 k-y jelly is a water-based, water-soluble personal lubricant produced by johnson & johnson, most commonly used as a lubricant for sexual intercourse. a variety of different products and formulas are produced under the k-y banner. according to the company, "the origins of the brand name 'k-y' are unknown. two popular hypotheses are that it was created in kentucky, hence 'k-y', or that the letters represent the key ingredients used to make the lubricant, neither of which is proven." historically the main ingredient is methyl cellulose with carboxymethyl cellulose as a constituent ingredient. in march, 2014, reckitt benckiser agreed to buy the k-y brand from johnson & johnson. ==history== thumb|right|a tube of k-y jelly introduced in january 1904 by a pharmaceutical and suture maker van horn and sawtell of new york city, and later acquired by johnson & johnson, k-y jelly's original stated purpose was as a surgical lubricant, and it was often chosen by doctors because of its natural base. johnson & johnson produced a sterile version of the product (intended for medical markets) and a non-sterile version (marketed as general-use personal lubricant) until 2004, when it discontinued the sterile line. the product is now more widely used as a sexual lubricant. it does not react with latex condoms or silicone rubber-based sex toys. while k-y has a thick consistency and a tendency to dry out during use, it can be "reactivated" by the addition of saliva or more water. k-y jelly does not contain a spermicide. a formulation with nonoxynol-9 was available, but johnson & johnson removed it from the market after finding that it could facilitate hiv spread.zimmerman, rachel, "some makers, vendors drop n-9 spermicide on hiv risk". the wall street journal. september 2002. retrieved on may 22, 2007. ==properties== unlike petroleum-based lubricants, k-y is generally biologically inert, and contains no color or perfume additives. the lubricant has proven extremely popular because it does not stain and is ea
1904_introductions American_inventions Johnson_&_Johnson_brands Personal_lubricants