Divine lubricants

Divine is a brand of personal lubricant manufactured by Divine Corporation in Orlando, Florida.

Divine No. 9 (also referred to as Divine 9) is a water-based product used for both external massage and internal lubrication during sexual activity. The primary ingredient of Divine No. 9 is an extract from a sea kelp, also known as carrageenan. As formulated by the Divine Corporation, the carrageenan yields a smooth, slippery liquid which is very similar to a woman's natural vaginal fluid. The formulation has good play characteristics in that the product stays slippery for an acceptable amount of time and the slip can be regenerated by the addition of water or body fluids. The evaporation characteristics are also unique in that the carrageenan acts as a natural skin moisturizer as the liquid evaporates away, leaving a satin feel to the skin, similar to a layer of baby powder.

Product Variations

Divine No. 9 is one of two slightly different products from Divine Corporation. The other product, Divine No. 8, is formulated similarly but includes a slight vanilla flavor. When used as a massage lotion, the flavoring generates a distinct vanilla aroma. The company selected vanilla as their one flavored product because of the work of [http://www.scienceofsmell.com Dr. Alan Hirsh] on the sexual response to scents. In a research study described in the book Scentsational Sex, Dr. Hirsh found that vanilla was one of the very few scents that subconsciously affect both men and women as measured by increased penile and clitoral blood flow. [Cite book
publisher = Element Books
isbn = 1862042411
pages = 192
last = Hirsch
first = Alan R., M.D.
title = Scentsational Sex: The Secret to Using Aroma for Arousal
year = 1998
month = April]

Massage

Divine No. 9 is one of a few personal lubricants that also labels itself a massage lotion. The same slip and evaporation characteristics useful in sexual encounters makes Divine No. 9 a good choice for massage. Most lotions are intended as skin moisturizers and therefore are designed to quickly evaporate and absorb into the skin. This inherent characteristic of typical lotions requires frequent re-application and can result in undesirable build up of product on the skin after an extended massage. As a result, massage is traditionally performed with oils. Since oils do not evaporate, the skin is left with an oil residue that must eventually be washed off. This residue is acceptable in some situations and undesirable in others.

As a Microbicide

Studies suggest that carrageenans might function as topical microbicides, blocking sexually transmitted viruses like Herpes simplex virus and human papillomavirus (HPV), which is known to cause cervical cancer. Divine No. 9 was one of the lubricants tested in the two National Cancer Institute studies. In the first "in vitro" study, Divine No. 9 and Divine No. 8 were found to be a potent HPV inhibitor. [Cite journal
doi = 10.1371/journal.ppat.0020069
volume = 2
issue = 7
pages = e69
last = Buck
first = Christopher B
coauthors = Cynthia D Thompson, Jeffrey N Roberts, Martin Müller, Douglas R Lowy, John T Schiller
title = Carrageenan Is a Potent Inhibitor of Papillomavirus Infection
journal = PLoS Pathogens
date = 2006
quote = An unscented version of the product, Divine N° 9, does not list ingredients on its packaging or at its manufacturer's website, but its high potency suggests that it, too, may contain carrageenan.] Other products containing carrageenan were also tested in the studies and some were found to be ineffective, implying that the effectiveness may depend on the exact formulation. [Buck 2006: "It is possible that ForPlay Gel Plus either contains very little carrageenan, or contains a less-inhibitory type of carrageenan. Alternatively, interactions between carrageenan and other compounds in ForPlay Gel Plus may abrogate the inhibitory effects of the carrageenan."] Although the researchers were optimistic and showed that the products "block HPV infectivity in vitro, even when diluted a million-fold", they emphasize that "it would be inappropriate to recommend currently available products for use as topical microbicides" until further human tests are complete.

The second National Cancer Institute "in vivo" study used mice to determine how the popular spermicide nonoxynol-9 (N-9) and carrageenan affected the genital transmission of HPV pseudoviruses. [Cite journal
doi = 10.1038/nm1598
issn = 1078-8956
volume = 13
issue = 7
pages = 857–861
last = Roberts
first = Jeffrey N
coauthors = Christopher B Buck, Cynthia D Thompson, Rhonda Kines, Marcelino Bernardo, Peter L Choyke, Douglas R Lowy, John T Schiller
title = Genital transmission of HPV in a mouse model is potentiated by nonoxynol-9 and inhibited by carrageenan
journal = Nature Medicine
accessdate = 2007-09-05
year = 2007
month = July
quote = Two commercial carrageenan-containing lubricants (Divine No. 9 and BIOglide) that showed strong inhibitory activity in an "in vitro" pseudovirus assay similarly prevented detectable infection "in vivo".] Presence of N-9 spermicide in the vaginal tract greatly increased susceptiblity of infection. When N-9 was introduced to the vaginal tract in combination with Divine No. 9, the researchers found no detectable infection.

Ingredients

Divine No. 9 is formulated from purified water, extracts from sea kelp (carrageenan), propylene glycol, and saccharin. While Divine Corporation does not make the claim that Divine No. 9 is edible, all the Divine No. 9 ingredients are edible individually and used in various food products. As examples, carrageenan is used in some ice creams, propylene glycol is used in some food colorings, and saccharin is used in some diet soft drinks.

References

External links

[http://www.divinetimes.com Divine Corporation]