During the warmer months, few things are more annoying than chafing. Whether you’re a runner who likes to take advantage of the nice weather or someone who wants their inner thighs to coexist in peace, anti-chafe products can help prevent any uncomfortable friction that causes sore skin.
To help you stay friction-free in high temperatures, we spoke to dermatologists about the best anti-chafing products on the market, plus got their tips and tricks on how to avoid chafing and what to do when it occurs.
SKIP AHEAD How we picked the best anti-chafing products | The best anti-chafing products in 2024 | How to shop for anti-chafing products
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How we picked the best anti-chafing products
When shopping for quality anti-chafe products, dermatologists emphasize finding the right, friction-reducing ingredients more than anything. We also valued price and our own personal experience with these products, where applicable.
- Ingredients: Shoppers should look for chafing sticks with a combination of humectants, emollients and occlusives (the same types of ingredients found in quality face moisturizers), according to Dr. Hadley King, a NYC-based dermatologist. Ideally, these products should glide smoothly while creating a strong barrier between any hotspots that rub (like inner thighs or the back of your heels), and any exterior irritation like the heel of your shoe or a wet swimsuit strap on your skin. Notable emollients include glycerin and coconut oil, which appear in nearly every anti-chafe product we recommend. We explore these ingredients and others in more depth, below.
- Price: Based on our own experience shopping for and using these products, we’ve found great options in the $7 to $20 range for roughly 2 ounces (or one deodorant-like stick) of product, with the exception of our pick for anti-chafing underwear.
- Personal experience: As someone who struggles with thigh chafing during the warmer months, I’ve tried a handful of these products and included my recommendations.
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The best anti-chafing products in 2024
Most anti-chafing products are salves packed in glide-on sticks, jellies, powders or creams. Below, we’ve compiled a list of expert-recommended options from dermatologists or options that have helped NBC Select staff keep their skin friction-free.
Best overall anti-chafing product: Megababe Thigh Rescue
- Easy to apply
- Long-lasting
- Mild scent
- Slightly sticky texture
Several of the dermatologists we spoke to recommend Megababe as an anti-chafe solution. “[It’s] an affordable, easy-to-use stick formulated to prevent friction by providing both hydration with grapeseed oil and improved glide to reduce the friction that leads to chafing with ingredients like vitamin E and aloe,” says Dr. Annie Chiu, dermatologist and founder of The Derm Institute.
I’ve used Megababe for years and cannot imagine my life without it. It’s packaged in a deodorant-like applicator and is a breeze to use: I typically swipe the balm across each of my inner thighs two to three times and typically reapply throughout the day as needed. The formula, which has a subtle, clean scent, leaves behind a residue that makes my inner thighs happily glide across each other as I walk. Megbabe is formulated with caprylic/capric triglyceride (a compound derived from glycerin) and coconut oil, both of which are emollient ingredients that moisturize the skin.
Type: Stick
The runner-up: Squirrel’s Nut Butter
- Relieves blisters
- Moisturizes skin
- May stain fabric
Another favorite product of mine for chafing, Squirrel’s Nut butter is made with Cocos nucifera (coconut oil) to help moisturize your skin and avoid friction. According to King, Cocos nucifera has both emollient and occlusive properties, meaning it hydrates and also helps create a protective barrier on top of your skin.
Squirrel’s Nut Butter is sold as an everywhere solution for athletes with chafing. The brand recommends applying it not just before a race or athletic event, but also before showering to avoid further bothering your already-tender skin.
Type: Stick
Best anti-chafing product for bikini areas: Body Glide for Her
- No residue
- No stickiness
- Stronger scent
I used Body Glide’s anti-chafe stick, which comes recommended by King, on my inner thighs during a recent warm-weather vacation. While other options, like Megababe, offer a more slippery feel, Body Glide for Her felt thicker and more waxy, and perhaps is a better option to use along a bathing suit line or anywhere else where you need a heavy-duty barrier between you and any fabric, like the back of your shoe.
Type: Stick
Best budget anti-chafing product: Gold Bond Friction Defense Stick
- Affordable
- Soothing ingredients
- Not as long-lasting
Jessica Wu, MD, a Los Angeles-based dermatologist and and author of “Feed Your Face,” recommends Gold Bond’s Friction Defense Stick as a more affordable option that contains several popular friction-reducing and inflammation-fighting ingredients including zinc oxide and aloe.
I found this unscented option similar to Body Glide; it creates a strong, waxy barrier across your skin that didn’t glide on as smoothly, but still helped eliminate any friction.
Type: Stick
Best anti-chafing cream: Chamois Butt’r Original Anti-Chafe Cream
- Long-lasting
- Washes off easily
- Good value
- Can be messy to apply
Chamois cream is most known for helping cyclists avoid friction while riding, but it’s also an effective fix for everyday chafing. Chamois Butt’r is a non-greasy lubricant formulated for all skin types to treat chafing and reduce friction, according to the brand. It has aloe vera and vitamins A and E to moisturize and soothe skin, and can be washed off easily with soap and water. It’s also available in four versions, including a pH- balanced formula made specifically for women, and has a 4.8-star average rating from 9,963 reviews on Amazon.
Type: Cream
Best anti-chafing powder: Lush Cosmetics Silky Underwear Dusting Powder
- Gentle formula
- May dry out skin
This dusting powder from Lush has a cornstarch and kaolin clay base, which works to absorb sweat and moisture and reduce friction, according to Wu. It’s also formulated with cocoa butter to nourish the skin, according to the brand.
Compared to other deodorant-like applicators so far in this list, Lush’s option is a powder, which Marchbein recommends using only after first applying a regular cream or moisturizer: the cream can work as a barrier and the powder, in turn, can work to absorb excess moisture. She recommends this strategy for people whose skin has already started to chafe to avoid further irritation.
Type: Powder
Most versatile anti-chafing product: Aquaphor Healing Balm Stick
- Easy to apply
- Hydrating
- Multi-purpose
- Not as long-lasting
“Boob chafing is real, especially for runners,” says NBC Select associate updates editor Zoe Malin. After experiencing severe chafing on her chest and under boob area from sports bras (“the rash can get so bad that it starts bleeding mid-run,” she says), she started using this Aquaphor Balm Stick religiously before running. “I don’t have to actually touch the product or my skin thanks to the applicator, and the balm creates a barrier between my skin and the bra’s fabric, which prevents chafing,” she says. She usually applies it underneath the perimeter of her bra and up to her underboob area. The balm uses avocado oil and shea butter to moisturize skin, and is all-purpose, meaning it can be used all over your face and body, according to the brand.
Type: Balm stick
Best anti-chafing underwear: Knix Thigh Saver
- Soft fabric
- Comfortable for long wear
- Leakproof version
- No elastic waistband
Thanks to Knix’s Thigh Saver, Malin says she no longer worries about chafing when wearing dresses or skirts. “The little shorts are thin enough that they’re lightweight, but thick enough to prevent my thighs from rubbing together,” she says. She likes how soft and airy the fabric is, which makes the shorts comfortable to wear for hours at a time. “I literally threw out all my other undershorts after trying these because nothing compares to them.” The shorts are also available in a leakproof version for periods, which has a built-in liner that the brand says absorbs about three regular tampons’ worth of blood.
Type: Underwear
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How to shop for anti-chafing products
According to the dermatologists we spoke to, there are certain healing and moisture-wicking ingredients you should look out for when shopping for anti-chafing products:
- Cocos nucifera: many anti-chafe products include coconut oil, a natural emollient that helps hydrate skin and glides smoothly.
- Glycerin or caprylic/capric triglyceride: Also known as glycerol, this ingredient “moisturizes skin without clogging pores,” according to Wu.
- Aloe vera: Many of the dermatologists we spoke to noted that aloe can both protect the skin from chafing and reduce inflammation after chafing has occurred.
- Zinc oxide: Commonly found in products that treat diaper rash and sunscreens, this compound usually comes in the form of a thick, white paste and is designed to form a protective barrier on your skin, according to Dr. Shari Marchbein,
- Cornstarch: Cornstarch-based products help absorb moisture, making them ideal for anti-chafing products, according to Chiu. Wu added that they can also reduce friction in chafing-prone areas.
- Vitamin E: According to cosmetic dermatology expert Kenneth Mark, MD, products with vitamin E are “particularly soothing” and hydrating.
- Kaolin clay: This mineral helps absorb sweat and skin oils, making it ideal in anti-chafing products, according to Wu.
When shopping for a quality option, pay particular attention to what order the ingredients appear on the label: “Skincare products list their ingredients in order of concentration from highest to lowest,” says Dr. Michele Green, a NYC-based dermatologist. So, “the closer [an ingredient] is to the top of the ingredient list, the greater the concentration of the ingredient in the given product,” she says.
Meet our experts
At NBC Select, we work with experts who have specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also take steps to ensure all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and without undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.
- Dr. Annie Chiu is a board-certified cosmetic and general dermatologist and founder of The Derm Institute.
- Dr. Hadley King is a board-certified dermatologist in New York City. She has also offered her guidance in Select’s guides to the brow growth serums, razor burn treatments, the best drugstore shampoos and dandruff shampoos and body lotions.
- Dr. Shari Marchbein is a board-certified dermatologist and fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology
- Dr. Kenneth Mark is a cosmetic dermatologist with offices in New York City, Long Island., NY and Aspen, CO.
- Dr. Jessica Wu is a Los Angeles-based dermatologist and author of “Feed Your Face.”
Why trust NBC Select?
Christina Colizza is a former editor at NBC Select and has been a product reviewer since 2018. She covered a range of self-care and skin care topics and wrote NBC Select’s guide to eyebrow serums, body lotions, the best drugstore shampoos and more. For this piece, Colizza spoke to dermatologists about the best anti-chafing products to stop unwanted friction.
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