Best Chamois Cream

First, we looked at the ingredients and carefully evaluated each one. We wanted to understand why they had been selected, whether they had any potential risks of downsides, and whether they played a meaningful role in the performance of the product. Then we tested each product thoroughly, paying close attention to how quickly it dried out, the resulting skin feel and level of friction felt.
We also studied how quickly and easily it absorbed into our skin and two different types of fabric – a typical chamois pad and more regular underwear.
Whilst few brands recommend using chamois cream without cycling specific clothing, we wanted to check our results remained relevant to cyclists of all types, irrespective of their choice of clothing.
Each product was tested on all three body types (light, medium and heavier build) and for both men and women. To the very best of our knowledge we don’t think you will find a better chamois cream review out there.
We also considered a range of different cycling needs, from 100 mile closed road sportive rides, to shorter distance rides for less experienced cyclists.
Also, don’t forget that saddle soreness can be alleviated by choosing the correct saddle.

We used a simple five star system, with the product receiving the highest number of stars denoting our best recommended choice.
Products awarded 3, 4 and 5-star ratings met or exceeded our expectations. Both 4 and 5 star products were considered excellent, whilst 3 star products were deemed either average or good. Any products rated as 2 or 1 star we don’t not recommend.
2-star products fell below our expectations but still offered some merit. 1-star ratings indicated a product of questionable merit with potential major issues identified.
Please remember however that no two people are alike so your experience may differ from ours despite our best efforts to make our approach as comprehensive as possible.
The products we found to be the most effective and best value for money are detailed below.
For more details about each product please click on their respective links which will take you directly to the manufacturer’s website.
This review is presented as a guide aimed at helping cyclists make an informed choice, rather than as a sales prospectus for any of our top rated picks.
We do not receive any remuneration for the independent recommendations on this page.

1. Faction Actionproof Chamois Cream - Rating: 5 out of 5.

The bottom line 

• Outstanding performance from an innovative formulation. It didn’t just work even better than established rivals, it reduces friction without any unnatural or questionable ingredients all whilst being non-greasy.
• Faction Actionproof Chamois Cream was the firm favourite of most of our cyclists and the stand-out performer in our testing.
• Not a single tester experience a saddle sore or any friction issues with this product, even after many long hours in the saddle.
• Faction Actionproof Chamois Cream is our best chamois cream of 2024.

RSP: £14.49

How it works

• Faction Actionproof Chamois Cream claims to use 100% Clean Ingredients with Zero Compromise Performance. Whilst we were skeptical, the product lived up to the claims.
• Key ingredients include olive oil extract, white willow bark and magnolia extract, shea butter, eucalyptus leaf oil and apricot kernel oil.
• Most interestingly, it uses micro-encapsulation technology. This protects these natural ingredients and ensures they work as intended on the skin during use.
• It is the only chamois cream we’ve seen that features this advanced natural skincare technology.
• It also has antibacterial properties and is notable for its non-greasy formula. It also doesn't come with any tingling sensation and avoid artificial fragrances, instead opting for a fully natural fragrance, which is subtle but pleasant.

Results

• The greatest differences testers noticed with Faction Actionproof Chamois Cream is that the sensations of saddle soreness are significantly reduced during testing, but even more noticeably in the hours following a longer ride.
• This seems to be attributable to the active molecules of Magnolia and White Willow Bark which are proven to calm sensitive and irritated skin, reduce redness and protect against dryness.
• This means greater comfort after cycling and potentially the ability to ride again sooner.
• With this product, our testers didn't find it necessary to apply chamois cream directly to the chamois pad of their cycling shorts, but doing so would no doubt add even more protection from saddle sores on long rides.
• Because the product doesn't contain propylene glycol, lanolin or other ingredients known to cause increased sensitivity or dry skin, it's suitable even for sensitive skin types.
• It performed equally well for men and women, outperforming several women-specific chamois cream products not featured on this list (including Hoo Ha Ride Glide and Petal Power Joy).

One more thing 

• Unlike many chamois creams, it's designed to have a naturally low pH, making this product is suitable for female cyclists, without the risk of vaginal irritation, or any compromise for male cyclists.
• It's a gender-neutral stand-out winner, outperforming even the best women's chamois creams. One of our testers even used it running to prevent friction between their inner thighs!

2. Assos Chamois Creme

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

RSP: £14.00

How it works

• Assos chamois cream uses a non-biodegradable silicone (dimethicone) based formulation. Whilst not the best ingredient for the environment or skin, silicone is a very cheap and generally effective way to reduce skin friction.
• Due to its reliance on silicone, the formulation works by applying a thick barrier on the skin, it doesn’t treat the skin or improve suppleness but it’s so thick that it works well for most people. It’s worth noting that Assos does contain some more contentious ingredients.
• Cyclopentasiloxane is known to be harmful to aquatic organisms and has its detractors. Propelene glycol is a penetration-enhancing humectant, this means it can allow toxins to permeate the skin, it also makes the formula unsuitable for anyone with a skin condition.
• The formula also contains artificial preservatives.
• It has a very subtle but pleasant smell.

Results

• Assos chamois cream holds up well, in fact noticeably better than other silicone based formulations. Assos cream is known for its cooling effect on application, the result of the inclusion of a significant amount of menthol. Our testers found this polarising, for some it reassured them the product was working, some found it unpleasant.
• Female testers were most unwelcoming of the menthol feeling. Despite these drawbacks, it works well to prevent chafing, more so than most other creams.
• Many cyclists have held Assos chamois cream up as one of the best cycling chamois creams, we don't disagree, but its formulation is starting to look outdated. Scrutiny of the ingredient list does raise a number of questions.

The bottom line

• Very good performance, a trusted staple of many riders. The detail of its ingredient list makes it unsuitable for some and not the best for the environment.

One more thing

• Assos also have a female-focused version of the product. It comes in a much smaller 75ml tub and costs more per ml which we don't particularly like or understand. However, the lower pH of the female version of Assos chamois cream is welcomed.

3. Chamois Butt’r

Rating: 4 out of 5.

RSP: £13.00

How it works

• Chamois Butt’r works in a different way to the top 2 performers above. It’s a mineral oil (paraffinum liquidum) based formulation. Mineral oil is a common derivative of crude oil, it’s a very low cost ingredient and is the principle ingredient in petroleum jelly products such as Sudocrem, E45 and Vaseline.
• Chamois Butt’r also uses lanolin, which can help reduce skin’s coefficient of friction. It’s worth noting than lanolin is derived from sheep’s wool so isn’t suitable for vegans, it can also be irritating to some skin types.
• We didn’t like that the formula contains PEG compounds as a preservative. PEGs can dry the skin and can be problematic on damaged skin.
• On a more positive note, it does contain aloe vera, which has some well-known skincare benefits, but it's use in a chamois cream is less common.

Results

• We liked that Chamois Butt'r comes in an easy to use tube which helps make it an easy to apply chamois cream.
• We also like that it’s a less heavy texture, similar to Faction’s cream.
• Some testers noted than it felt harsh on the skin after repeated applications compared to other chamois creams, but only a minority spontaneously fed this back. It held up well even on longer rides for most.

The bottom line 

• Works well and the squeeze tube makes it easy and less messy to use than the more usual tin/tub format. But there are a number of ingredients we’d like to see replaced with less contentious alternatives.
• The use of aloe vera intrigued us, but it's precise role in an anti chafing cream is less clear.

One more thing 

• Chamois Butt’Her is a female-focused alternative. It has a very similar ingredient profile but a lower pH and is marketed as benig more suitable for women's skin.

4. Athlete Performance (Muc-off)

Rating: 4 out of 5.

£25.00

How it works

• Athlete Performance is a halfway house between Assos and Chamois Butt’r – it uses silicone (dimethicone), mineral oil (paraffinum liquidum) and lanolin.
• Each of these ingredients contribute to the products performance. They all have their drawbacks too, both for the skin and the environment.
• Some cyclists did experience minor skin irritation.
• It's anti-bacterial, in part from the use of menthol, which does create a noticable tingling sensation.
• Athlete Performance does make a play of using natural ingredients, which is true but does mask the fact that their chamois cream is one of the least natural available.
• The product texture is thick, which seems to have become synonymous with the term luxury chamois cream, but in reality is reflective of its reliance on artificial ingredients, particularly silicone.

Results

• The formulation is most similar in texture to Assos chamois cream, but it’s use of mineral oil and lanolin gives it a much more greasy texture.
• Some testers found it less comfortable on the skin, but most found it to be effective in preventing soreness.
• It also contain propylene glycol, which we’ve already highlighted isn’t one of our favoured ingredients to use in chamois creams.
• The ingredients in Muc Off luxury chamois cream aren't well suited to sensitive skin, but it does work well to prevent chafing and saddle sores.
• Some cyclists did find it necessary to apply chamois cream to their pad as well as their skin for long rides.

The bottom line

• Innovative use of established ingredients make this a good all-rounder.
• We’d prefer to see use of more sustainable and caring ingredients.

One more thing

• The tub is surprisingly big, a whopping 250ml, arguably too big for some to get through in the recommended 12 month shelf life.

5. Rapha

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

£20.00

How it works

• Rapha uses a silicone based formulation, combined with propylene glycol and artificial fragrance. Whilst silicone is a low cost ingredient, Rapha’s chamois cream is one of the more expensive products on our list.
• A couple of years ago, this topped our list as one of the best creams to prevent saddle sores.
• It also contains some interesting ingredients, most notably olive oil, which works well as a carrier oil (not to be confused with essential oils) and helps reduce friction.
• It also contains sunflower oil, shea butter and menthol, to soothe irritated skin and provide anti bacterial properties respectively.
• It's designed for use on men and women's skin.

Results

• A lighter texture formulation which works well in most situations for most riders. It has a very pleasant fragrance, akin to pine needles (it’s sold as the smell of the slopes of Mont Ventoux) and comes in a high quality tin.
• It’s worth noting that the artificial fragrance is a blend of undisclosed chemical ingredients, something we feel we can live without. It close to being a non greasy formulation, but the use of silicone does create a slight greasy feel.

The bottom line

• One of our preferred creams, but Rapha's chamois cream is now hard to find.
• If this is your preferred choice but you’re finding it hard to track down, Faction’s cream contains some similar ingredients but doesn't use silicone, it is however very similar in texture and performance.

One more thing 

• The tin is intended to be reusable as a receptacle for Allen keys, a nice up-cycling idea, but not one we’ve tested for ourselves.

6. Udderly Smooth Chamois Cream

Rating: 3 out of 5.

£5.60

How it works

• Udderly Smooth (also known as the ‘Moo’ or ‘Cow’ one) is a paraffinum, lanolin and silicone (dimethicone) formulation.
• It’s quite similar to Athlete Performance in composition, but the inclusion of parabens leads us to rate it less highly.
• It does make use of shea butter, which is used by some of the other best chamois creams on our list.
• As with all other chamois creams, it also has anti bacterial properties. Unlike most chamois creams, it’s available in a tub or a smaller plastic squeeze tube.

Results

• It has a somewhat lighter texture, however our experience with Udderly Smooth has been mixed. There was some separation on the formulation, leading to an unpleasant watery mess when first trying the product. This is not something we want anywhere near our cycling shorts!
• Some testers also experienced mild irritation on long rides, this is likely to have been due to the inclusion of lanolin.

The bottom line

• Works fairly well as an anti chafing cream, but may irritate some skin types.
• The inclusion of parabens isn’t something we like to see hidden away on a product designed for intimate use. Most other creams successfully avoid this ingredient, we think Udderly Smooth should too.
• It performed well enough after long hours in the saddle once we resolved the separation problem with the cream.
• One more thing
• The product originated as a formulation designed to treat the udders of dairy cows, hence the name and distinctive branding.
• It's also worth being aware that its pH makes is less well suited to female cyclists and is formulated very differently to women's chamois creams.

Top 6 Best Chamois Creams of 2024 Summary

Our research and test methodology and formulation analysis has uncovered some significant differences between the most popular chamois creams available in the UK in 2024.

One of the things we found most striking is that virtually all the cycling chamois cream brands we tested, including those not featured in this article (including DZNuts Pro Chamois Cream, Gooch Guard Chamois Cream, Petal Power Joy, Velo Champion and Morgan Blue Chamois Cream) all continue to use very low-cost ingredients. These are not always the best for skin health. Some of these ingredients are also known to be damaging to the environment.

There are also very few examples of new thinking or innovation. Chamois creams have for too long lagged behind other categories of functional skincare products.

Whilst there are also a few brands beginning to include more natural ingredients, not all natural ingredients are well suited to chamois creams. Ingredients like tea tree oil, lavender oil, green tea leaf extract, aloe vera, tea tree oil, witch hazel and cocoa butter are unlikely to outperform the artificial ingredients they're replacing.

It's also worth being aware that essential oils can cause skin damage or irritation to nether regions if used for extended periods of time on some skin types.

Using natural ingredients isn't enough, using the right natural ingredients is critically important for chamois cream formulations to work well.

The Overall Winner

Faction Actionproof Chamois Cream

The one product that stood out to us and our independent testers was Faction’s new chamois cream. The brand has brought an innovative new solution to the market which performs as well, if not better than anything else.

It uses a very smart combination of high performance natural ingredients and encapsulation technology, something more commonly seen in luxury beauty and premium functional skincare products.

What led us to choose Faction Actionproof Chamois Cream as our test winner, is this use of innovative natural ingredients which are good for skin health and are positive choices for the environment. Low, bio-accumulative and skin-damaging ingredients have been avoided, without any trade-off in product performance.

Faction Actionproof Chamois Cream – We Loved Its Unrivaled Performance and Innovative Use of Clean Skin Care Ingredients

About Us

At Velo Birmingham we work to find the best possible products for cyclists and cycling, whether you’re an beginner, serious amateur or professional.

We test products on closed roads around Birmingham and the The Midlands. Our closed road test routes cover different distances, but our typical rides are over distances ranging from 42 to 100 miles, we call these our Velothon bike rides.

We also regularly race around the Birmingham area. This ensures the results are clear and our recommendations are thorough and cater for the needs of all cyclists.