4 oz and 2 oz bottle of Divine No. 9

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

Divine 9 (also referred to as Divine No. 9) is a water-based product used for both external massage and internal lubrication during sexual activity. The primary ingredient of Divine 9 is an extract from a sea kelp, also known as carrageenan. The carrageenan yields a smooth, slippery liquid which is very similar to a woman's natural vaginal fluid. The formulation has positive viscous 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 leaving a satin feel to the skin, similar to a layer of baby powder.

[edit] Product Variations

Divine 9 is one of two slightly different products from Divine Corporation. The other product, Divine 8, is formulated similarly but includes a slight vanilla flavor. When used as a massage lotion, the flavoring generates a distinct vanilla aroma. Vanilla was selected for their only flavored product because of the work of 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.^[1]

[edit] Massage

Divine 9 is one of a few personal lubricants that also labels itself a massage lotion. The same 'slippery and evaporative' characteristics useful in sexual encounters makes Divine 9 a logical 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 while undesirable in others.

[edit] 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 9 was one of the lubricants tested in the two National Cancer Institute studies. In the first in vitro study, Divine 9 and Divine 8 were found to be a potent HPV inhibitor.^[2] 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.^[3] 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.^[4] Presence of N-9 spermicide in the vaginal tract greatly increased susceptibility of infection. When N-9 was introduced to the vaginal tract in combination with Divine No. 9, the researchers found no detectable infection.

[edit] Ingredients

Divine 9 is formulated from purified water, extracts from sea kelp (carrageenan), propylene glycol, and sugar-free sweetener. While Divine Corporation does not make the claim that Divine 9 is edible, all the Divine 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 many pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, and sugar-free sweetener is used in virtually every diet soft drink.

[edit] References

1. ^ Hirsch, Alan R., M.D. (April 1998). Scentsational Sex: The Secret to Using Aroma for Arousal. Element Books. pp. 192. ISBN 1862042411. 
2. ^ Buck, Christopher B; Cynthia D Thompson, Jeffrey N Roberts, Martin Müller, Douglas R Lowy, John T Schiller (2006). "Carrageenan Is a Potent Inhibitor of Papillomavirus Infection". PLoS Pathogens 2 (7): e69. doi:10.1371/journal.ppat.0020069. "An unscented version of the product, Divine No. 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.". 
3. ^ 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."
4. ^ Roberts, Jeffrey N; Christopher B Buck, Cynthia D Thompson, Rhonda Kines, Marcelino Bernardo, Peter L Choyke, Douglas R Lowy, John T Schiller (July 2007). "Genital transmission of HPV in a mouse model is potentiated by nonoxynol-9 and inhibited by carrageenan". Nature Medicine 13 (7): 857–861. doi:10.1038/nm1598. "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.". 

[edit] External links

• Divine Corporation