Benzocaine Vs Lidocaine for PE: Which is Stronger?

Benzocaine and lidocaine are the two FDA-approved local anesthetics for the cure of premature ejaculation (PE). Both are used as male genital desensitizing agents that numb your penis and reduce its sensitivity leading to a delay in orgasm.

But what’s the right and the best between lidocaine vs. benzocaine for PE?

This article covers how benzocaine vs. lidocaine for premature ejaculation work and how these two topical anesthetics compare with each other.

Not sure what is PE? Read this article on what is premature ejaculation to learn more about PE.

In a hurry? Read the benzocaine vs. lidocaine for PE summary below:

What is Benzocaine?

Benzocaine is a local anesthetic used for pain relief and numbing nerve endings. It is widely used as a topical medication to relieve external pain, skin irritation, and other minor pains on the surface of the body. It is used in male genital desensitizer products to slow the ejaculation process.

The numbing effect of benzocaine reduces the sensitivity of nerves in the penis and helps men suffering from premature ejaculation to last longer in bed by delaying orgasm.

What is Lidocaine?

Lidocaine (or lignocaine) is a local anesthetic that’s used both topically and as an injection for pain relief and as a numbing agent. It is widely used before minor surgical procedures to numb skin and reduce pain. It is available in several forms including liquid, cream, or gel.

Lidocaine numbs the skin where it is applied, therefore, applying it to the penis reduces sensitivity and helps treat premature ejaculation.

Benzocaine Vs. Lidocaine for Premature Ejaculation

These two topical anesthetics look similar but have quite a few differences when used as numbing agents to delay climax for PE.

1. Intensity and Effectiveness

Lidocaine is stronger in intensity than benzocaine.

The key difference between benzocaine and lidocaine is their intensity. Lidocaine is stronger than benzocaine. The numbing effect of lidocaine is stronger than benzocaine and is more likely to last longer.

A study inspected the effectiveness of lidocaine and benzocaine and found 5% lidocaine and 20% benzocaine equivalent and effective in terms of numbing the skin. A needle was inserted after 1 minute of application and respondents rated no difference. A small quantity of lidocaine (5%) is comparable to 20% benzocaine when used to numb a specific area of skin. The numbing capacity of lidocaine is stronger than benzocaine as a low quantity of lidocaine is comparable to a high quantity of benzocaine.

Another study inspected the numbing effect of 20% benzocaine and 2% lidocaine as topical anesthesia and found no significant difference between the two. This was related to the pain subjects felt when the needle was inserted after 1 minute of gel application.

A study compared 10% lidocaine spray and 20% benzocaine spray as topical nasal anesthesia and found no significant difference between the effectiveness and intensity of both agents. However, when 60% lidocaine gel is compared with 20% benzocaine gel to relieve pain, lidocaine was found to be more effective as topical anesthesia, according to another study.

Consequently, lidocaine is more effective and intense as compared to benzocaine. If you are new to using desensitizing products to numb your penis, start by using benzocaine products as it is mild. If it doesn’t work (or you find it less effective), switch to lidocaine products.

2. Smell and Acceptability

Benzocaine is more acceptable and smells better than lidocaine.

Since benzocaine is milder than lidocaine it has more acceptability and smells better. A study inspected the effectiveness of 10% lidocaine and 20% benzocaine spray. The subjects rated benzocaine higher than lidocaine for acceptability and smell. This was independent of gender, age, and other demographics.

If you are concerned about the smell, you should prefer using benzocaine-based desensitizing products for premature ejaculation.

3. Safety

Both lidocaine and benzocaine are safe to use.

Lidocaine is strong anesthesia that requires administered and controlled use. The quantity used in lidocaine desensitizing products is minimal, so they are safe to use. However, uncontrolled use of lidocaine can turn out to be lethal. This is a reason why you can’t buy it without a prescription.

Benzocaine also requires administered use and the quantity used in delay products and condoms is as per FDA guidelines, so all such products are safe to use.

It must be noted that extensive use of any of these anesthetics isn’t safe and can have severe side effects. You must follow instructions and guidelines on the product label strictly.

Benzocaine rare side effects include:

• Rash
• Redness
• Burning
• Allergic reaction
• Edema.

Lidocaine has the following rare side effects:

• Irritation
• Itching
• Fever
• Skin rash
• Joint pain
• Heartbeat issues
• Swelling
• Allergy.

These are rare side effects that are related to the topical use of both these numbing agents. If you stick with the desensitizing products for PE that follow FDA quantity directions (discussed below), you will be in safe hands.

4. Application and Use

Benzocaine can be used in both solid and liquid form while lidocaine is only approved for use in spray form (by FDA).

Lidocaine is approved for use in the form of spray while benzocaine is approved for use in both solid and liquid forms. These are OTC desensitizing products for premature ejaculation.

Lidocaine delay sprays are approved for OTC, and you can buy them without any prescription. Any other product for PE that uses lidocaine can’t be sold over the counter without a prescription. This is because it gets hard to control the quantity in the form of gels and creams. FDA has only approved lidocaine to be used in desensitizing sprays (10 mg per spray). Any other product might put you and your penis in danger if used without a prescription.

If you want to buy lidocaine gel or cream (or any lidocaine product except delay sprays), you will need a prescription. 

Benzocaine is approved by FDA for use in all types of OTC desensitizing products including sprays, wipes, condoms, gels, and more. This is because it is mild anesthesia that’s easy to control in all forms.

5. FDA Approval

Benzocaine and lidocaine are approved by FDA as topical anesthetics for delaying climax.

The Food and Drug Administration has approved both lidocaine and benzocaine for use in male genital desensitizing products. Here are the approved quantities for topical use for PE products:

• Benzocaine 3-7.5% in a water-soluble base
• Lidocaine 10 mg per spray in a metered spray.

The FDA has also mentioned directions to be clearly mentioned on the label of the product:

1. Benzocaine-based desensitizing products should be applied in a small amount to the head and shaft of your penis before intercourse
2. Lidocaine-based desensitizing sprays must be applied to the head and shaft of your penis. A minimum of 3 and no more than 10 sprays must be applied.

And the following content must go under the Warnings head:

The FDA has clear guidelines for both the anesthetics, how much to use, how to use, and when to see a doctor.

What’s Better Benzocaine or Lidocaine for Premature Ejaculation?

Benzocaine is better than lidocaine.

It is recommended to choose benzocaine over lidocaine to delay ejaculation for the following reasons:

• Benzocaine is available in multiple forms such as delay sprays, oils, wipes, and condoms. It provides you with a lot of variety. Lidocaine is only approved to be used in delay sprays
• Benzocaine is mild as compared to lidocaine. If you end up overusing your desensitizing product (by ignoring instructions on the label), benzocaine will be less lethal as compared to lidocaine
• Benzocaine smells better. This is ideal for people who are smell conscious
• Benzocaine doesn’t numb your penis completely (since it is mild), this lets you enjoy sex. Lidocaine is known for removing all the sensations from your penis and this makes sex boring and dull.

You must start with benzocaine and see how it works for you. If it fails to increase ejaculation time due to mildness, increase its dose. And if it still doesn’t get the job done, switch to a lidocaine spray.

Which is Stronger Benzocaine or Lidocaine?

Lidocaine is stronger than benzocaine.

Lidocaine has a strong numbing effect that’s much more powerful and effective than benzocaine. All the comparison studies we reviewed for these two topical anesthetics used a very low quantity of lidocaine and compared it with a higher dosage of benzocaine.

Why?

Because lidocaine is naturally strong.

However, in terms of numbing effectiveness, both do the same job. What lidocaine will do with 2%, benzocaine will do with 15-20%. The end result will be the same, your penis will most likely feel numbness in a minute after application.

The FDA has approved both benzocaine and lidocaine for use in male genital desensitizers with different concentrations:

• Benzocaine should have 3% to 7.5% concentration
• Lidocaine should have 10 mg per spray and is approved for delay sprays only.

This shows that benzocaine is required in higher quantities (known as concentration) than lidocaine in topical products. Intensity-wise, lidocaine is way stronger than benzocaine.

Benzocaine Vs Lidocaine Condoms

Benzocaine condoms are more popular and common than lidocaine condoms. Almost all the leading brands including Durex and Trojan use benzocaine in their delay condoms and choose not to go with lidocaine.

Pasante, on the other hand, is one of the few brands that has a lidocaine-based delay condom.

Lidocaine is corrosive to latex, and it gets hard for it to stay with latex condoms for a longer duration without corrosion. This is a reason why lidocaine condoms aren’t as common as benzocaine condoms.

If you are new to delay condoms, it is recommended to start with a benzocaine condom to see how it works. It is mild with low intensity. If a benzocaine condom fails to reduce sensitivity and doesn’t make you as long as you expected, try switching to a lidocaine condom.

Here is a list of the top benzocaine and lidocaine condoms you can choose from:

1. Pesante Infinity contains 1% lidocaine hydrochloride
2. Durex Prolong contains 5% benzocaine in a semi-solid form inside the condom tip only
3. Durex Performax Intense has 5% benzocaine spread inside the condom
4. Trojan Extended Pleasure has 4% benzocaine inside the condom.

Benzocaine Vs Lidocaine Sprays

Lidocaine sprays are more common and popular than benzocaine sprays. This is because lidocaine is more effective in delaying ejaculation, and it is approved by the FDA too.

Almost all the top brands like K-Y and Promescent use lidocaine as topical anesthetics in their delay sprays for men. Lidocaine delay sprays to last longer in bed have one clear advantage: You can control its intensity easily.

Each spray contains approximately 10 mg of lidocaine (based on the FDA instructions). Increasing the number of sprays (or jets) increases the lidocaine you are putting on your penis which increases the numbing effect. So, you can increase or decrease lidocaine concentration and its intensity with the number of sprays.

The maximum number of jets you should use in a single go should not exceed 10. Exceeding the upper cap might lead to negative effects.

Here are the recommended lidocaine and benzocaine delay sprays for premature ejaculation:

1. K-Y Duration Spray has lidocaine 9.6% (10 mg per spray)
2. Promescent Desensitizing Delay Spray contains lidocaine (10 mg per spray)
3. Durex Duration Gel contains benzocaine 7% (it is actually a spray, not gel)
4. Trojan Extended Pleasure Delay Spray has benzocaine 7.5%
5. VigRX Delay Spray contains benzocaine and herbal extracts.

Best Benzocaine Products for Premature Ejaculation

Benzocaine is used in a wide variety of desensitizing products for PE including delay sprays, wipes, and condoms. Being a mild topical anesthetic, benzocaine is a perfect choice for men who have had no interaction in the past with such products.

If you are new to delay products and have not used any topical anesthetic on your genitals, it is strongly recommended to start with a mild anesthetic and stick with benzocaine. You can then gradually increase the intensity and switch to lidocaine once you figure out the ups and downs.

Here is a list of the most popular and recommended benzocaine numbing products:

1. Best benzocaine delay spray: VigRX Delay Spray
2. Best benzocaine condom: Durex Performax Intense
3. Best benzocaine cream: Power Plus by Doc Johnson
4. Best benzocaine gel: Edge Delay Gel.

Best Lidocaine Products for Premature Ejaculation

Lidocaine can only be used in the form of delay spray for PE.

It doesn’t work best with latex condoms, so you don’t have many options to choose from when it comes to lidocaine condoms.

In case of delay creams and gels, you won’t find many options in the market because lidocaine creams and gels are not sold without a prescription due to the lethal side effects of overdosage of lidocaine. The FDA has restricted the use of lidocaine creams and gels on male genitals, only sprays are allowed.

So, lidocaine spray to last longer in bed is the only choice you have.

We reviewed and compared all the leading lidocaine delay sprays available in the market and found K-Y Duration Desensitizing Delay Spray for Men the best. It follows FDA directions, and a single spray contains 10 mg of lidocaine which is enough to numb your penis.

Benzocaine and Lidocaine Alternatives

What if you are allergic to benzocaine and lidocaine both or if both these numbing agents don’t work for you?

What alternatives do you have?

You have two major types of alternatives available to choose from:

1. Herbal desensitizing products
2. Over-the-counter tablets for PE.

1. Herbal Desensitizing Products

You can go with herbal over-the-counter desensitizing products that reduce the sensitivity of your penis without any anesthetic such as VigRX Delay Wipes and VigRX Oil. These products reduce the sensitivity of your penis using herbal products. The numbing effect might not be as strong as what you feel with benzocaine or lidocaine, but these products do work.

The best thing about natural numbing products for PE is that they don’t have any side effects and are milder than benzocaine. Consider them zero-size.

If you have sensitive skin that’s prone to allergic reactions, you must try one of the natural desensitizing products to get started.

2. OTC Tablets

Over-the-counter supplements for premature ejaculation don’t numb or desensitize your penis, rather these tablets help you delay ejaculation by improving your stamina, blood circulation, and strengthening your ejaculatory muscles (that help control ejaculation).

These non-prescription capsules don’t act instantly like desensitizing products. If you are looking for an immediate solution to delaying orgasm, OTC pills might not be a good solution. You need to take these tablets regularly to increase ejaculation time as all such tablets need time (in months).

You can read more about the best OTC pills for premature ejaculation.

Need a quick recommendation?

Try ProSolution Plus. It is a scientifically proven herbal supplement to make you last longer in bed. The clinical study reported that men who use ProSolution Plus are able to increase ejaculation duration by 64%.

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FAQs

A lot of men ask several questions related to benzocaine vs lidocaine and how they can pick the right desensitizing product for delaying ejaculation. We screened and answered the top questions below:

Treating Premature Ejaculation: What Should You Use?

Based on our research, we recommend using benzocaine-based delaying products for premature ejaculation as benzocaine is milder than lidocaine and is available in multiple forms such as delay spray, wipes, or condoms.

Whenever you have the option, use benzocaine. If it doesn’t provide necessary results, switch to a lidocaine delay spray.

Alternatively, you can go with herbal delaying products to last longer in bed.

Ideally, you should start with an herbal desensitizing product, then benzocaine, and then lidocaine. Keep this sequence to stay away from complications.

Updated: May 09, 2023