Having a pleasurable sexual experience is paramount to increasing intimacy and connection with your partner. One important aspect of a satisfying sexual experience is foreplay; not only does it feel good, but it also increases bonding, communication, trust and emotional connection with one another. There are so many ways to incorporate foreplay into your sex-life; not only through techniques but also by adding in sex-toys and products into your experience. 

With this in mind, let’s explore the importance of foreplay, sex-toys and products that enhance foreplay whilst learning foreplay tips on how to increase pleasure and foreplay into your sex-life.

The importance of foreplay 

Foreplay is an important part of any sex-life, yet at times, we can often overlook this important ingredient in an eagerness to immediately engage in sexual intercourse. However, by avoiding foreplay, we are missing out on a critical component of our sexual experience. Not only does it increase emotional intimacy, it also increases physical pleasure, creating longer-lasting and more intense orgasms.

Here are four reasons why foreplay benefits your sex-life; 

Increases emotional connection 

Foreplay is a great way of increasing emotional bonding with your partner. Being able to share sexual desires, inner fantasies and interest in various sex-toys encourages us to be vulnerable and communicate openly with our partners which in turn increases trust and intimacy. 

Increased arousal 

Another benefit to adding foreplay into your sex-life is it allows the body to prepare for intercourse. When we experience foreplay, blood flow increases to our genital areas, which make our nerve endings more sensitive to touch, leading to heightened sensitivity and enhanced pleasure during sexual intercourse. 

Increased lubrication 

Lubrication is important in making sex feel comfortable and enjoyable - without appropriate lubrication, sex may cause friction leading to discomfort and irritation. When we engage in foreplay, it encourages the genitals to produce natural lubricant, making sex feel more enjoyable and pleasurable.

Reduces stress

Our lives can often feel stressful and fast-paced, so by adding foreplay into our  day-to-day life it encourages us to unwind and focus on the moment. Foreplay is a natural stress-reliever, as it releases certain feel-good hormones; oxytocin (known for increasing intimacy and bonding), endorphins (known for increasing euphoria and mood), dopamine (known for pleasure and reward) and serotonin (mood regulation and emotional wellbeing).

Sex products and Sex Toys that Benefit Foreplay 

With so many enticing sex products and sex-toys on the market, it can often be overwhelming to know which ones to use. Here’s a breakdown of a few different products and toys that have been specifically designed to increase pleasure, enhance intimacy and provide you with more satisfying orgasms.

Lubricants

Using water-based lubricants for foreplay is a great way of making sure your sexual experience is more comfortable and enjoyable. For some people, hormonal changes, stress or medication can often result in lower levels of natural lubrication, causing sexual activity to feel painful or uncomfortable. However, by adding water-based lubricants into your sex-life, it can mimic our own natural lubrication leading to an increase in comfort and pleasure whilst being completely safe to use with sex-toys and condoms. 

Vibrators 

Vibrators come in various shapes and sizes, and help to stimulate genital areas or erogenous zones, causing higher arousal and increased pleasure. Using a vibrator can help add new sensations and stimulations to foreplay, providing different techniques than our hands, fingers or mouths. Vibrators can be used with a partner or on its own, depending on your preference and also helps to increase blood flow to the genitals, creating more intense orgasms. 

Condoms

Condoms are another great product to add into your foreplay experience. Condoms provide a barrier between sexual fluids from being transferred, reducing the risk of unintended pregnancy and contracting sexually transmitted infections. Condoms can be used for oral sex, sexual intercourse or with sex-toys and other products, such as lubricants. They can offer different sensations and experiences, such as ribs and dots, cooling and warming and there’s even condoms to delay ejaculation.

Massage oils 

Another sexual product that can be added into your foreplay experience are massage oils. Not only do they create a more sensual and relaxing experience, they can also help to ease tension, increase intimacy and bonding whilst increasing anticipation of what’s to come. Feeling more relaxed before sexual activity takes place can cause our bodies to relax, increasing heightened arousal leading to more intense orgasms. 

Blindfold

Using a blindfold whilst having foreplay can be a powerful sexual tool that can increase sexual connection and make the act of foreplay more satisfying. When you use blindfolds, the sense of sight becomes restricted, which means other senses (touch, taste, smell) become more enhanced, meaning the slightest touch becomes ultra-sensitive. Not only that, but the element of anticipation is also enhanced, as your partner is not able to predict or fully anticipate what sensations will come next… 

 Tips on how to increase pleasure and foreplay into your sex-life 

• Open communication: Share your fantasies and desires with your partner, letting them know what turns you on and what feels good. Whilst your partner is doing something that feels pleasurable, let them know to encourage more of it. By sharing what feels good and what doesn’t, let’s your partner know what to keep doing more off…

• Slow it down: Increase the anticipation and intensify pleasure by slowing foreplay down. Whether you are using sexual products, sex-toys, your fingers or tongue - by taking your time with each caress, kiss or movement will increase your partner's sexual arousal leading to a more satisfying orgasm. 

• Use condoms: Using condoms in your foreplay can help reduce the stress or anxiety of unintended pregnancy or contracting a sexually transmitted infection. If you are feeling more relaxed, your body will increase arousal and natural lubrication causing foreplay to feel more pleasurable. 

• Explore erogenous zones: There are other parts of the body that also cause pleasurable sensations, such as the neck, inner thigh or ears. Focusing on other areas of the body, rather than straight for the genitals, can lead to more heightened sensitivity and more intense orgasms.