Most condoms out there are made from latex. That’s due to its perfect elastic properties and strength. But latex has also always had some drawbacks – for some people at least. Many people out there suffer from latex allergy, which makes it virtually impossible to wear latex condoms. Polyurethane on the other hand is expensive, not as elastic and soft as latex.
Now there’s a new promising technology being launched by LifeStyles Condoms called SKYN promising to provide skin-to-skin sensation. It’s made from a new non-latex, polyisoprene formula which focuses on sensitivity. But it has the advantages of latex. Non-latex condoms are a great choice for people with an allergy to natural rubber latex.
LifeStyles claims that this formula has made it possible to provide improved sensitivity. They are the first condom brand to introduce a clinically tested (and FDA approved) polyisoprene condom.
One tenth (almost) of the American Population is afflicted with latex allergies, the Skyn polyisoprene has just like polyurethane no latex that would cause allergic reactions. But compared to the polyurethane condoms the Skyn products are softer and therefore adapt more easily to the form of its wearer. It’s also stretchier and more resistant to breakage.
Let us quickly do a short history lesson. The use for the original polyisoprene was discovered by the ancient Mayans and Aztecs who harvested the, then unnamed polyisoprene from the sap of the hevea tree and used it to make waterproof boots and the balls which they used to play a game similar to basketball.
Polyisoprene the Material
The Skyn is an interesting example to show how long it takes for such a product to be marketed and sold in stores. The patent for a polyisoprene condom was filed in 2002 that’s when the development of the material was more or less finished.
Unlike it’s ancestral counterparts, the hevea trees are not harmed in the making of Skyn. Today polyisoprene is created in a laboratory and specially treated to give it crosslinks, which allows the material to stretch more and helps to recover the original shape after being stretched.
A little comparison with polyurethane makes it obvious that the new skyn technology might be a serious leap forward. Because polyurethane condoms are stiff and unstretchable to certain extent and they don’t conform to the body. They’ve got the clear color and the “no latex allergens” in common.
The picture you see above is a scanning electron micrograph image of the surface of a polyisoprene condom.
LifeStyles SKYN Unboxing
For everyone who’d like to see more about the product we do what I call unboxings. A short video sequence of the condom box being opened, so you can see what hides inside. Click the image or here to watch the Skyn unboxing.
The box in question was a LifeStyles Skyn 3-pack. 3 condoms and a user manual printed on the package in English and Spanish are hiding inside.
More Info about LifeStyles Skyn
A short summary of our findings:
- Name of the product: Skyn LifeStyles 3 Piece Box
- Brand origin and date of formation: USA 1985
- Producer: Ansell Healthcare Products LLC
- Pricing: About 2.50 Dollars (3-pack) and 12.99 Dollars (12-pack)
- Color: Natural
- Length: 190mm +/- 10mm
- Width: 53mm
- Manual Languages: English, Spanish
- Quality: FDA approved
- Plus +: No Latex Allergens
That’s it. The new product from LifeStyles unboxed for you. Now it’s your turn. What are your findings?
Just used the new Skyn condoms… and from a females perspective, they’re very good. My partner on the other hand, complained about the fit…. The way I see it after reading the above article, he was either trying to have unprotected sex or he wanted 2 feel “bigger” than he is.
Thanks Angela for the first review on the SKYN condoms. Interesting thoughts though there;)
I have recently gone through some of the Skyn condoms. First, these condoms are nearly impossible to break. I’ve put them through their paces, so to say, where others have sometimes failed. I’ve had 0 breaks, and am fully confident in these. Second, the feeling is phenomenally better than regular latex, polyurethane, or sheepskin. These have found a permanent place in my bedside drawer. Highly recommended.
We only hear good stuff about Skyn, which is a great sign. Glad you enjoyed them Dave.
I actually have a question about these condoms. Do you know if they can be used with oil-based products? I know that latex condoms cannot, but since this is a synthetic material I was wondering.
Hey Kristen, yes you’re right, I think they can also be used with oil based products because of their synthetic base. You can also have a closer look at the specifications and polyurethane/polyisopren differences here. However water based lubricants are today considered to be safest all-purpose solution.
There was a previous question about if you could use oil based lubes with these rubbers and no you can’t it says so on the inside of the package it says to use water based.
I just used Skyn condoms fof the first time last night. They were amazing. I am allergic to latex and dont like the feel of the sheepskin condoms. Even my boyfriend said that he liked the feel of these much better. I have to say that these are the best yet!
Does anyone make a non-latex condom that is not lubricated? My wife and I are specifically looking for a condom for oral use but she has a latex allergy. Can someone help?
These condoms are horrible. Don’t waste any money, please. The first time we used one it came off inside and got stuck, which completely negates the purpose of a condom. It’s tight, so that’s not the problem. We decided to give it another try the other day and the same thing happened.
Skyn condoms are completely useless.
These condoms do not fall off during sex as another poster mentioned. They are slightly larger then regular Trojan condoms. Which is actually a good thing, personally I always thought the others were too tight and uncomfortable. SKYN is the best condom I have used. The lube is much better than the lube on Trojans as well.
WARNING! These condoms BROKE on us! Please be careful to all who use them!
These condoms are amazing. I just recently used them and I thought they had a much more natural feel than the latex and they fit so much better and I like that they are thicker than regular condoms and still stretch more and feel better. I think these will be what is used from now on. Better feel and protection. I would recommend anyone give these a try
[…] in related news, i see that lifestyles is now marketing a polyisoprene condom. there’s a review (6 months old) over at the condomunity. […]
I have a huge question… I am highly allergic to latex, and the first time i tried a condom, thats how i found out i was allergic. Im a little scared about trying something else,.. has anybody had an allergic reaction to this product before?
Polyisoprene/Polyurethane is a lot less allergic. But if you’re scared just go and see a doctor/an expert.
My wife is very allergic to latex as well, and we actually found out the same way as you, Rhonda. So we have been using non-latex condoms for a while and we decided to give the skyn condoms a try. They do feel very interesting, but unfortunately my wife reacted to them. It wasn’t as bad as the first latex condom reaction, but never-the-less, they will not work for us. So, I would say to probably stick with the polyurethane ones for now if your allergy is severe.
Thanks for sharing Jesse.
We also would like to chime in on this subject
http://condomelite.com/condoms/2009/08/02/2-best-condoms-for-people-with-allergy-to-latex/
Are these sold in Australia, or can they be shipped there?
You can purchase them on my site. Delivery within USA is free.
Question: I have used a polyurethene brand which is 0.02mm thick. How thick are these condoms?
There are several types of latex allergy, with various triggers and severity. Most people have type I or II sensitivity to natural latex. Other types, such as type IV, are sensitive to many types of rubber products and/or processing chemicals.
Personally I’m in the latter group. Latex causes pretty bad irritation and even polyurethane though a bit less. I’ve tried the polyisoprene ones quite a few times too. They’re better, but not perfect. I can tolerate them on me without too much discomfort. But they’re still a problem for internal use in my case.
So if you’re severely sensitive you shoud probably do a bit of testing (preferably where you can jump into a shower quick) before you try a real world test of these.
They’re definitely better, but not perfect. Haven’t had break or slip issues more than with other kinds though, on box #3 now.
SKYN is 0,1 mm thick.
If It breaks or falls off… your using it wrong.
Are these comfortable for a well endowed guy?
I don’t think there’s a good answer for that Morgan! As for all of these products only testing can give you an absolute certainty.
Severe latex allergy here, also highly sensitive to various lubrications, etc. Tried these condoms and like another poster, it came off, but not because of improper fit/use. Within hours I began to develop severe irritation, not unlike the reaction I’d had with latex. Being highly sensitive, I can’t use these condoms.
How about Trojan Natural Lamb, Crystal? I think you should find out if you have an allergy to latex or to lubricants? What are the components of lubricants you have an allergy to? Maybe your best bet is to use non lubricated condoms?
I have been using these condoms with my boyfriend recently. He likes the sensation they give him. However, we also have experienced slippage – which had nothing to do with size or improper use. I think it’s just the material itself that’s a bit more “slippery” to begin with.
My husband and I used Durex Avanti Bare for oral sex. I usually HATE condom lube and think it tastes nasty almost without exception. These are minimally lubed, but I found them inoffensive. The smell is not at all unpleasant (unlike latex) and the taste of the lube was very neutral.
[…] really sit, and I wanted to cry. So I bought some Lifestyles Skyn condoms, which are made from polyisoprene. We tried them, and guess what? NO ITCHY, BURNY VAG! Yay! And having tried polyurethane condoms in […]
I do love these and two partners I have tried them with were very happy as well. I did, however, experience a game of lost and found with one while having sex with my more endowed partner. We tend to go for hours and numerous positions, SO, perhaps the shifting and moving created the issue, leading to the “where the hell is the condom, oh god..it’s umm….” moment. Otherwise, they have been AWESOME!
My fiancée and I tried these for the first time last night because the box claimed its almost like not wearing anything. I’ve gotten used to us not wearing anything bc I was on the pill. To tell the truth it wasn’t as good an experience as other brands we’ve used plus the condom broke!!! We’ve never had this issue before so I know its not improper usage. Maybe we went too long or changed positions too many times. Currently we only see each other once a week so we try to get in all we can and we need a condom that can really go the distance. This one fell short of our expectations!!!
Does anyone know whether these are ok to use if you use the thrush treatment Canesten (clotrimazole)? It specifically says you cannot use condoms as the rubber will degrade, but these are not rubber… I can’t find this information. Actually since starting to write this I found the canesten number and rang it, apparently they haven’t tested non latex condoms with canesten, but they do know that latex ones are more prone to breaking. I told them they should do some tests!!
Polyisoprene is still a form of rubber. The molecule is very similar to natural rubber, but produced by a synthetic process. That means that anything that has issues with “rubber” (like certain classes of allergies) is likely to have the same issue with this material. So I would definitely err on the side of caution and say they’re not safe to use unless the manufacturer of either product specifically contradicts this.
You can call Lifestyles to double check, and probably should, but if you don’t want to then I’d say assume it’s not safe.
I hate the new ones !!!!! The old SKYN ones worked for me when they were polyurethene… Which is the reason I bought the more expensive ones over Durexs BARE anyway… Now I can’t find any polyurethene condoms besides the SUPRAS, which aren’t even any bigger, just WAY more expensive ! Im not allergic to polyurethene, but I’m allergic to this new crap ! I don’t like it, it makes it all swollen, which in turn makes it come off and get stuck in there, which defeats the purpose of a condom, and with the swelling it makes me bleed… It’s ridiculous that they just did away with the old material !!! These things blow ! If your allergic to latex, you might be allergic to these too !! I know ! I found out the hard way ! Just an FYI
There are different forms of allergy. Some people are only going to react to natural latex. Others will react to other forms or other materials. I personally get an irritation reaction like that to polyurethane that’s stronger than my reaction to the isopropylene. Some people will react to just trace process chemicals in some products based on how they’re manufactured. Sometimes allergies are constant, other times they gradually get worse over time.
Everyone’s going to have a different reaction. That doesn’t mean the material is bad, just that you need to test how it is for you before you go off on a wild sexcapade.
It is very interesting, and worst yet in Australia there are even fewer options in regards to non-latex condoms, we also have the SKYN, DUREX Avanti, A glyde unique and A Japanese Brand Sagami,
They are more expensive however still very much in demand, the problem is that these condoms are very limited in the sizing available, probably due to production costs etc, and the demand for it is just not economically viable to produce it in different size.
Until someone finds a way to produce non latex condoms at a rate comparable to latex condoms, I don’t think there will be many different options available
I am writing an assignment for a postgrad qualification, from the perspective of a LifeStyles brand manager. I have found some of your comments really interesting and I’m really grateful to everyone who has shared their experiences!
My assignment concerns the marketing plan for a new condom brand, designed exclusively to appeal to female buyers. My concept is based on stylish, discreet packaging that looks great in your bag or on your bedside table – think expensive cosmetics rather than boxed contraceptives.
The idea is to change the packaging, but keep the SKYN polyisoprene condoms inside, so my brand can benefit from the existing technology.
I’d love it if any female readers could take the trouble to answer the following:
1. Who buys the condoms – you or your man?
2. Would you be any more inclined to buy condoms if the packaging:
a) appealed to you?
b) was more discreet?
3. Would you be any more inclined to carry condoms in your bag if the packaging:
a) appealed to you?
b) was more discreet?
Any other comments would be appreciated and gentlemen, I’d also like to know what you think. Do you mind who buys the condoms? Do you draw any conclusions, positive or negative, when if a woman buys or carries condoms?
Hiya, so far so good with this kind. My partner was too large for the polyurathane. I’m a bit confused about it’s use with oil based products. On this site I’ve heard both a yes and a no. I need to know why. It being on the box isn’t enough of an answer. Has it been tested with oilbased products, and to what outcome? I much prefer oil based because I feel it helps to protect thin and sensitive tissue from “wear and tare” issues. Please let me know.
My wife and I have tried the Durex Avanti Bare polyisoprene condoms and I must say they are the best. They are very strong,durable and it holds it shape to any form; so durable that I actually tried an experiment to see how durable they are; it actually fit over my hand like a glove.