Kissing: do’s and don’ts

Do…

• Brush your teeth
  It’s horrible to kiss someone with bad breath. So make sure you smell good. Brush your teeth. And floss them too. Or interdental brushes, or old-fashioned toothpicks. It’s mostly the gunk that’s left stuck between your teeth that makes your breath smell. You can also use some mint, if you like.
  
  While we’re on health and hygiene tips: if you’re suffering from cold sores (oral herpes), do hold back on your urge to kiss until the sore has healed – you might end up passing it on to your partner.
• Start light
  Once you’re sure that your partner is open to kissing, you could let them take the lead or you can decide to make the first move.
  
  Tilt your head, move in gently with lips slightly apart. Start by pressing your lips to your partner’s and kiss with your mouth slightly open, keeping your lips relaxed and soft. Build up from here, gradually.
  
  If everything’s going well, you could even try tongue-kissing, sometimes called ‘French kissing’. Try slipping your tongue into your partner’s mouth smoothly. See how your partner reacts. If they seem to like it, continue. If not, drop it and get back to kissing without your tongue.
  
  It can also be fun to alternate between the two styles and to increase or decrease the intensity of kissing, just to make things more exciting.

• Use your hands
  Hands are important while kissing. You can use them to stroke your lover’s face, caress their shoulders, wrap them around their neck or waist, or hold the back of their head and play with their hair. All these actions complement kissing very well. Multi-tasking isn’t that bad after all!
  
  And if you’re thinking about moving on to the next level of intimacy, it’s the way your partner responds to your caresses that will let you know if they’re thinking the same way.

Don’t…

• Chew gum
  Spit out that gum before you kiss! You’re right to want to keep your breath fresh, but to keep chewing while kissing is plain bad manners. Now, we know that most of you score high on etiquette and this might sound pretty obvious, but it’s always good to get things straight, right? 
• Start out with the tongue
  This is especially true for first dates, or if you don’t know each other too well and haven’t shared much intimacy yet. You could come across as being too pushy and you could intimidate your date if you start out thrusting your tongue into their mouth. Be sensitive to the way your partner is kissing you, and only respond with your tongue if you can feel they’re also taking the kiss in that direction. 
• Slobber
  Nobody likes a saliva fest while kissing. If you think you’re being slobbery, hold back. Take a break and swallow the saliva down. That’s better than letting your partner fetch tissues to wipe the extra saliva off their face!
  
  And of course, the most important tip: relax and don’t worry about how you’ll perform. The key to good kissing is being immersed in it. So dive in and enjoy!
   

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