Sarah
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It’s one of the topics we girls somehow don’t talk about at all – chub rub (or thigh chafing)! I frankly don’t know why we never talk about it – especially since we have no problem talking about a lot of other stuff.
I guess it has to do with body confidence issues. Oh no, my thighs touch (hell yes, that’s totally okay girls!). We associate it with “being fat” and don’t want anyone to notice it.
Did you actually know how many “standard size” girls suffer from thigh chafing in summer? Heck, we almost all do!
I consider myself plus size – but this is not a plus-size only issue! It took me a while to realize that so many of have this issue – and most of us don’t know that solutions against chub rub exist!
For most of my life, I did not know that its possible to prevent chub rub.
I suffered in silence. And one day, my mum gave me a tip that totally changed how comfortable I was in summer, wearing just skirts and dresses. She told me to use an anti-blister stick for feet. And it worked! For the first time, I was not afraid to start sweating in summer while wearing a dress.
At one point in our nine-months trip around the world, my anti-blister stick was used up. What to do? And then I started researching and realized that other girls have this problem too and that there are other solutions. Curious, I started trying most of them – some worked better for me and some didn’t at all.
Since then, I started talking to other girls about it. In real life while traveling and on Instagram. Mainly because people made comments like “I wish I could wear a dress like you in summer…”. And I realized how big this problem is. Whenever I told another girl about these tricks, they couldn’t believe it.
And that’s why I decided to write this article. I’ll show you all the solutions I found, explain which I tried and what I liked about it (or didn’t). (Spoiler alert: the cheapest solution actually worked best for me!)
I hope it will help you find a solution against chub rub that works for you!
And then I have one plea: start talking about chub rub with your friends! Tell them that you CAN prevent thigh chafing easily!
Table of Contents
Please pin this to help others find a solution too!
Quick overview of ways to prevent chub rub
| Solution | Product name | My experience | Price | Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Compeed Anti-Blister Stick 8ml (Pack of 3) | Works like charm - my mum's tip that changed my life regarding chafing | Check on Amazon | ||
| Fractionated Coconut Oil | Fail - for me this worked for a short time | Check on Amazon | ||
| Johnson's Baby Powder for Delicate Skin | Fail - for me this only worked shortly, then it starts to become a weird mixture with my sweat | Check on Amazon | ||
| Top | Dove Original Deodorant Stick (Pack of 4) | It's dirt cheap and it works 100%. Plus, you don't need an additional item in your toiletry bag | Check on Amazon | |
| Body Glide For Her Anti Chafe Balm, 1.5 oz (USA Sale Only) | It works but I don't see advantages over a deodorant stick, price is 3x as high | Check on Amazon | ||
| Undersummers Lace Shortlette | Lots of plus size girls love this - but I don't like the look. Wouldn't want Markus to see this! | Check on Amazon | ||
| Bandelettes Elastic Anti-Chafing Thigh Bands | Got them and they are really sexy. They work okay but you have to exactly place them | Check on Amazon |
Prices and images pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:
All the ways I tried to prevent chub rub and the results
I’ll chronologically take you along my journey of trying to fight chub rub while traveling (and having used up the anti-blister stick I brought from Germany). I will also show you the fails – because my failures might be your successes! Every body is different and maybe these will work for you! 🙂
My mum’s tip – Anti-Blister stick
The Anti-Blister stick from Compeed was the solution my mum recommended to me to prevent chub rub – and it works like charm!
The only downside is that the stick is relatively small – so it will take a while to cover your inner thighs. But it works!
Fail #1 – Coconut oil
After having used up the anti-blister stick during our nine-month trip I looked for what I was able to find in grocery stores in South
America. Some online guides recommend coconut oil or shea butter to prevent chub rub – but at least for me, this didn’t really work well!
Fail #2 – Baby powder
Another recommendation I found online was using baby powder – pretty much the opposite of the coconut oil. And while the baby powder did indeed shortly prevent chub rub, it pretty quickly dissolved into a greasy paste when mixed with sweat. For me this was not a long-term solution – especially in tropical countries with high humidity.
My secret superweapon – A simple deodorant stick
So this is actually what I personally use to protect my thighs from chub rub! I simply apply a simple deodorant stick (antiperspirant) to my inner thighs ONCE in the morning and that prevents chub rub the whole day for me – even when walking 20 kilometers in tropical countries!
Some people online say it only works a few hours for them. My personal experience is different – and this solution to stop chub rub is super cheap and you can get it everywhere around the globe!
The professional solution – Super lubrication balm
When I came back to Germany after my trip, I also ordered a “professional” anti-chafe balm and tried it. And it works 100%! A lot of plus-size girls online swear it is the best way to stop chub rub.
I personally couldn’t notice a difference in using a simple deodorant stick (which is 3x cheaper). However if you try deodorant and it does not work – give this one here a “go”!
The traditional wear solution – Shorts / Shortlettes
The only solution I knew before my mum told me about the anti-blister balm way to prevent chub rub was wearing shorts underneath. And guess what, I didn’t like that at all.
It might be absolutely the best solution for you – but for me, these shorts are simply too unsexy – even when they come with lace!
The sexy wear version – Bandalettes
Talking about sexy ways to prevent chub rub – that’s why they invented the Bandalettes! They are basically the “hold-up” par of hold-up stockings – and they prevent chub rub securely while looking sexy!
I have a pair of Bandalettes at home and I sometimes use them – but I wouldn’t want to have this feeling in really hot tropical countries. But I think, every woman should own a pair of these!
Why does chub rub happen?
Chub rub happens when your inner thighs cause friction to the skin because you are walking and sweating. The skin of your inner thighs is very sensitive and thus, prone to be hurt by this friction.
As the skin gets irritated, the body reacts with an inflammation reaction – that’s why your inner thighs show a red rash and start swelling – a little bit as if you touched stinging nettles!
Chub rub is mainly a problem that a lot of girls have in summer or when traveling to somewhere hot and humid. It is NOT only a problem of plus-sized girls – but it also happens to skinny people (as long as their thighs touch). It actually happens to a lot of people doing a workout!
How to treat chub rub when it has already happened
If it’s too late to prevent chub rub and the red swelling is visible, there are a few basic things you can do to improve the healing process:
- Clean your inner thighs of all sweat with warm water and a soft, antibacterial soap
- Dry your legs with a soft towel
- Apply Aloe vera gel (also a live-saver for sunburns!)
- Wear anti-chafing clothing (e.g. shortlettes) until it’s gonna – now it’s too late for deodorant or body glide!
- Do not scratch or pop any blisters!
| Aloe Vera Gel | Product name | Price | Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|
| Organic Aloe Vera Gel with 100% Pure Aloe | Check on Amazon | ||
| NaturSense Organic Aloe Vera Gel | Check on Amazon | ||
| Nature Republic Aloe Vera Gel 92 Percent | Check on Amazon |
Prices and images pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:
Chafing occurs not only between the thighs
If you thought that chafing only exists between the thighs, you are so wrong! Chafing can occur in different areas of the body – pretty similar to a blister if your shoes don’t fit!
Nipple chafing is an issue for sport enthusiasts
Did you know that nipple chafing is a known problem for sports enthusiasts such as marathon runners? In this case, the issue is mostly related to fabric rubbing against the skin (and not skin on skin).
In order to prevent nipple chafing, you can also use body lubricant – or (ouch!) tape your nipples!
Men suffer from chafing too!
Markus is probably going to kill me for it: But I know for sure that men suffer from chafing too.
Most of the time, it’s not thigh chafing for them – but actually groin chafing! Yes, their balls rub against their thighs and it causes the very same reaction we girls get when our thighs rub against each other!
How did you like this post about preventing chub rub? Please share it with others!
I hope this article was helpful to you! Have you suffered from chub rub too? And did you know that you can prevent thigh chafing before? If yes, what works best for you?
This topic is really dear to me because I can’t accept that we don’t talk about chub rub. We need to help each other understand that this is something totally natural. And that we don’t need to be ashamed of it just because we don’t have a thigh gap!
So, please do me a favor and share this article – to Twitter, to Facebook or to Pinterest! Because we all suffer from it and it’s so easy to prevent!
