Has anyone tried diaper cream?

[OakLeaf]

Is it in the baby department?

[BiketoWork Barb]

SO glad to have found this string of posts!

I've used Boudreaux's for a while on the recommendation of a female cyclist friend. It has worked okay for the occasional sore that used to open up between the butt cheeks (this is just among us girls, right?), but didn't do much on long rides.

I just tried Chamois Butt'r on an 80-mile ride Saturday, and it seemed to help with the groin friction some. But I was also breaking in a new saddle (Terry Falcon), and it's hard to tell how much of the soreness I had afterwards might have been the saddle. I did reapply a couple of times at food stops (I put some in a ziploc bag so I didn't have to carry a big brand-new tube).

The instructions on the Chamois stuff say to rub it into your chamois after washing the shorts. I assume they mean REAL chamois pads, and mine are all synthetic stuff so I don't know if I'm going to do that. Seems like it would just sit there, rather than make the stuff more supple and forgiving as I expect it does with actual leather.

A tri guy I know told me that they apply so much stuff it oozes out their shorts--uck.

I'm going to look for the Monkey Butt now and try that--an easy segue from Butt Paste to Monkey Butt.

My only concern is that I seem to remember hearing years ago that talc isn't good for the vaginal area for some reason. Whatever I read made me stop my baby powdering habit (this was pre-cycling days; I just thought it kept me baby fresh). Anyone else have something on this?

I'm now going to look for threads that discuss saddle brands, as I'm not sure the Falcon and I are going to be best friends. I commute daily and ride longer distances on weekends with my husband (and a few spinervals evenings on the trainer indoors). This seat is a step up from the standard one that came on my Specialized Dolce. I'd love to hear recommendations.

--barb

[emily_in_nc]

My only concern is that I seem to remember hearing years ago that talc isn't good for the vaginal area for some reason. Whatever I read made me stop my baby powdering habit (this was pre-cycling days; I just thought it kept me baby fresh). Anyone else have something on this?

I'm just going from memory, but seems like a link was found with cancer -- cervical, perhaps?

Emily

[OakLeaf]

Real talc contains asbestos fibers, so obviously it's implicated in all kinds of cancers. I don't think you can even buy it any more though - read the labels, but AFAIK it's all cornstarch now.

Which, you can buy THAT in the baking aisle, without the irritating scents, for about a quarter of the price

[csr1210]

Sorry for the highjack, but I gotta know....

I do use some powder to deal with friction and minor moisture when I wear skirts, but I don't know how that would work for cycling. I mean, I produce a LOT of sweat on a ride. When I come back, my shorts, bra, and top will be completely soaked. I just figured a powder would only work until it got saturated -- which for me, would be about 10 minutes. Are any of you who use the powder heavy sweaters? Or does it still work when you are wet?

It's also weird to me that chamois are advertised as fast drying, etc.... Is is just me??? My chamois gets totally soaked when I ride, AND it's still wet an hour or two later when I go gather things up and get them in the washer.

Okay, back to your regular thread content....
Christy (the freakish sweating girl)

[Smilie]

I use powder, and it doesn't work with heavy workouts!

[Norse]

"...it's all cornstarch now...."

Interesting. I now recall that my Dad, who used to drive a delivery truck, and got very hot and sweaty running in and out of the truck with his deliveries, used to load up his bottom with cornstarch. Must have done something for him!

[han-grrl]

OMG - i work in indoor air quality, and as far as i know, asbestos is barely used in ANYTHING any more, only in some very specific applications...

as for my "monkey butt"
i use the diaper rash stuff - works awesome...and prep H if i have any saddle sores, also works well.

I tried the diaper rash stuff as "preventative" measure when i was riding this weekend, and it seemed to work...no butt issues!

Real talc contains asbestos fibers, so obviously it's implicated in all kinds of cancers. I don't think you can even buy it any more though - read the labels, but AFAIK it's all cornstarch now.

Which, you can buy THAT in the baking aisle, without the irritating scents, for about a quarter of the price

[Miranda]

Oh heavens, I think one of my first posts on TE was about how in the world to get Desitin diaper rash ointment out of my bike shorts chamois. I even went to their web site, etc. My shorts are still in the closet ruined. Mine started to seep through on the black and I had skunk butt. It did indeed help the skin. I used it on my kids religiously, and it stuck to their skin like glue (in a good way). But, if I got it on the onsie... clothes toast. Now, I just use regular Chamois Buter. It doesn't last like Desitin, but I carry the packets, and put A LOT on to start.

[OakLeaf]

Nowadays talc is not likely to be contaminated with asbestos as it was in the past, but asbestiform fibers and quartz are still a concern. Here's a link to a meta-analysis of studies on the relationship between perineal use of talc and lung and ovarian cancer (pdf) - conclusion: limited evidence, possible carcinogenicity. I sure wouldn't use it.

[RoadRaven]

A little late to the party... but a zinc and caster oil preparation from the chemist. In the baby section. Real cheap and extremely effective.

Maybe thats whats in all the "names" listed above - but this one has no special name, no extra smelly stuff and comes in a big plastic pot with a simple lable declaring "Zinc & Caster Oil".

Use it before races, and after also.

[sfa]

Boy, I wish I had read this thread earlier. I can't believe I bought a tube of Chamois Butt'r when I have a TUB of Boudreaux's butt paste in the house, and I've been known to use it before for chaffing. What was I thinking? Good stuff, that. And it washes out easily.

Cornstarch vs. talc--we used cornstarch powder on the kids because we were told it was safer, but then we discovered that cornstarch powder can lead to or exacerbate yeast infections since it gives the yeast something to feed on, so if you have a tendency towards yeast infections you might want to stay away from cornstarch in your shorts.

Sarah