The best anti-chafing products to use this summer, tested by our editors
Dermatologists also break down what causes chafing and how to relieve symptoms.
Lush Cosmetics Silky Underwear Dusting Powder
$15.00
$15.00
When shopping for quality anti-chafe products, dermatologists emphasize finding the right, friction-reducing ingredients more than anything. We also valued price and our own personal experience with these products, where applicable.
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Most anti-chafing products are salves packed in glide-on sticks, jellies, powders or creams. Below, we’ve compiled a list of expert-recommended options from dermatologists and favorite picks that have helped NBC Select staff keep their skin friction-free.
Several of the dermatologists we spoke to recommend Megababe as an anti-chafe solution. “[It’s] an affordable, easy-to-use stick formulated to prevent friction by providing both hydration with grapeseed oil and improved glide to reduce the friction that leads to chafing with ingredients like vitamin E and aloe,” says Dr. Annie Chiu, dermatologist and founder of The Derm Institute.
Colizza has used Megababe for years and says she cannot imagine her life without it. It’s packaged in a deodorant-like applicator and is a breeze to use: “I typically swipe the balm across each of my inner thighs two to three times and typically reapply throughout the day as needed,” she says. The formula, which has a subtle, clean scent, leaves behind a residue that she says makes her inner thighs “happily glide across each other as [she walks]”. Megbabe is formulated with caprylic/capric triglyceride (a compound derived from glycerin) and coconut oil, both of which are emollient ingredients that moisturize the skin.
Another favorite product of Colizza’s for chafing, Squirrel’s Nut butter is made with Cocos nucifera (coconut oil) to help moisturize your skin and avoid friction. According to King, Cocos nucifera has both emollient and occlusive properties, meaning it hydrates and also helps create a protective barrier on top of your skin.
Squirrel’s Nut Butter is sold as an everywhere solution for athletes with chafing. The brand recommends applying it not just before a race or athletic event, but also before showering to avoid further bothering your already-tender skin.
Colizza used Body Glide’s anti-chafe stick, which comes recommended by King, on her inner thighs during a recent warm-weather vacation. While other options, like Megababe, offer a more slippery feel, Body Glide for Her feels thicker and more waxy, and perhaps is a better option to use along a bathing suit line or anywhere else where you need a heavy-duty barrier between you and any fabric, like the back of your shoe.
Jessica Wu, MD, a Los Angeles-based dermatologist and author of “Feed Your Face,” recommends Gold Bond’s Friction Defense Stick as a more affordable option that contains several popular friction-reducing and inflammation-fighting ingredients including zinc oxide and aloe.
Colizza finds this unscented option similar to Body Glide; it creates a strong, waxy barrier across your skin that doesn’t glide on as smoothly, but still helps eliminate friction.
Chamois cream is most known for helping cyclists avoid friction while riding, but it’s also an effective fix for everyday chafing. Chamois Butt’r is a non-greasy lubricant formulated for all skin types to treat chafing and reduce friction, according to the brand. It has aloe vera and vitamins A and E to moisturize and soothe skin, and can be easily washed off with soap and water. It’s also available in four versions, including a pH- balanced formula made specifically for women, and has a 4.7-star average rating from 10,645 reviews on Amazon.
This dusting powder from Lush has a cornstarch and kaolin clay base, which works to absorb sweat and moisture and reduce friction, according to Wu. It’s also formulated with cocoa butter to nourish the skin, according to the brand.
Compared to other deodorant-like applicators so far in this list, Lush’s option is a powder, which Marchbein recommends using only after first applying a regular cream or moisturizer: the cream can work as a barrier and the powder, in turn, can work to absorb excess moisture. She recommends this strategy for people whose skin has already started to chafe to avoid further irritation.
“Boob chafing is real, especially for runners,” says NBC Select reporter Zoe Malin. After experiencing severe chafing on her chest and under boob area from sports bras (“the rash can get so bad that it starts bleeding mid-run,” she says), she started using this Aquaphor Balm Stick religiously before running. “I don’t have to actually touch the product or my skin thanks to the applicator, and the balm creates a barrier between my skin and the bra’s fabric, which prevents chafing,” she says. She usually applies it underneath the perimeter of her bra and up to her underboob area. The balm uses avocado oil and shea butter to moisturize skin, and is all-purpose, meaning it can be used all over your face and body, according to the brand.
Thanks to Knix’s Thigh Saver, Malin says she no longer worries about chafing when wearing dresses or skirts. “The little shorts are thin enough that they’re lightweight, but thick enough to prevent my thighs from rubbing together,” she says. She likes how soft and airy the fabric is, which makes the shorts comfortable to wear for hours at a time. “I literally threw out all my other undershorts after trying these because nothing compares to them.” The shorts are also available in a leakproof version for periods, which has a built-in liner that the brand says absorbs about three regular tampons’ worth of blood.
This anti-chafing stick from Fur is designed to glide on smoothly while forming a lightweight, protective layer across your skin, according to the brand. It uses chamomile and cica to help calm irritated skin, and is infused with licorice root and niacinamide to reduce discoloration and redness. This stick is also formulated to help soften hair and prevent ingrowns, according to the brand.
According to the dermatologists we spoke to, there are certain healing and moisture-wicking ingredients you should look out for when shopping for anti-chafing products:
When shopping for a quality option, pay particular attention to what order the ingredients appear on the label: “Skincare products list their ingredients in order of concentration from highest to lowest,” says Dr. Michele Green, a NYC-based dermatologist. So, “the closer [an ingredient] is to the top of the ingredient list, the greater the concentration of the ingredient in the given product,” she says.
At NBC Select, we work with experts who have specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also take steps to ensure all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and without undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.
Christina Colizza is a former editor at NBC Select and has been a product reviewer since 2018. Ashley Morris is an associate SEO reporter for NBC Select, covering wellness topics like the best whole body deodorants and acne spot treatments. For this piece, Colizza spoke to dermatologists about the best anti-chafing products to stop unwanted friction.
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