Slippery Foundation

The transition from traditional sex to fisting requires the acquisition and implementation of new skills and knowledge, especially regarding lubrication. Becoming familiar with the language of lube, core principles associated with fisting lube, and the most commonly used lubes will help you integrate into the fisting community.

Lube Jargon and Glossary

Fisters use a variety of unique terms related to lube. These terms may be unfamiliar to new and inexperienced fisters.

Core Rationale

There are three reasons for applying lube: comfort, injury prevention, and connection.

Comfort

Lubrication decreases friction/drag and wear, two major contributors to discomfort during fisting.

With traditional anal sex, some drag/friction may be pleasurable. The drag/friction caused by a hard-on is minimal compared to a fist, wrist, and arm.

Liberal use of lube diminishes most of the discomfort caused by large objects penetrating or attempting to penetrate the fist chute.

Injury Prevention

Lube helps prevent various types of fisting injuries. Those injuries include microtears, fissures, and perforations.

Microtears take weeks to months to heal, fissures can require surgical intervention, and perforations can take almost a year to heal before fisting can occur again.

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Connection

The emotional bond achieved during fisting is linked to a bottom's confidence in the skills of his top.

Misapplication of lube or failure to follow standard practices and etiquette associated with lube affects this confidence.

Propper application of lube signals to a bottom that the top is experienced, attentive, and concerned about his bottom's well-being. This allows the bottom to relax and makes penetration at any depth easier.

Common Fisting Lubes

There are seven major categories of sexual lubes (or lube bases) and several minor categories, but there is very little crossover between fisting lubes and traditional anal sex lubes. This is primarily due to the quantity of lube used during a fisting session. For example, while silicone works as a fisting lubricant, a typical session requires a minimum of 60 mL (2 fluid ounces or 4 tablespoons) to prevent injury and provide maximum comfort. At a cost of 10 to 40 USD ($) per three ounces, fisters could spend 30 - 80 USD ($) in a single session where both players are versatile.

The two most common lubricants are food-grade emulsifiers, specifically polyethylene oxides (PEOs) and food-grade lipids, specifically shortening. These two categories of lube provide good coverage per dollar while providing high lubricity.

PEO-based lubes are usually liquids and tend to be less viscous than lipids, which are often creams or solids at room temperature.

  • PEO
  • J Lube
  • K Lube
  • X Lube
  • FFäusten
  • Lipids
  • Crisco
  • Trex
  • Generic Shortening
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In addition to PEO and Lipid-based lubes, there are several commercial lubes that are "made-for-fisting" and are typically lipid-petroleum-PEO-silicone hybrids. These include brands such as Elbow Grease and Boy Butter.

While many sex shops sell fisting lubricants, the mark-up is pretty high. Lubes purchased directly from the vendor via a catalog or website is usually the best method for acquiring lube. Although Amazon and Ali Baba offer lubes, there are reports of knockoffs that suffer in quality and safety.

Crisco
Figure 1.1: Crisco

Shortenings like Crisco and Trex were the original fisting lubricants from the previous century. These and other lipid-based lubes provide excellent base coats and can be used as stand-alone lubricants.

FFäusten
Figure 1.2: Elbow Grease

Several commercial hybrid lubes combine petroleum distillates, lipids and PEOs to create silky creams. The cost per ml is substantially higher than shortenings, PEOs, and gums.

FFäusten
Figure 1.3: FFäusten

FFäusten is a PEO that provides great coverage for punch and depth play. Other lubes in its class include K Lube and X Lube. All three have higher manufacturing standards than J Lube.

Xanthan Gum
Figure 1.4: Xanthan Gum

Xanthan gum, another powered emulsifier, can be used alone or in a mix with other ingredients. Gums increase the viscosity and lubricity of lubrication and are common ingredients in food and cosmetics.

Protocols

Protocols include standard practices and etiquette followed by the majority of the fisting community. Typically, these are things that new fisters pick up over time.

Etiquette

Etiquette refers to how you treat others in a specific fisting scenario.

Standard Practices

Standard Practices refers to common sense behaviors related to fisting activities.

Best Practices

With all the ins and outs of lubrication, it is easy to become overwhelmed—especially if you are new to fisting. Usually, during your first few sessions, your mentors will prepare lube for you and expose you to the major differences between fisting and fucking lubricants. They will cover basic application procedures. Some best practices may be missed or overlooked in initial lube training. These include lube preparation, application frequency and quantity, safety concerns, and shelf life.

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Application Ideologies

Most fisters adhere to two ideologies regarding lubricant application:

  • Reapply Lube When Requested | If a bottom feels there isn't enough lube and asks for more, reapply.
  • After honoring multiple, frequent requests, the top should investigate the reason for these requests.
  • If a bottom requests more lube even though his hole is overlubricated, it typically means one of two things: 1) his hole is tiring out, or 2) the top has poor fisting technique. The latter is more common than the former.
  • Over Lubricate Rather Than Under Lubricate | Lube should be applied liberally—any excess will be absorbed or expelled.
  • There are two common mistakes with new fisters: 1) Applying the same amount of lube for fisting as is done for fucking, and 2) attempting to conserve lube.
  • A dollop of lube is insufficient, even with long-lasting lubes such as silicone or petroleum distillate-based lubes. A typical fister, 2-hour session uses at least 250 to 500 ml (1 to 2 cups) of lube.
  • The most common fisting lubricants are cheap. Conserving lube for the next session is not advisable. Unused lube that was in the play area should be discarded after a session due to potential contamination.
Man With Lube On Gloves
Figure 3.1: Sufficient Lubrication

Sufficient application of lube is an early indicator of topping skills. If a top applies too little too late, then the bottom will not open up freely.

Failing to integrate these ideologies may result in serious harm to a bottom, and ostracization within the community if consistently non-compliant.

Safety Concerns

Preparing and maintaining possession over your lube prevents multiple issues that can put you at risk:

  • Lube Consistency | Mixing your own batch ensures you have the consistency you like or require. Lubricity is affected by viscosity—too little or too much viscosity may result in discomfort and/or injury.
  • Lube Contamination | Keeping your lube bottle with you prevents others from accidentally introducing STIs and infectious agents into your lube or lube bottle. When your lube is used in another's session, you inherit any microorganisms from that session.
  • Lube Ingredients | Certain additives, like clove oil, and certain base ingredients, like xanthan gum, may trigger allergic reactions. Use your own recipe that is safe for your hole rather than someone else's concoction.
  • Lube Maleficence | Harmful drugs could be present in lubes supplied by nefarious tops. The intention is that you lose control of your mental faculties and your ability to consent.
  • Lube Putrefaction | Exposure to cooking utensils, dispensers, and room air introduces bacteria and fungi that will colonize your lube and cause it to "spoil." Relying on another person to guarantee freshness is problematic.
Nefarious Witch Poisoned Apple
Figure 3.2 [ A - B ]: Chain of Control

Preparing and maintaining your own lube ensures your lube is safe and free of microbial contaminants or substances introduced by nefarious individuals.

Shelf Life

The shelf life of lubrication varies based on several factors. These include exposure to contaminants, nature of ingredients, and presence of preservatives.

Contaminants

As a rule of thumb, any lube that was touched during play is contaminated. This includes any contact with the dispersing container. To prevent wasting lube, prepare only what is needed. If excess is prepared, store the extra in separate bottles away from the play area, preferably in the refrigerator or freezer.

Any lube prepared outside of a sterile laboratory will be exposed to contaminants, specifically fungi and bacteria. Lube prepared in humid climates will be colonized much faster than lube prepared in desert climates. So even if a lube has never been exposed to the play area, eventually it will need to be discarded.

Storage of Lube
Figure 3.3: Fresh Lube Bottles in Fridge

Contamination avoided by storing fresh bottles in fridge away from play spaces.

Nature of Ingredients

Very few lubes have extended shelf lives. Some are prone to microbial colonization, some are prone to spoilage, and others are prone to decay of active ingredients.

Single Use Lubricants

Lubes with these ingredients should be used only once and discarded* within 48 hours after mixing:

  • J Lube | This lube contains the dispersing agent dextrose, which is an excellent food source for many microorganisms.
  • Gums | Xanthan gum, guar gum, etc. create ideal growth mediums with adequate nutrition for microorganisms.

Some factors may extend the life of these lubes, including the introduction of preservatives, contamination management protocols, and refrigerated storage.

Lubes and Ingredients with Expiration Dates

Attention should be given to expiration dates for these lubes and lube ingredients. If expired or near the expiration date, they should be discarded:

  • Lipids | Crisco and coconut oil can go rancid with time. Keep no more than three months after mixing.
  • Gums | If kept in dry, cool places, gums such as xanthan and guar can last forever; however, most manufacturers include expiration dates on the packaging. These lubes begin losing lubricating qualities after that time. Fist Powder has xanthan as a primary ingredient and thus has an expiration date.

Lubes Containing Preservatives

Preservatives can extend the life of lube for a long period of time. Although colonization is unlikely, the active ingredients in these lubes degrade over time and should be discarded no later than three months after mixing.

Lubrication Course Index

The following lubrication courses are available from Fist Theory's Handball Academy:

Course ID Course Title Skill Level Executive Summary