Guide to Temperature Play: Hot & Cold Play to Elevate Sensations and Ignite Passion

What Is Temperature Play?

Temperature play is a type of sensual play that includes using cold or warm objects to stimulate the skin. Its goal is to heighten the skin’s responsiveness as the controlled exposure to hot or cold brings a sensory overload that people enjoy. While temperature play is often associated with BDSM plays, it is also something many vanilla couples practice. Depending on your skin’s sensitivity, you can engage in various levels of intensity ranging from subtle to intense and explore the differing sensations the changing temperature sensations bring.

Types of Temperature Play

Applying something hot or cold to your skin awakens a myriad of nerve endings and stimulates your body in unexpected ways. But there are many ways to do this, and here we list the main types of temperature play you and your partner can engage in:

• Ice play – the simplest way to engage in ice play is to use ice cubes to stimulate the skin. Gently run the ice cube over your or your partner’s body, leaving it for a few moments at the most erogenous zones. It will heighten the skin’s sensitivity and arouse unexpectedly. We suggest you take a sip of ice water or run an ice cube in your mouth for a few minutes to chill it and then perform oral sex to your partner – we guarantee they’ll love every minute of it.
• Cooling Gel/Cooling Lube – an interesting way to engage in temperature play is to use a cooling gel or a cooling lube. These are menthol-based gels that, when applied to the skin, bring a cooling sensation. Many describe it as a refreshing or tingling feeling that contrasts with the body’s heat and has a profoundly arousing effect when applied to the erogenous zones.
• Chilled/Frozen Objects – unlike using ice cubes to engage in temperature play, you can use frozen items like frozen fruit or specialized glass or stainless steel toys that you chill beforehand and use for cold pressure on the erogenous zones on the body. Because the glass and stainless steel toys don’t melt but slowly heat up, you can experience prolonged cold sensations.
• Warming Oil/Warming Lube – using a warmed-up oil or a warming lube is a fantastic way to bring some heat to your sexy time. The warmth of the warming oil or warming lube can enhance the tactile sensations on the skin and intensify touch.
• Wax Play – wax play is a specific form of temperature play where one partner drips warm melted wax on the skin of their partner. It is done from a safe distance. Usually, people use special wax play candles that melt at a lower temperature for this use, allowing the molten wax to bring some heat and quickly harden the skin.
• Heated Blanket/Heating Pad – you can apply a heated blanket or a heating pad to the skin to warm up specific areas of the body, help increase the skin’s sensitivity, and prepare the body for more profound sensations.

How to Engage in Temperature Play

Above, we covered the basic types of temperature play, and here, we discuss how you should engage in temperature play. The first thing to do is to talk to your partner before you engage in anything new and unexpected. You should both be aware of the risks and focus on safety first. So, here we list the factors to note when engaging in temperature play:

• Slow and easy – always start slow, meaning mild temperatures and simple items. We suggest you start with using a warm towel or a chilled silk scarf and leave the ice cubes and stainless steel dildo for later, just so your body can get used to the sensations.
• Use adequate materials – we recommend you stick to using body-safe materials when engaging in any type of sex game. It means using materials that will not cause burns on the skin or cause frostbite.
• Clear communication is key – always listen to your partner and assess how their body reacts to the sensations. Ask them how they feel and whether they are comfortable and their body can take the sensations. Make sure you are prepared correctly for aftercare.
• Learn and adjust your approach– every time you and your partner engage in temperature play is a learning possibility, as you’ll gain new insights into what works and what does not work for both of you. Assessing the experience will also help you make the necessary adjustments and fine-tune future experiences so that you can experience more and more pleasure.

Temperature Play Toys

We touched a bit on using toys that are adequate for temperature play, but we feel we must explain this in more detail. Some materials can absorb more heat while others can stay chilled for longer, which means these can provide better sensations for temperature play. Here are the most adequate sex toys to use for temperature play:

• Glass Dildos – glass retains heat and cold well, and it is the perfect sex toy to use for temperature play. There is a great variety of glass dildos in our store for you to try; most of these are made from high-quality borosilicate glass that is body-safe and compatible with all lubes.
• Glass Butt Plugs – if you want to combine temperature play and anal play, then we suggest you get a glass butt plug. These retain heat or cold well, are smooth, and provide exceptional play options.
• Metal Dildos – mainly made from stainless steel, metal dildos are fantastic to use for temperature play. Most of the models from our shop have unexpected shapes that you can use to massage your partner and engage in hot and cold sensations.

Physiological Aspect of Temperature Play

Before we let you go, we should also talk a bit about the effects hot and cold have on the body. And no, it is not only something that feels good, but it is also scientifically confirmed that exposure to hot and cold has health effects.

When we are exposed to heat, we experience vasodilatation. The blood vessels expand and increase the blood flow, which makes the skin more sensitive to touch. Touching someone after they’ve been exposed to targeted heat may lead to heightened arousal and deeper sexual satisfaction.

When our skin is exposed to cold, we experience vasoconstriction, which means the blood vessels on the skin’s surface contract and reduce blood flow. It makes the skin tingly, and even a light touch can make it feel intense. Many enjoy the heightened sensitivity and electrifying effect of cold play.

When you understand the physiological effects temperature play has, you can provide more enjoyment. It also means that you and your partner can become closer and more intimate with each other and experience a deeper level of connection.

The Bottom Line

If you feel intrigued by our guide on temperature play, then we suggest you check out our sex toy store, where you’ll find an excellent selection of sex toys suitable for temperature play. You can find glass dildos, metal dildos, silicone dildos, silicone butt plugs, and a great variety of other exciting sex toys. Plus, we have prepared a varied list of educational posts in our blog on choosing and using various sex toys that we believe you’ll find helpful.