Indelicate questions about chammy cream (total TMI here, be warned)

[ny biker]

It was by far the hottest, most humid day we've had this summer. Friends who have ridden far more difficult rides recently, in terms of terrain, felt that it was the hardest thing they had done in a long time.

I think moisture (perspiration and rain) were probably the real culprits. One issue could be that your shorts/chamois are not good for hot weather. I have some shorts that feel very clammy on hot days compared to others. Also you might find that powder like Anti-Monkey Butt would be helpful.

For rain, the best thing is a rear fender to keep spray off your back, and a good jacket that covers your butt. I did not have my fenders on Saturday and my shorts were far more soaked by the rain than they would have been with a fender.

[fallstoclimb]

Anti-Monkey Butt powder! I did not know that exists but that is probably exactly what I needed!

Dude, that day was BRUTAL. It was only my second century, by far the most climbing I've ever done, and then to have the heat and the humidity on top of it - it was the hardest thing I've done ever I think!

[OakLeaf]

+1 that it's likely eczema and not chafing. Skinfold eczema is very common. These days I will get it any time the weather is humid OR I'm sweating - doesn't even have to be both - unless I take preventive measures. I'll get it in different forms on various parts of my body - little fluid filled bumps or scaly patches on hands and fingers, pustules on my forehead, dots of lifted skin on my feet, and painful red raw skin in my butt crack.

I've never tried the powder but it seems to me that it would get waterlogged pretty quickly? It's popular among motorcyclists, which is a lot more physical than many non-riders realize, but even in full unventilated leather, unless you're actually racing you probably aren't sweating near as much as a cyclist or runner.

What works for me is Nubütte ... strictly as an eczema preventive/treatment, not as a chamois cream which is what it's marketed as. To me, there's too much olive oil in the formula for it to lubricate effectively or very long. But if I just spread a little in the crack after a shower and before a run, I don't get the "monkey butt," and if I've already got it, it will heal.

For the moment, if you can't find something you like at retail, a little cortisone cream should clear it up. You don't want to use cortisone for long, especially on delicate skin, but it's a quick and easily available cure.

[emily_in_nc]

I have had this happen on hot, sweaty rides, and it really hurts! I can't imagine suffering through a century with it -- poor you!

I've never put chammy cream in that area, but I've found that it clears up pretty quickly on its own. Come to think of it, I think once I had it bad enough I put some hydrocortisone cream on it at night for a couple of nights. That helped a lot!

[Crankin]

Ah, I put chamois cream everywhere. How can it help if you don't apply it? All of those unmentionable places...
I use the kind with no bad stuff, although they stopped selling the Belgium Butter in the US, but I found another paraben free brand.
And yes, the heat makes it all worse.