Assos Chamois Cream (4.73 oz.)

Product Information

Soothes the Skin. Chamois cream usually has a cooling or tingling effect to help you soothe and soften the skin from irritation and salt built up if you spend long hours on the saddle. Breastfeeding. Nursing moms often experience skin chafing due to moisture on the nipples compounded by wearing a nursing bra. While this will create a great barrier and lubricant to reduce friction, it doesn't have any antibacterial properties to keep bacteria at bay and doesn't let your skin sweat, so it may cause more problems than it solves.

Running. Chafing tends to be common with distance runners due to the repetitive motion of running, combined with sweaty skin and clothing that rubs on the skin. https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/48ab/36c2f9633113dbdb1acbe268b59d242d493e.pdf?_ga=2.239149827.1069325518.1565535107-171421998.1532133272 If your rides are 1-2 hours at most, it’s easier to get away with a cheaper alternative such as Queen Helene’s. Non-staining and easy to wash out Queen Helene’s Cocoa Butter Creme– You can find this in any drugstore, but it’s hard to tell it’s not actually chamois cream. Not just the best value, it’s cheap!Enzo’s is a newer entrant to the market, but I find it to be just as good as Assos. And it’s half the price! Crotch Guard contains natural ingredients such as sunflower oil, tea tree oil, and eucalyptus oil, which provide effective lubrication to your skin, as well as keep your undercarriage clean and fresh. This helps to reduce friction and prevent bacteria growth, which together can prevent chafing and saddle sores. It also contains vitamin E to soothe your skin. Enzo’s Buttonhole is made in the USA. It contains high-quality, natural ingredients such as sunflower seed oil and cocoa seed butter, which are known for their soothing and moisturizing properties. It also contains melaeuca oil (aka tea tree oil), to cleanse your skin. All things considered, chamois cream is a relatively small part of your overall cycling budget. You could buy 3-4 types and see which you prefer. Why Trust Me

There are three situations when chamois cream is particularly useful: for very long rides; for indoor training, where you're on the saddle almost all the time; and for returning to cycling after a few weeks off.The best chamois creams are claimed to be water- and sweat-resistant (look out for lanolin in the ingredients). Crotch Guard's maker says that the oils in its product mimic the molecular structure of the lipids (fats, to you and me) found in human skin and therefore strengthen and reinforce the structure of the skin. Traditional chamois creams usually provide a protective barrier to guard the skin from rubbing against other surfaces, but these can clog pores, promote ingrown hairs and stain clothing. Crotch Guard says that its oil supports the physiology of the skin's natural lipids so it is recognised and accepted by the human body, which then absorbs it to help support the skin's natural barrier and protective functions. Assos ChamoisCréme makes long rides more enjoyable and comfortable. It reduces friction and prevents bacterial and fungal infections on your skin. Apply a thin layer of Chamois Créme to your skin and padded insert before you ride. Why use chamois cream? Simple, to prevent the aforementioned chafing, redness and soreness, which are incredibly painful if left without protection or treatment. The cream acts as a lubricant between surfaces, just in the same way as lubing your chain but with the added advantage of the chamois cream having anti-bacterial properties. Also consider chamois creams with a cooling sensation or minty tingle. That might feel great on hot summer days, but you probably don’t want to use that during cold winter months!

All of the best chamois creams will contain the perfect blend of both lubrication and anti-bacterial properties to help prevent chaffing and infections. The cream also contains a small amount of menthol, which can help reduce discomfort during long rides, but most notably, it creates a cooling sensation. There’s also peppermint oil, so the whole experience is quite minty and tingly!Carrying extra weight. Excess weight in the thighs, arms, or abdomen can increase the risk of skin rubbing against itself and causing irritation. This should help them reduce friction between your bib shorts, skin and saddle for longer before washing away. Men’s vs women’s chamois cream On the other hand, this numbing feeling won’t suit everybody. It also goes without saying, but if you are allergic to menthol, any chamois creams with this added ingredient will be a no go for you. The same can be said for any other ingredients used, so please make sure you read the label beforehand.

Mailler EA, et al. (2004). The wear and tear of 26.2: Dermatological injuries reported on marathon day. DOI: Enzo’s Buttonhole– For that minty sensation to make you feel like a Euro pro, without the premium price tag. You may notice chamois come in all different shapes and sizes depending on the rider's individual needs. However, the original chamois within cycling shorts for men (and cycling shorts for women, once the industry saw fit to manufacture them) were actually made of leather from a chamois goat, not the antibacterial synthetics you see fitted today. Similarly, the hotter it is, the more you sweat, the harder it is for chamois cream to stay in place. Same issue if it’s pouring rain. The aim of chamois cream is to reduce the friction or chaffing between your cycling shorts and your skin.

Also consider…

Chamois Butt’r is the original chamois cream here in the USA. Hailing from the cycling mecca of Colorado, it’s been around since 1988. And it’s still made in the USA today. For example, on shorter rides (anything around an hour or so) you most likely will be fine without dipping into a pot. Alternatively, if you are heading out for a day long exploration then it’d be recommended to apply some in any troublesome areas. Finance is subject to application, financial circumstances and borrowing history. Performance Cycling Limited FRN: 720557 trading as Tredz are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. We are a credit broker not a lender – credit is subject to status and affordability and is provided by Mitsubishi HC Capital UK PLC. Terms & Conditions Apply. He was heavily involved in the mountain bike boom of the late 1980s as a racer, team manager and race promoter, and that led to writing for Mountain Biking UK magazine shortly after its inception. He got the gig by phoning up the editor and telling him the magazine was rubbish and he could do better. Rather than telling him to get lost, MBUK editor Tym Manley called John’s bluff and the rest is history. If you’re prone to chafed skin, you may want to consider using an anti-chafing gel or cream to protect your skin. You can also use these products to reduce friction while your chafed skin heals. Some products that work well include: