. However, the pregnancy rate experienced by couples using only spermicide is higher than that of couples using other methods. Usually, spermicides are combined with contraceptive barrier methods such as diaphragms, condoms, cervical caps, and sponges. Combined methods are believed to result in lower pregnancy rates than either method alone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Personal lubricant</span> Substance to reduce friction, usually during sexual acts

Personal lubricants are specialized lubricants used during sexual acts, such as intercourse and masturbation, to reduce friction to or between the penis and vagina, anus or other body parts or applied to sex toys to reduce friction or to ease penetration. Surgical or medical lubricants or gels, which are similar to personal lubricants but not usually referred to or labelled as "personal" lubricants, may be used for medical purposes such as speculum insertion or introduction of a catheter. The primary difference between personal and surgical lubricants is that surgical lubricants are thicker, sterile gels, typically containing a bacteriostatic agent. As of 2015 the personal lubricant market was estimated to be worth at least $400 million.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Methyl cellulose</span> Chemical compound

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Savlon</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hydroxyethyl cellulose</span> Chemical compound

Hydroxyethyl cellulose is a gelling and thickening agent derived from cellulose. It is widely used in cosmetics, cleaning solutions, and other household products. Hydroxyethyl cellulose and methyl cellulose are frequently used with hydrophobic drugs in capsule formulations, to improve the drugs' dissolution in the gastrointestinal fluids. This process is known as hydrophilization.

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References

  1. "K-Y FAQ's: What is the meaning behind the brand name 'K-Y®'?" . Retrieved 2018-06-10.
  2. Antiseptic non-fatty and soluble lubricating jelly
  3. "K-Y Jelly Water Based Personal Lube". K-Y.
  4. Ballard, Ed (2014-03-10). "Reckitt Benckiser Buys K-Y Brand". The Wall Street Journal . Retrieved 2017-03-09.
  5. Ajjapa, Arun Kumar; S, Anusha (2020-09-15). "To compare the efficacy of application of bethamethasone gel with KY jelly for prophylaxis of post operative sore throat". Indian Journal of Clinical Anaesthesia. 7 (3): 466–469. doi:10.18231/j.ijca.2020.084. ISSN   2394-4994.
  6. "KY Jelly". Drugs.com . February 19, 2019. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
  7. Zimmerman, Rachel (2002-09-25). "Some Makers, Vendors Drop N-9 Spermicide on HIV Risk". The Wall Street Journal . Retrieved 2017-03-09.
  8. Sauer, Abram (2006-08-27). "K-Y's Brand Identity Makeover". BusinessWeek . Retrieved 2017-03-09.
  9. Yambot, Kristine; Dilay, Jetro; Mauhay, Jayson; Mendoza, Mark; Caparas, Ariel; Dumaoal, Oliver (2018). "Comparison of KY-jelly and ultrasound transmission gel as coupling medium for ultrasound imaging" (PDF). Asia Pacific Journal of Allied Health Sciences. 1. ISSN   2704-3568 . Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  10. Smith, Jason; Gallardo, Ximena (2006). Alien Woman: The Making of Lt. Ellen Ripley. Continuum. p. 26. ISBN   978-0826419101.