# Chamois cream vs body lotion?



## Tin Pot (8 Jan 2016)

Is body lotion as good as chamois cream? I have no idea the ingredient of either but we have tonnes of body lotion and no chamois cream!


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## Fab Foodie (8 Jan 2016)

Tin Pot said:


> Is body lotion as good as chamois cream? I have no idea the ingredient of either but we have tonnes of body lotion and no chamois cream!


I reckon so. I've used Sudocrem, Savlon, and freebie hotel body lotion as well as 'proper' stuffand they all work fine for me.


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## adamangler (8 Jan 2016)

sudacream works well but not so much as a lubrication, but it does prevent sores so its good enough for me.


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## deptfordmarmoset (8 Jan 2016)

I pseudocream my pants. I can honestly say I've never suffered from nappy rash on a bike.


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## bancrobba (8 Jan 2016)

Another advocate for Sudocrem here, BUT......when you worked up a good sweat, you do smell like a baby, albeit a nice clean one.


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## growingvegetables (8 Jan 2016)

Good lord - I've led a sheltered life! I had no idea .........


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## Tin Pot (8 Jan 2016)

deptfordmarmoset said:


> I pseudocream my pants.



Probably overkill but... @Fnaar


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## Tin Pot (8 Jan 2016)

Fab Foodie said:


> I reckon so. I've used Sudocrem, Savlon, and freebie hotel body lotion as well as 'proper' stuffand they all work fine for me.



Sudocrem is "magic healing cream" as far as I'm concerned. So if I could find some I'd use it.

We get those hand wash and hand cream sets, or body wash and body cream sets and over the years the soap gets used but we have body lotion bottles secreted all over the shop.

So I take it there is nothing magic in any of these, it's just some kind of oily lubricant* to stop further irritation?


*I probably shouldn't mention that I use KY to lube my wetsuit with @Fnaar on the thread already...


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## flake99please (9 Jan 2016)

I prefer the minty freshness of sudocremedementhe.


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## Tin Pot (9 Jan 2016)

User13710 said:


> Body lotion is designed to be absorbed by your skin to soften it. Chamois creams are designed to do the opposite, remaining on the surface to keep it slippery.



Ah so the chamois cream is applied before cycling and not after?

Does softening/moisturising the skin help after you've stopped at all?


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## Ganymede (9 Jan 2016)

Body lotion varies wildly in its oil content - some are very light and won't do much good as a lubricant (as per wot @User13710 sez). You would be better off with handcream or something like shea butter. But I would have thought a decent body lotion would be better than nothing.

Disclaimer: I don't use chamois creme or any similar as I'm not that kind of cyclist, but I know a lot about dry skin!


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## Tin Pot (9 Jan 2016)

Ganymede said:


> Body lotion varies wildly in its oil content - some are very light and won't do much good as a lubricant (as per wot @User13710 sez). You would be better off with handcream or something like shea butter. But I would have thought a decent body lotion would be better than nothing.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't use chamois creme or any similar as I'm not that kind of cyclist, but I know a lot about dry skin!



I was thinking of post-ride when I started the thread, but I've never used anything before.

Having increased my time in the saddle significantly through Dec/Jan, I feel it now and want to avoid some of the horror stories you get on CC occasionally.


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## Ganymede (9 Jan 2016)

Tin Pot said:


> I was thinking of post-ride when I started the thread, but I've never used anything before.
> 
> Having increased my time in the saddle significantly through Dec/Jan, I feel it now and want to avoid some of the horror stories you get on CC occasionally.


Well, as I say, this is general rather than cycling advice, but one of the best things for sore skin, after the fact, is aloe vera. Contains a skin-healing enzyme. Brilliant for sunburn too. You can buy a tube of the pure gel and add it to lotion, rather than shelling out for aloe lotion which doesn't state the actual content. 

As a recumbent rider, I have a feeling that even long-distance I wouldn't need cream!


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## jonny jeez (9 Jan 2016)

Tin Pot said:


> I was thinking of post-ride when I started the thread, but I've never used anything before.
> 
> Having increased my time in the saddle significantly through Dec/Jan, I feel it now and want to avoid some of the horror stories you get on CC occasionally.


I've ridden with a few guys that uses sudocream and, if sores are bad and the cream is applied in the correct amount to combat...it can make a mess if black Lycra shorts.

Actually assume the same of chamois 

Apply to your arse and also to the pad in your shorts.

Also, as far as I really, chamois has some antininflamotory, or pain relief ingredients that I am not sure exist I sudocream, which I always see as an anti infection cream.

What all that means is, from my experience, chamois for avoidance of sores, sudocream to treat them if they occur


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