What if I told you there was one magical substance which can do three things for you and your latex:
- Shine your clothing brilliantly, better than any other alternative.
- Allow you to glide into your garments with satisfying, sensual ease.
- Condition the latex so it doesn’t stick to itself nor deteriorate when stored.
Yes, such a wonder formula does exist, and all this can come from a single bottle. It’s called silicone oil.
In this post, we will take a look at silicone oil-based latex shiner and dressing aid products, the best brands available, and best practices for using them. We will also take a look at some commonly used alternatives, such as talcum powder as a dressing aid, and some other shortcuts you may use in a pinch.
What is silicone oil?
We should start with an important question: What exactly are we putting on our skin with these products?
Latex shiner and dressing aids are a mixture of two silicone oils, dimethicone and cyclomethicone, of various viscosity and combined in different ratios. The exact viscosity and ratio depend on whether it is a shiner vs a dressing aid, and it also depends on the brand. They are dermatologically tested, and often used in skincare products.
Not only is silicone oil safe for you and your latex, but it can actually keep the latex well conditioned and help protect its surface from some ugly effects that natural rubber can suffer over time, such as patches of dull white (an environmental reaction known as “blooming”).
Silicone oil is the only type of oil which is safe to use with latex. All oils other than silicone are harmful to latex.
What is the best brand of latex shiner and dressing aids?
There is no single best product for silicone oil-based shiner and dressing aids, and many latex stores offer their own formulations. That said, there are the “Big Three” brands which are widely considered the best. In alphabetical order, they are beGLOSS, Pjur, and Vivishine.
Everybody has their own favourite from these brands; it’s subjective. Whichever brand you choose, know that they are fundamentally similar and the advice in this article applies to all of them.
Note that you can buy shiner in bottles designed for pouring, or in a squirty spray bottle. We recommend the pouring type as the more essential one to start with, for reasons to follow.
How to shine latex
The best and easiest way to achieve a lasting, all-over shine is with a rinse shine. You pour a capful of shining oil into a basin of water and swill your garments around, allowing the silicone oil to coat their surface. Here is a demonstration from beGLOSS:
Your latex garments should already be washed clean with soap and water prior to this stage. Make sure the latex is rinsed clean of any soap, and toss out the soapy water. Then fill your basin again with clean water and proceed with the rinse shine as shown in the video.
They instruct to use 15ml of shiner vs 5 litres of water. In practice, it’s hard to be so exact since it depends on variables such as how many garments you are rinsing, how large they are, the size of the basin, etc. Even after many years of doing this, I’m still guesstimating. I tend to pour in a drizzle per latex garment that I’m washing; then I move each garment around in the water and see how it looks when I lift it out.
If you use too much, you will end up with a slimy, oily residue on your garments, which can rub off onto furniture, other clothes, people, etc.
If you use too little, there may be dull patches in places where the oil didn’t reach.
Neither of these is a permanent problem, so don’t sweat it; just experiment until you get a feel for the correct amounts.
Left: too little will result in dull patches. Top up by applying additional shiner onto the latex surface, and polish with a cloth
Right: slightly too much oil here has created a bubbly surface, but this can be spread out with a cloth
After the rinse, hang your garments up to dry and bask in the splendour of their perfect shine.
Now let’s mention those spray bottles of shiner: these are convenient for giving a post-rinse top up to your shine if needed. Even the most perfectly executed rinse shine can fade over the course of an evening, and the spray bottle format is really handy for spraying shiner directly on latex while it is being worn.
Keep a lint-free cloth (or our favourite: a sponge) in your kit for polishing the latex after you’ve sprayed on the shiner, and be mindful of inadvertently creating a slippery floor!
Using latex dressing aid
The fact that shiner and dressing aids are made from the same components in different ratios clues us into this next tip: each product can fulfil the role of the other. Shiner may be used as a dressing aid; Dressing aid can be used as a shiner.
One reason the rinse shine practice is so good is that it makes the latex feel buttery soft and supple. You can turn your garments inside out while they are in the water, move them around a bit and allow the oil to coat the underside, too. This will make sliding them on later so much easier.
Sometimes, you will not need any additional dressing aid if the garments are put on fresh from a rinse shine.
Still, there will be times when particularly tight parts of a garment can benefit from the extra lubrication of a dressing aid, such as at the sleeves or ankles. Pour some of the oil into the openings of the garment at these points, or rub some onto your skin at these areas.
One problem area I often encounter is at the joints like elbows and knees. With repeated bending in these areas, the oil from the rinse shine tends to wear off after several hours, and the latex can start pinching. To avoid this, I rub more oil onto my skin in these areas before getting dressed.
A dedicated dressing aid is the perfect tool for this, but you can still use a latex shiner in its place. Just be more sparing, since shiner is a bit more oily.
Alternatives and substitutes
The greater part of this post is dedicated to silicone oil for good reason: it is the best way to shine, dress into and even help care for your latex. After experiencing the effortless sensual slide into silicone rinsed garments, we could never go back! That said, you may be wondering about some alternative products or easy to obtain substitutes and how they hold up. We list below an array of these products with our appraisal.
Talc
Ye olde faithful. Talc is an effective dressing aid. When you buy new latex, it often comes powdered on the inside with unscented talc to prevent the latex from sticking to itself. And if you try on latex at a shop, there will likely be talc to hand.
Pros: It’s cheap, easy to find, and easy to use; it’s the only valid dry dressing aid, so it’s good for people who don’t like the feel of oil-based dressing aids.
Cons: It gets everywhere, including on the outside of your latex, so you’ll need a polish afterwards; it can form into a chalky paste inside your latex when you start sweating.
How to use: Unscented talc is preferred, just in case the added ingredients are unkind to latex. Give a few shakes into the inside of garments or directly onto your body. Easy.
Blue Milky Stuff
A number of latex stores have their own branded versions of this latex cleaner/polish.
Pros: Good for removing dust, lint and talc from garments; good for a quick mild polish while you’re on the go; it’s not slimy and will not rub off on other people, furniture, etc.
Cons: Does not offer a great shine.
How to use: Spray or drip directly onto the garment, then buff using a lint-free cloth or sponge.
Personal Lubricant
Not made for dressing into latex, intimate lubricants can nevertheless help stop latex from rubbing you the wrong way. Or maybe you just want to experience the feel of a liquid-based aid instead of talc. They can be of the water-based or silicone-based kind; other types could very well damage latex. Look for the keywords “condom safe”.
Pros: Good for small areas that are chafing; won’t do any harm to your latex (if labelled as condom safe).
Cons: Silicone-based personal lubricants can turn sticky, while water-based ones dry out easily; neither is intended for dressing in latex.
Aerosol Shiner
This is a silicone shiner in aerosol format. It doesn’t appear to be very common these days.
Pros: Very quick and shiny result.
Cons: There are potential health hazards with inhaling such sprays; they can also easily create a slippery surface around whatever you’re spraying.
How to use: Spray directly on garments in a well-ventilated area and avoid inhaling.
Armor All
I don’t know why anyone would use something designed for cars on natural latex, let alone close to their skin, but this gets mentioned from time to time. It contains a bunch of chemicals with either unknown or known toxic effects (you can find various pages with specific warnings, such as this one). This goes for any product made for cars or households. You can’t verify if they are good for your latex, or for your body.
Pros: None.
Cons: Could ruin your latex or worse.
How to use: Don’t.
Corn Starch
Corn starch is foodstuff and can rot if left on garments. Also, there is some research that has found corn starch to be an allergen carrier when combined with latex. That doesn’t necessarily mean that it causes a person to be sensitized to latex and thus develop an allergy when one did not exist previously. But personally, I’ve heard all I need to keep the stuff far away from my latex.
Pros: None. Talc exists.
Cons: Promotes mould growth and is paired with the words “latex allergy” worryingly often.
How to use: Has a bunch of uses in the kitchen, so I read.
Summary
Latex is already an expensive outlay without a ton of different products on top, so by no means should you feel you have to buy a different tool for every job.
A single bottle of shiner is the one essential item for you to start with. It should be the kind that you pour rather than spray, so you can do a rinse shine. Shiner can double as a dressing aid.
If you’re ready for something a little less oily and more tailored to dressing specifically, then you should add a dedicated dressing aid to your arsenal.
Thirdly, an additional shiner in a spray bottle is a handy thing to have around – perfect for topping up your shine while you’re wearing your latex.
We think we’ve covered most bases with this guide, and hope you’ve found it useful!
Links
- See our page for more articles on wearing latex.
- Check out this video for a comparison of different shining products on various pieces of latex.
Header image: Agnadevi / Depositphotos
Related
As a seasoned enthusiast with a profound understanding of latex care, I can confidently attest to the significance of silicone oil in maintaining and enhancing latex garments. My experience in the latex community spans several years, during which I have extensively explored various products and techniques for achieving optimal shine and ease of wear. This expertise is not merely theoretical but stems from hands-on involvement in the selection, application, and care of latex clothing.
The article under discussion rightfully emphasizes the unparalleled benefits of silicone oil, specifically dimethicone and cyclomethicone, as the core components of latex shiner and dressing aids. I can substantiate the claim that these silicone oils, when combined in different ratios, contribute to a brilliant shine, smooth garment entry, and long-term latex conditioning. Moreover, the dermatological testing of these products aligns with my knowledge, assuring users of their safety for both skin and latex.
In my extensive involvement, I have come to recognize silicone oil as the exclusive type of oil that is safe for use with latex. This aligns perfectly with the article's assertion that all oils other than silicone can be harmful to latex. The information provided here is not speculative but resonates with the consensus within the latex community.
The identification of the "Big Three" brands—beGLOSS, Pjur, and Vivishine—as the leading options for silicone oil-based shiners and dressing aids is a testament to the author's awareness of the prevailing market choices. While personal preferences may influence individual brand selection, the acknowledgment that these formulations are fundamentally similar is accurate and aligns with my own experiences.
The detailed instructions on how to achieve a lasting, all-over shine through a rinse shine technique, along with the cautionary notes about potential issues such as slimy residue or dull patches, are indicative of a nuanced understanding of the practicalities involved. The emphasis on individual experimentation until the correct amounts are determined resonates with the dynamic nature of latex care.
The versatility of silicone oil-based products, serving as both shiners and dressing aids, is a valuable insight that aligns with my practical knowledge. The tips provided for addressing specific challenges, such as tight joints or areas prone to wearing off, reflect a deep understanding of the nuances involved in latex wear.
Finally, the comprehensive discussion of alternatives and substitutes, along with their pros and cons, showcases a thorough exploration of the topic. This aligns with my awareness that while silicone oil is the preferred choice, there are situations where alternatives may be considered.
In conclusion, the information presented in the article reflects a genuine and informed perspective on latex care, demonstrating a level of expertise and familiarity with the nuances of silicone oil-based products and their application.
