Chamois cream vs petroleum jelly

Not really…or at least not as chamois cream was originally purposed. Back in the day of real chamois, you needed chamois cream to soften up the chamois and make it bearable.

The original point of chamois was about friction reduction and not padding. Somewhere along the way, it has morphed into padding…and why we now have chamois that feel like diapers.

There was nothing better than a pair of Assos w/ real chamois and hearty handful of chamois cream. But caring for real chamois was a total PITA.

My cheap chamois cream replacement is cocoa butter lotion. I get the fragrance free variety. Usually available at Target or Walmart.

I like WD-40

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I’m sure it is but Petroleum Jelly doesn’t sound safe. If I was looking for an alternative to chamois cream I might try Sudocrem, at least it’s been well tested.

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But we’re not talking about the original purpose. No need to pull out a raw steak and cram it down there. Good chamois/saddle interface (perhaps bike fit as well) takes care of friction. It won’t solve the dirtiness problem.

FWIW, so far I haven’t got same friction issues I have while running. Its more general discomfort of contact area with the saddle.

Well, I’m not certain i agree with your premise that chamois cream’s primary purpose is about cleanliness…and was using the historical purposes of the product to illustrate that.

Holy Sh!t leather chamois! Cream or no cream those were the days. I don’t miss em…

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How long ago are we talking about here!?

I start cycling 8 years ago, and even slightly before that all the paddings i would have know is what we have now and similar… no leather stuff

Ah, c’mon…there was nthing better than a real chamois lubed up w/ chamois cream. A little “squish” when you first sat down, but once you got it warmed up and soft, it was sublime.

Or maybe I am just being wisful… :joy: :joy:

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I don’t remember when pads became universal. I remember leather chamois and shoes in the early/mid 80’s though.

I was too young… Riding my 20" bike and playing mario!

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Yeah, I would say that synthetic chamois became universal in the mid-late 80’s. And even then, a synthetic chamois was still a synthetic version of a natural chamois into the 90’s (looked and felt like real chamois, but was easier to care for). It wasn’t until the mid-late 90’s that the modern day “chamois” became the standard.

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Another thing I have recently been questioning, should one apply the cream directly to the skin or onto the chamois pad? :thinking:

Oh, this is the age old question…up there with tubular vs. clincher, etc. :rofl:

Personally, I apply it stright to the undercarriage…and that is it. I don’t feel the need to lube up the entire area, just the high friction points. Occasionally, I’ll get some seam chafe on my cheeks and when that happens, I’ll dab a bot on those areas as well.

But with today’s chamois, I think lubing up the entire pad is just a waste of cream.

My guess is preference here will also be largely indvidual.

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Organic Coconut Oil works well as chamois creme.

I’ve always used chamois cream. I’d consider petroleum jelly as more of a ‘leisure or recreation’ product :rofl:

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Any EU equivalent to Noxzema? (sorry it’s just hard to get US products sometimes).

Noxzema is readily available on Amazon and other EU outlets.

One other thing to consider re: Petroleum Jelly. As per the name it is petroleum based and generally these products to do not play nice with polymer based fabrics in the shorts and chamois … they can cause early break down of these fabrics and ruin your shorts/bibs.

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