Arousal Cream Ingredients
Arousal creams typically contain vasodilators designed to increase blood flow to the genital area, though specific formulations vary widely and most lack FDA approval for treating female sexual dysfunction.
Common Ingredient Categories
Vasodilators
- L-arginine is the most commonly studied ingredient in arousal creams, functioning as a nitric oxide precursor to enhance genital blood flow 1
- Combination vasodilator formulations containing small concentrations of three different vasodilators with distinct mechanisms of action have shown efficacy in pilot studies 2
- Some proprietary formulations demonstrate significant increases in clitoral blood flow (up to 69% increase) compared to placebo 3
Topical Sildenafil
- Topical sildenafil cream (3.6%) has been studied in randomized controlled trials, showing improvement in arousal sensation, particularly in women with female sexual arousal disorder without concomitant orgasmic dysfunction 4
- However, oral phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (PDE5i) like sildenafil are explicitly NOT recommended by the NCCN for female sexual dysfunction due to insufficient evidence of effectiveness 5, 6
Base Ingredients
- Water-, oil-, or silicone-based lubricants and moisturizers form the foundation of many over-the-counter arousal products 6
- These help alleviate vaginal dryness and sexual pain, though data on their efficacy is limited 6
Important Clinical Caveats
Lack of FDA Approval
- Most arousal creams are marketed as cosmetics or supplements rather than FDA-approved medications 5
- The only FDA-approved topical treatments for female sexual dysfunction are prescription medications like vaginal estrogen, prasterone (DHEA), and ospemifene—not over-the-counter arousal creams 6
Evidence Quality
- The evidence base for over-the-counter arousal creams remains weak, with most studies being small pilot trials 2, 3
- High-quality, large-scale randomized controlled trials are needed to establish efficacy 6
Alternative Evidence-Based Options
- For arousal disorders specifically, pelvic floor muscle training may improve arousal, lubrication, orgasm, and satisfaction 6
- Topical anesthetics like lidocaine applied to the vulvar vestibule before penetration can help with dyspareunia in some women 6
- Vaginal estrogen creams (prescription) are effective for vaginal dryness and painful intercourse in postmenopausal women 6
- Intravaginal testosterone cream has shown safety and efficacy in improving sexual function in postmenopausal women 6