You may have heard the old wives' tale that baby powder is the perfect cure-all and preventative when it comes to the dreaded chafe, which has understandably led many of us to wonder can you use baby powder for chafe. Baby powder or talcum powder has been around for many years now and is one of those common household items that seem to be in almost every home. However, despite what you may have heard about the benefits of baby powder for chafe, we’re here to tell you that it’s not all it’s cracked up to be, and should be avoided when trying to find ways to help prevent and treat chafe. Take a look here at just why you shouldn’t use baby powder for chafing and what you can use instead.

Why baby powder isn’t the best choice for chafe

Summer is here and people are searching for a way to prevent running chafing and workout comfortably or simply walk to work without ending up with chafed skin. Many people have used baby powder to help prevent and treat chafing for years, often trading up the weird white patch this creates in your clothing for a little bit of relief. Baby powder or talcum powder has extremely astringent qualities which acts to overly dry out the area you are applying it to. This can cause extreme irritation as well as mess with the pH levels of your skin.

Baby powder is made from a mineral clay known as talc - which is why it is often referred to as talcum powder. It also usually contains cornstarch or arrowroot powder. What many people don’t know is that these ingredients are also commonly utilised in many other products including electric cables, cosmetics, paint, rubber, paper and plastic, just to name a few. Understandably, ingredients that are used to make electric cabling and rubber products probably aren’t something that we want to use on our skin, let alone skin that is broken and irritated.

What can you use instead?

Ideally, one of the best ways that you can help prevent uncomfortable and painful chafing is to create a barrier between your skin. Try to avoid clothing that is too tight and won’t let your skin breathe. Instead opt for loose, soft clothing that will prevent your skin from rubbing together and will allow it to breathe freely. This may mean wearing clothing that is laced out of soft cotton or even linen.

If wearing another of clothing just seems too unbearable in summer, you can also choose to pre lubricate your skin with a body-safe gel such as petroleum jelly. Petroleum jelly is especially useful in thigh chafing. This will help your skin glide while preventing the painful chafing rash that comes with the constant friction of skin and against the skin. A small amount is more than enough to help stop chafing whether you’re at work or outside walking around.

If you are sick of dealing with chafing and are looking for a product to help you get through the day with minimal discomfort, we can help. Take a look at our latest anti chafing underwear and take the step towards a chafe-free life. If you’re after more information to help you prevent chafe in all areas of your life, take a look at all the useful information in our blog.