10 best anti-chafing products to try, from creams to powders

Best: Overall

Rating: 10/10

Lush is a brand whose products do exactly what it says on the tin, and this product is no different. Aptly named, the silky underwear dusting powder feels incredible. Pre chafing, your skin feels like it’s protected by a powder made from clouds, and is ready to take on the world. If you start to sweat and can feel chafing starting to set in, this product stops it in its tracks. The fine powder eliminates all remnants of moisture and doesn’t clump together like baby powder (an old friend for us chafers). Any friction is gone and instead replaced by a super smooth glide.

The effects last for hours, but it’s small and discreet enough to take with you if top-ups are ever needed. With a gorgeous jasmine scent and featuring ingredients such as cocoa butter and Vetivert oil, this product works to nurture your skin, as well as protect.

Best: Multi-purpose formula

Rating: 8/10

We love a multi-purpose product, and when you’re pregnant, a product that can fix multiple ailments all at once is a godsend. Designed to bring relief to tired legs and feet by reducing puffiness, this product is full of naturally soothing, cooling and moisturising ingredients which work wonders on tired limbs, but also chafed ones.

Containing aloe vera, peppermint, menthol, chamomile extract and Vitamin E, this wonder-gel has all the top-tier ingredients your hot, chafed skin needs. It’s the Swiss-army knife of skincare products, and it even has a set of ingredients dedicated to keeping your skin elastic, supple and strong, giving it a helping hand as it stretches. Yes this is a miracle worker if you’re pregnant, but it can also be an essential skincare item if you’re not.

Best: For nipple chafing

Rating: 8/10

Whether you’re breastfeeding or a long-distance runner, nipple chafing is a discomfort like no other. The nipples are one of the most sensitive parts of our bodies, so much so that even the thought of chafing in that area makes the toes curl. It’s a very specific issue that needs a very specific product, and if you’re breastfeeding it’s very important that the product is one that works for both mum and baby.

Weleda are renowned for well-researched and well-designed skincare products, having made some of the best on the market (Skin Food we love you!). For this product, Weleda teamed up with midwives and pharmacists to create a scent-free balm that doesn’t need to be removed before breastfeeding. Containing calendula extract, which has anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties, the balm soothes cracked and sore nipples from the first use.

Best: For intimate areas

Rating: 7/10

Unfortunately, no area is safe from the chafe. Not even that area. The slightest thing can set it off, but the big three tend to be shaving, cycling, and sanitary pads. WooWoo specialises in intimate areas, with products ranging from hair removal creams and washes to lubes and condoms. Your vagina’s comfort is WooWoo’s priority, so it seems fitting for them to have a top-notch product that nips chafing in the bud.

The saddle sore chafing balm can be used to both prevent and cure the familiar friction. Similar in feel to that mysterious stuff they use in salons after waxing, it’s gentle, soothing and beautifully scented. Apply it regularly after a shave, and your regrowth will be irritation-free, or use it during your time of the month to no longer dread wearing sanitary pads. And if you’re considering a long cycle or a spin class, apply this beforehand so you can ride and feel the burn in all the right places.

Best: For men

Rating: 9/10

Anthony’s clever tagline – “Developed for men, borrowed by women. Anthony for all” – is a refreshing take on the gender politics of the beauty and grooming industry (yes overpriced pink razors, we’re looking at you). Sometimes cosmetics are too rigidly gendered, so it’s nice to see some flexibility for once. But typically, men tend to be underrepresented in many aspects of skincare, and the anti-chafing category is no different.

It’s not like men don’t chafe, but if you were to look for a chafing product that wasn’t targeted at women, no one would blame you for thinking that. Men and women have different bodies, meaning we sweat differently, so it makes sense for the products we use to tackle sweat-related issues to be different too, even if it is only slightly. Anthony has thought about all of this, and as a result has developed a product that is absolutely genius.

The no sweat body defence is a cream but dries like a talc – meaning zero mess during application. As well as chafing, it prevents sweat patches and absorbs moisture, making it great for men’s intimate areas, as well as under dress shirts and sports straps. Ladies, feel free to try. In fact, we encourage it (it works wonders on boob sweat too).

Best: For post-chafing

Rating: 8/10

Being prepared with preventative products is one thing, but it’s also worth having something to cure in your arsenal as well. If the worst does happen and you’re lying in bed with sore, red and irritated thighs that can’t bare to touch, a barrier cream is what you need.

If you’re a skincare nerd, you’ll know that French pharmacy brands are the gold standard of skincare, so it’s no surprise that SVR has made an appearance. The brands barrier cream is both anti-itching and anti-irritation, and also accelerates skin repair whilst forming a protective barrier. It’s everything your poor chafed skin has ever asked for.

Best: All-natural cream

Rating: 7/10

Sometimes, our skin wants nothing more than for us to go back to basics. There’s been a shift in the cosmetics industry recently, and we’re starting to learn and understand the power of natural ingredients. BeYou is a brand that carries that at the heart of every product it produces. So, not only is its chafing cream vegan, but it’s full of wonderful natural oils such as coconut, argan, frankincense, lavender, teatree and geranium.

The cream creates a water-resistant barrier, all while being moisturising at the same time. And, unlike many creams, it leaves a silky-smooth finish rather than a greasy one. But the super ingredient in this product is colloidal silver, which has natural antibacterial properties. It’s the healing powers of nature in a bottle, and it works.

Best: Oil

Rating: 7/10

We call this a Haribo product, because kids and grown-ups love it so. It’s actually a rule that can be applied to most baby skincare products, because anything that can be trusted on delicate baby skin works wonders on adult skin too.

Free of chemicals, dyes and fragrances, this product is an absolute favourite amongst mums, and not just for its moisturising qualities. One thing we have in common with babies here is our close relationship with chafing, and it’s not a bad idea to take a leaf out of their book when it comes to keeping the irritation at bay. Plus, an oil product is another great way of reducing friction. A lot goes a long way, and the results last for hours.

Best: Chafing tights

Rating: 8/10

We love a brand that really knows women’s bodies. Sometimes hard to find, but we promise they’re out there, and when you find one, don’t let it go. Snag is one of those brands. The companies M.O. is to make clothing that works for all sizes (UK4-36), shapes, genders, abilities, ethnicities, ages and styles.

Tights can be tricky for us chafers, usually, because they can be a great solution for reducing or preventing chafing, only for them to suddenly become a culprit themselves. But Snag has even turned the sizing of tights on its head, varying the width as well as the length so they really fit. The cotton gussets stretch in three dimensions, the seams are flat and they even come with a comfort Elastane waistband. Thank you Snag, for solving every tights issue we’ve ever had. We are eternally grateful.

Best: Anti-chafing shorts

Rating: 7/10

If you’re looking for a garment solution to chafing, anti-chafing shorts are your answer. Made from a soft, lightweight, stretchy fabric, this H&M pair are a great budget-friendly option that does the job. Available in both black and nude, they discreetly sit above the hemline of skirts, dresses and shorts without rolling up or digging in, allowing you to go about your day with ease, without giving chafing a second thought.