When most people think about lubricants, they focus on the obvious: texture, glide, and comfort. But for products designed for vaginal use, how it interacts with the vaginal microbiome is equally important. This community of bacteria, dominated by species of Lactobacillus, helps maintain a healthy pH, protect against infection, and support overall vaginal health.

Recognizing this, we tested our Natural Prebiotic Lubricant under the MyMicrobiome Standard 21.10, an international protocol designed to evaluate whether a product disrupts, supports, or maintains the balance of microbes in the vaginal tract. The outcome: our formula earned an overall grade of 1.5 out of 3—low enough to qualify for the “Microbiome-Friendly” seal.

You can read more about MyMicrobiome and their official test protocols, Here

What Does “Microbiome-Friendly” Mean?

The certification indicates that the lubricant does not disturb the protective bacteria that dominate a healthy vaginal environment. The key players include Lactobacillus crispatus, L. gasseri, and L. jensenii. These microbes help sustain an acidic environment and produce compounds that suppress pathogens like Gardnerella vaginalis (bacteria that is responsible for BV).

The testing showed three important outcomes:

• Balance: The product preserved the ratio between beneficial and potentially harmful microbes, preventing harmful overgrowth.
• Diversity: It maintained the presence of core Lactobacillus species, particularly L. crispatus, which is associated with optimal vaginal health[i].
• Growth Support: Both in direct and indirect contact, the lubricant allowed beneficial microbes to thrive, rather than suppressing them.

A Closer Look

1. Microbiological Quality

Before testing the microbiome, the product was screened for contamination. It showed no trace of harmful organisms such as E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, or Candida albicans. This test is the bare-minimum for all products that you buy.

2. Balance Between Good and Bad Bacteria

To measure balance, researchers grew L. crispatus (beneficial) and G. vaginalis (potentially harmful) together. When exposed to the lubricant, the ratio of beneficial to harmful bacteria does not change. This shows that the lubricant will not disrupt a healthy vaginal microbiome. 

3. Diversity of Key Species

Three important species—L. crispatus, L. gasseri, and L. jensenii—were incubated with the lubricant for four hours. L. crispatus flourished, increasing in density by 700%, while the others remained stable, meaning the protective core of the microbiome was preserved.

4. Growth Behavior

Finally, the tests examined growth both in direct contact with the lubricant and in indirect exposure (the surrounding environment). In both cases, the bacteria grew as well as, or better than, in the control group, indicating that the product does not interfere with microbial activity.

The Results

Each test is scored on a three-point scale, where 1 represents no effect and 3 represents a strong effect. The lubricant received:

• Balance: 1.0
• Diversity: 2.0
• Direct contact growth: 1.3
• Indirect contact growth: 1.3
  Overall: 1.5, earning the official Microbiome-Friendly seal.

Why It Matters

Lubricants are not required to undergo microbiome testing, and thus, many brands do not undergo testing. That leaves consumers with little information about how a product may affect their health. Independent certification helps close that gap.

For users, the MyMicrobiome seal offers reassurance: the product has been measured, tested, and confirmed not to disrupt the vaginal microbiome. It means comfort without compromise—supporting natural defenses rather than undermining them.

In a market where safety claims are easy to make but harder to verify, third-party validation provides an extra measure of confidence.