Chamois Cream - In Review

Chamois cream was mentioned in our “How to look after your bottom” blog. Here is a little more detail about the cream and some reviews on our favourites .

What is Chamois cream? Chamois cream provides slippage between your skin and your cycling shorts, preventing friction and chafing. You smear it directly onto your skin, around your bottom area, in your leg creases and basically anywhere you want to avoid a rub. You can also put it directly on the chamois pad in your shorts.

The key differences between chamois cream and an ordinary moisturising cream are it does not absorb into your skin and it usually contains ingredients that are sensitive to your genitals. I have known people to use Sudacream, but it is not really a slippage type cream, it is more a barrier to put on sores post ride. You could try vaseline, but it is very greasy and has no soothing elements to it so I would not recommend this as a replacement for chamois cream.

When I first started cycling, no one mentioned Chamois cream even existed to me until I started complaining about getting awfully sore grazing on the inside of the top of my inner thigh and pubic area where the seams of my shorts were digging in. Chamois cream was my answer and over the years I have tried a few different ones.

Here are some pros and cons of three chamois creams for you to consider.

Udderly Smooth

Pros

Good price point at around £9 for a 227g tub. The cream is pearlescent with a light, fresh scent to it. Does the job.

Cons

Recently, I have found the cream a little bit too sloppy and greasy. I am not sure if they have changed the formulae, but it is not as good as it once was and it needs reapplied more frequently than the others.

Assos Chamois Crème

Pros

This is probably our favourite brand. It is very thick and really does stay on all day. It has a menthol smell and a bit of tingle to your skin. There is a lady specific version which is equally good, but a little more expensive so I tend to just use the standard one. You can also buy this cream in a really small tub which is perfect for popping in your cycle jersey back pocket particularly if you are on long rides and suffering from sores already. Reapplying during a ride does sooth and help if you have a soreness.

Cons

More expensive than others on the market at approx. £25 for a 227g tub.

Sportique - Century Femme – a woman specific chamois cream.

Pros

This cream has a lovely botanical smell and a soothing quality to it which makes it really nice to put on your skin post ride if you are feeling a touch sore. The makers claim it specifically subdues and prevents female specific problems around bacterial infections associated with exposure to high heat and humidity. I have found it does provide a long-lasting barrier on your bottom. It is not too greasy and the tube means it is easy to carry with you if you feel you might need to reapply. There is a Sportique for men version as well.

Cons

Although, this is a chamois cream, it does not really feel like as long lasting as the Assos one or a during ride protection cream, however, it does provide a good barrier and maybe better for post ride care for your bottom.

Enjoy your ride!