Lubricant is an absolute requirement for anal sex. The anus naturally contains no moisture or substance that facilitates penetration. To ease anal penetration with penis or a sex toy, you can use lubricant. There are special lubricants for anal sex and EasyGlide Relaxing Anal is great. The description says that this lubricant contains ingredients that have a "slightly numbing" effect. We were immediately curious.
Unboxing
EasyToys sent the items in an anonymous box. The bottle contains 150 ml and has a 'flip' cap that you can easily open and close with 1 finger. This way it is very easy to get the right amount. The bottle has a no-nonsense look.
The EasyGlide Relaxing Anal lubricant has added ingredients that, according to the description, would have a slightly numbing effect. This is useful, especially if you find anal sex a bit painful. It is a water-based lubricant and therefore safe to use with a condom or toys. It has also been clinically tested and found to be skin-friendly (hypoallergenic). In short, a promising lubricant.
Ingredients
I am always very curious about the ingredients of a lubricant. It is something that you put on your intimate parts. I was also curious about what might create the "mild numbing effect". I understand from the label that this lubricant contains a large number of components that are quite normal in the cosmetic industry. One of the special ingredients is "laureth-9". This is an agent that is used in the pharmaceutical industry for skin irritations or to treat small wounds. It also contains 'avena sativa kernel extract'. It is extracted from oatmeal and is often used in facial cream to prevent irritation. A third ingredient is 'humulus lupulus cone extract'. This is extracted from the hop plant and has a relaxing effect. There is also a hint of menthol in it. In short, I didn't see any ingredients that were red flags.
The test drive
EasyGlide Relaxing Anal is tasteless and smells a little bit minty. I had previously tested another EasyGlide water-based lubricant and found it to be a little watery. That's often not a problem. I also thought the Relaxing Anal was a little thin. If you put a little on your hand, it will run off immediately. This makes it somewhat thinner than water-based lubricants from other brands. For an anal lubricant, however, I think that's not such a great feature. Since the anus itself doesn't produce a natural lubricant, it's important (my partner and I think) for it to be reasonably thick and oily and last a long time.
First, I tried the Relaxing Anal lubricant on a glass butt plug and quickly realized that I had used too little. But when I wanted to put some extra on the butt plug it didn't stick well because it's too thin. I applied it a few extra times, but for anal toys I prefer silicone-based lubricant. It is often a bit more oily and thicker.
Then my partner and I used it for anal penetration (on her). Normally we also use water-based lubricant from another brand. We applied a generous amount (a few squeezes) of EasyGlide to my penis and around her anus. Penetration was quite easy. You can't really "feel" the slight numbing effect. By that I mean that the anus (and penis) does not feel numb or desensitized. So it's not comparable to something like anesthetic lidocaine cream, and that is a good thing. What you don't want is for the anus to become so numb that you don't notice when the friction starts to cause small tears.
Conclusion
EasyGlide lubricants are some of the cheapest you can find (€7.95 for 150 ml is really nothing). It is safe to use with condoms and toys. The bottles are easy to open and it's also very easy to dispense the right amount. The lube is fine if you don't have too many demands and don't want to spend too much money.
EasyToys Relaxing Anal is a great lubricant for anal penetration (ass fucking), even if you use a condom with it. It facilitates penetration, without completely numbing the anus (which is a good thing). For use with anal toys, my partner and I find it a bit too watery.