Lubricant Encore Histoire d’Eau by Soft Paris

In my quest to discover new lubricants, my path led me to the Encore Histoire d’Eau🛒 a water-based lubricant from Soft Paris 🦊. Soft Paris is a French brand that I contacted in November 2023. I wanted to offer them the opportunity to write a review of this version of their lubricant.

Water-based lubricants are so varied that it’s easy to get lost. Between the drying time, the possible viscosity when drying, the taste, the smell, the more or less safe components… In fact, I’ve written an article to help you choose the base of a lubricant 🦊 according to your activity.

We’re going to talk about its hold, the time it takes to dry, its smell, its pH and its osmolality. From there, it’s up to you to decide whether it’s right for you. In this review, I’ll give you some of the things I like about it and some of the things I don’t. It’s up to you to make up your own mind. It’s then up to you to make up your own mind about the lubricant Encore Histoire d’Eau by Soft Paris.

The parcel was received discreetly. The parcel was an ordinary cardboard box used to protect its contents from any indiscreet questioning. In our case, it was lubricant, but since they sell lingerie, sex toys and other goodies… It’s safe to say that their shipments are sent without attracting attention.

The lubricant was contained in a kraft envelope inside the package. Also included was a second lubricant, Encore +🛒, silicone-based, which I’ll detail in a later review.

Front of the box containing “Encore Histoire d’Eau” water-based lubricant

Back of the same box containing the water-based lubricant “Encore Histoire d’Eau”.

What I really like at first sight are the black and gold colours, which I particularly like. It gives the box a chic, elegant look. Although you don’t buy a lubricant for its packaging… But it’s what catches the eye on the shelf.

The front of the box is limited to the minimum amount of vital information. The Soft Paris brand logo, followed by the product name, in this case Encore Histoire d’Eau. There are other, more or less recommendable products, such as Encore + silicone base, Encore + hot water base and Encore Gourmand.

It’s this last type of lubricant, flavoured ones, that I don’t recommend, except for oral use. They may contain chemicals, sweeteners or other irritating or allergenic additives. The risk is that they may unbalance the natural pH or be harmful to the mucous membranes… In short, they can encourage the growth of bacteria and yeast, increasing the risk of infection.

Then in French and English, it says that it’s an intimate lubricant. It may sound silly, but when you search for ‘lubricant’ on a search engine, you may come across different types of lubricant, including the famous WD-40.

The back of the box provides additional information. It explains that using just a few drops provides a long-lasting lubricating effect, that it enhances sensations and is odourless and colourless. This is repeated in English and Italian.

Then, at the bottom of the page, you’ll find a few precautions for use that you’ll find everywhere else. Finally, the 150ml capacity, the fact that the product is made in France and that it can be ‘consumed’ up to 12 months after opening…

I didn’t take a photo of it, but on the bottom of the box is the list of ingredients. I’ll go into more detail about this in a later section. There’s also a mention of the fact that the company marketing this product is actually based in Dublin, Ireland.

Front of the “Histoire d’eau” bottle, a water-based lubricant

Back of the “Histoire d’eau” bottle, with information from the box.

Once you open the box, you get the information that was already presented in the bottle. There’s a lot less, and none more. However, the bare essentials (or at least as far as I’m concerned) are pretty much there.

Again in black and gold, this bottle (8cm wide and 17cm high) rests on a concave base. This doesn’t give it the greatest stability, but it does stand upright.

So clearly, I haven’t studied chemistry for very long and the idea is not to be soul-searching or exhaustive. I’m just trying to explain, roughly speaking, what the different elements correspond to. I hope this will give you a better understanding of what Soft Paris’ Encore Histoire d’eau lubricant is made from.

• Water: 60% of your body’s composition and the basis of many cosmetic products.
• Glycerin: Keeps skin hydrated.
• Propylene Glycol: Helps retain moisture.
• Phenoxyethanol: Prevents bacteria from growing.
• Hydroxyethylcellulose: Makes the product thicker.
• Carbomer: Gives a jelly-like consistency.
• Cyclopentasiloxane: Makes skin soft.
• Sodium Acrylates Copolymer: Helps thicken the product.
• Ethylhexylglycerin: Preserves the product and moisturises.
• Liquid paraffin: Keeps skin soft by forming a barrier.
• Dimethicone: Smoothes and protects the skin.
• PPG-1 Trideceth-6: Mix the ingredients together.

Although there are no big red flags, some components do raise questions.

• Phenoxyethanol: Suspected of being an endocrine disruptor and may cause allergic reactions.
• Cyclopentasiloxane: Concerns about bioaccumulation and environmental effects.
• Liquid paraffin: Criticised for its petroleum origin and the potential to clog pores.

Unfortunately, when I contacted various brands to do reviews for French lubricants, I didn’t yet know the concept of osmolality.

If I had to sum up quickly, osmolality measures the flow of water between the membranes of your cells and the lubricant. With the right osmolality, tissue irritation and cell dehydration are prevented… So greater safety and comfort for the user. But I repeat, only when it’s right!

For more information, if you’re interested in the subject, check out my article and more specifically the paragraph on osmolarity 🦊.

And when I contacted these brands again to get the information… I really annoyed them… Like Soft Paris, for whom, despite all the goodwill of my contact, this notion remained a mystery.

Well, no. Well, swimming pool, spa, whatever… It’s not just for chemistry lessons either. It’s also important because, as you may learn from reading me, a vagina or an anus both have an environment with different pH🦊. Soft Paris told me that the “pH of water is still between 5.19 and 6.35“. It surprised me that there should be a pH range. And that this range was outside the pH of one of these environments.

After some research, I can think of several reasons. For example, among the products listed above, it’s possible that the pH varies slightly from batch to batch. Or it could be that the manufacturer has slight variations in the manufacturing process. Storage conditions (temperature as well as exposure to air, although in our case this is limited) can also influence the pH…

In the end, with a pH slightly higher than that of the vaginal flora, there’s nothing to be alarmed about. This is especially true if the lubricant’s ‘buffering’ capacity is not great. By this I mean its ability to vary the pH of the environment in which it is applied. Will it fade more or less quickly? But be careful, because changing the pH, even slightly, can disturb the vaginal flora and potentially encourage infections.

However, my contact at Soft Paris explained that, “Our lubricant will make the vaginal ph slightly less acidic – but the difference will be small and will bring the vaginal pH closer to the optimal PH for sperm so there is no contraindication to using our lubricant for couples trying to conceive.”

That was my big challenge for this review… How to get you to understand the texture of this lubricant. More liquid, very liquid, or something else? Well, I was surprised because, for the first time, I came across a lube that was more “gel” than liquid. Since this lube is called Encore Histoire d’eau by Soft Paris, I was expecting something more liquid. They got me.

This allows you to place it precisely where you want it and then apply it.

On the other hand, applying it directly into a duct like a penis🦊 masturbator can lead to a few problems because, despite gravity, the lubricant won’t go down that duct.

I don’t feel comfortable about the real respect for the vaginal flora and, in this sense, I didn’t want to affect her during our sexual relations. I’ve contacted more pharmacists and laboratories than I have fingers and toes… However, it’s impossible to measure the product’s osmolality. So it’s a safety measure, because I know that some lubricant manufacturers provide both these data. What’s more, the WHO has been making this recommendation since 2014, so it’s about time it became more widespread.

So I’ve mainly used this lubricant for personal masturbation, i.e. with a penis. At least, in this case, there are no worries about variations in pH, osmolality… and therefore potential infection. And even though Encore Histoire d’eau is thicker, it becomes more liquid during use and therefore feels more natural on the skin.

In theory, a water-based intimate lubricant can be used for just about anything you can think of that requires lubrication. Whether it’s masturbation, oral sex, vaginal sex, anal sex, with or without a condom, with or without a sextoy… The only limit is the possibility of playing in water. Or there… Well, water-based lubricant is clearly not the solution.

Because that’s the only flaw I can find with water-based lubricant for the various possible activities. Whether in a pool, a spa, in the shower… It really isn’t the lubricant of choice.

Because of its texture, Encore Histoire d’eau doesn’t glide on its own, but you can easily take it wherever you want with your fingertips. Throughout its use, it continues to provide a slippery sensation. Towards the end, however, it starts to feel a little sticky but not viscous. Once it has finished working, it leaves a little shiny film on the skin which, although limited, helps to limit the sensation of rubbing.

Smelling this lubricant, there’s a sweet floral smell, like roses, which I can’t really explain. It could possibly be explained by the Phenoxyethanol. In cosmetics, it’s a synthetic compound, but it can be found in its natural state, particularly in certain plants such as chicory.

As far as the taste is concerned, if you get any in your mouth, it’s quite bitter and seems sweet all the time. Still, it’s not something I enjoy. But then, lubricant isn’t normally meant to be ingested.

Water-based lubricant like Encore Histoire d’eau by Soft Paris cleans very well simply with water. Even a little extra soap won’t hurt.

You’ll have no trouble getting rid of it, and it won’t leave any trace of its passage.

Encore Histoire d’Eau 🛒 lubricant by Soft Paris has at least been available for over 10 years as I found it in an old catalogue from August 2014 as well as on the wayback machine in September 2013. You can see that the container has evolved since then but the packaging keeps the same spirit, although the pink must have become gold.

Today, it’s available on their website for €28 a bottle. This price for 150ml gives a price per litre of around €187.

This puts it clearly below the price of a lubricant such as Yes for Lov (€249 per litre). However, Yes for Lov knows and advertises that it respects the pH and osmolality of a vagina…

I feel terribly limited in this review. I would have liked to have had this lubricant tested by Madame… But I prefer to play it safe. And unfortunately for Soft Paris, I advise you to do the same. It’s all too important to know whether or not the product you’re about to use will be kind to your body. Whether it’s a lubricant or a sextoy in an unhealthy or porous material.

For me, for my use, this lubricant is good. It’s definitely less viscous and sticky than many others. Although I was confused by the gel aspect, I now know which sex toys I can use it with more or less simply.

Now I’m really looking forward to reviewing their silicone-based lubricant. Although the products are all synthetic, there’s no notion of pH or osmolality. On the other hand, it will be for use without a sextoy, or almost!