How to use Alphamale Gel: the directions, explained

Alphamale Gel comes with short directions on the pack: a small amount, 15 minutes before intercourse, massaged in well. This guide explains each part of those directions, how much "a small amount" is, and the cautions worth reading before the first use.

What Alphamale Gel is

Alphamale Gel is a water-based personal care gel for men. It contains eugenol, a compound found in cloves, which has a mild desensitising effect on the skin. The gel is designed to reduce sensitivity gently, which may help intimacy last longer.

It contains no lidocaine or benzocaine, the local anaesthetics found in many delay sprays and creams. The full ingredient list is printed on the pack and on the product page.

Sachet or tube?

Alphamale Gel comes in two packs. The packs on sale differ from country to country.

• A box of 10 sachets of 1 g. Each sachet holds the amount for one use, so there is nothing to measure. Open a new sachet each time.
• A 5 g tube. Squeeze out a small amount for each use, no more than 1 g, and close the cap afterwards.

The sachets are small and easy to carry, which many men find more discreet.

How to apply it

These are the directions printed on the pack.

1. Take a small amount. Open one sachet, or squeeze a small amount from the tube.
2. Apply it and massage well. Apply the gel to the male sensitive area and massage it in well. The water-based gel absorbs into the skin as you massage it in.
3. Time it. Apply it 15 minutes before intercourse.

How much is enough?

One sachet, or no more than 1 g from the tube, is enough for one use. More is not better: using more than 1 g can cause burning or stinging. If you are using the tube, start with a small amount.

Before you use it

Please read these cautions before the first use. The main ones are also printed on the pack.

• For external use only. Use it on the skin only and keep it away from the eyes.
• Not on broken or irritated skin.
• If irritation occurs, stop using it and talk to your doctor or pharmacist.
• Ingredient sensitivity. Do not use it if you know you are sensitive to any of its ingredients, including eugenol or fragrance. A skin reaction to something put on the skin is called contact dermatitis: the skin can become itchy, dry, red or darker than usual, and it usually improves once you stop using whatever caused it.
• Not with lidocaine or benzocaine. Do not use it together with sprays or creams that contain lidocaine or benzocaine.
• Adults only. It is for adult men. Keep it out of the reach of children.

Storing it

Store Alphamale Gel at room temperature, not above 30 °C. The batch number and expiry date are printed on the pack.

When to talk to a doctor

Finishing sooner than you would like is common, and help is available. Talk to a doctor if it happens most of the time and troubles you or your partner, or if you notice pain, a rash or any change in the skin.

The how-to-use guide sets out the same directions and cautions on one page, and the where to buy page lists the pharmacies in Jordan, Qatar and Ghana.