Whether you call it chub rub, chafing or rash, chub rub is that uncomfortable, burning skin condition when your thighs sweat and rub together. One doesn't even have to be overweight to have the thighs rub together so this problem afflicts everyone from athletes to the very overweight. Having suffered from this malady since I was a small child, I’ve tried a number of things over the years that have worked and here are a few.
Baby powder was the first thing I used when I was a child. It probably works better for adults than children because as a kid, I was outside a lot in the summer and found that powder just did not last long enough. But as an adult, it makes sense if you have a chance to apply it every so often. This is definitely not my go to these days, but it is an option.
An anti per spirant like Dove’s Clinical Protection is another good choice. This product keeps perspiration at bay and is smooth and easy to apply multiple times during the day. If you can keep the thigh area dry, which products like these will help to do, that’s half the battle.
Monistat’s Anti Chafing Gel is an excellent product and definitely prevents chub rub. It’s a smooth, silicone-based gel that is almost identical to many of the facial primers that are used under makeup (I’ve actually used Monistat on my face instead of primer---works great and it’s cheap!). If you’re not allergic to silicone based products, do try this. It can be found in most drugstores and is definitely worth stocking up on for the summer!
The Jockey Skimmies Slipshort is my new favorite chub rub preventer! I originally heard about these on a message board and decided to give them a try. Mine came from Amazon (here) and cost $20 per pair. They are made of similar material to the leg part of Spanx Higher Power (if you’re familiar with that product) but are without the ungodly sucking in tightness characterized by Spanx. There’s a time and place for Spanx but a hot, sweaty summer is not one of them! Anyway, you can wear your skimmies under skirts and dresses and forget all about chub rub. These shorts are light and don’t cause a “muffin top” because they are not designed to control. There are lots of different types of shorts like this on the market (Spanx has something similar here) and are definitely worth the money!Other products I’ve read about but haven’t yet tried:
Body Glide is recommend by the running community and is available here at roadrunnersports.com for $7.99. It looks to be similar to the Monistat gel except in stick form. 
Chamois Cream is a product used by cyclists. I’m not a cyclist but I understand that they get really nasty chafing that easily turns into infection if not treated properly. Plus, due to the nature of their sport, they get chafing in areas where I don’t even want to think about! Apparently, chamois cream is excellent for this problem and the DZ Nuts Bliss Chamois Cream is specially formulated for women. This product can be used on “old” chafed areas as well as being a preventative for new chafing. You can purchase it here for $24.99 at backcountry.com. This particular chamois cream looks VERY promising!How about you? Do you have any favorite preventative measures for chub rub?
Oh yeah, i remember in high school this was a particular problem. Not so much now though i am fatter. My solution in h.s.was nylon long legged pantaloon type things that were made out of very thin nylon- like a slip. They were short enough not to show under short skirts but long enough to cover the top 5or 6 inches of my thighs from wence cometh my problem. I would get so chapped before these that I could barely walk from the pain. Another situation in which I felt I had no one to confide or help me. My slip/pants seemed much thinner than those Jockey slipshorts. I wonder if they still have my solution in the lingerie dept. JGK
ReplyDeleteThe Jockey Skimmies are really thin so they're not like biker shorts or yoga shorts. I will also check out Nordstrom to see if they have something like you wore in HS!
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