Looking for a low-price chamois cream? There are a few good options out there that don’t require you to pay a premium price for a tiny tube, and Queen Helene’s Cocoa Butter Creme is one that I love.
Considering that the point of chamois cream is to prevent chafing, I don’t see a good reason to buy something special. Lots of skincare products provide the same function but cost 50-90% less!
Queen Helene’s products are a great example – good stuff, but cheap and can be easily found online or in stores like Wal-Mart. This 15oz jar was about $5. (While Assos chamois cream is an astonishing $22 for a tiny 5oz jar!)
This Cocoa Butter Creme is a blend of natural cocoa butter and pure lanolin, two ingredients that do wonders to protect and moisturize your skin. It just so happens that it has another use…
The Chamois Cream Test
The benefits of cocoa butter and lanolin make this a great substitute for expensive chamois creams!
All you have to do is apply a thin layer of the creme to your crotch/butt before a ride, and any chafing problems should vanish. I’ve been fortunate enough to not have any serious issues with saddle sores, so I rode for years (doing some 100+ mile rides) without any sort of chamois cream. But now that I have seen the light, I won’t go back!
When I first started using this stuff, I just piled it on, thinking a thick layer would be like having extra padding. Well, all the excess just oozed through my shorts, so I decided a thin layer would do the trick, and I was right. (The point is not to add extra padding, but to lubricate your skin.)
Queen Helene’s does the trick on 3 hour rides, but the benefits seem to fade on 4-8 hour rides, especially on hot, sunny days. In that case you might want to reapply along the way.
Problem is, a 15 oz jar of this isn’t something to carry in your jersey pocket. So, for reapplications on long rides, you might want to carry a small 2oz tube of Udderly Smooth, Chamois Butt’r, or Body Glide.
But a jar of Queen Helene’s Cocoa Butter Creme is a great thing to have in your medicine cabinet!
(And Queen Helene uses no animal testing and they are an environmentally concerned company, for what it’s worth.)
My final verdict is…
This is a great chamois butter at an even better price. If you don’t want to spend lots of money on high-end chamois creams, or if you’ve never tried chamois creams, get some of this today! It’s cheap and the 15oz jar lasts forever!
You can use it all over your body, too. It feels good and rubs in nicely. It’s great for soothing dry or wind burnt skin. How can you resist?
Official site: www.QueenHelene.com
Buy online: www.Amazon.com
Company: Queen Helene’s
Product: Queen Helene’s Cocoa Butter Creme
Reviewed by: Coach Levi
My Rating: out of 5
Date first reviewed: 2008-05-13
Date last updated: 2018-05-10
Obtained Product: Purchased at retailer.
CoachLevi.com Advertiser: No.
Click here if you would like to get your product reviewed on CoachLevi.com.
[This review was first published on May 13, 2008. Because the product is still so awesome, this page was updated and republished on May 10, 2018.]
Levi Bloom is an experienced endurance athlete who has been training and competing for over 17 years. A former Cat 1 road and mountain bike racer (professional class on the regional circuit), he is now a cycling coach (USA Cycling Level 3 Certified) and sports nutrition coach (Precision Nutrition Level 1 Certified).
I have developed some serious chafing after upping my mileage and based upon your recommendation tried a jar of Queen Helene’s Cocobutter. Wow…. viva la difference!
My neither region is very happy and thanks you from….. you know, the bottom of my bottom.
While using a significant quantity I achieved adequate lubrication for a 30 mile ride.
Best of all, the product comes out in the wash and did not seem to restrict the moisture absorption of my chamois liner.
Thank you, thank you. I biked years ago, stopped and got started again. I needed to relearn some info and your articles on chamois butter, shifting and oatmeal are great resources. Not too technical, but with enough solid info to be useful. Many happy miles to you.
Coach Levi. So far my experience with queen Helene cocoa butter is great. Is is way cheaper than the butt’r for her cream. So with that being said, I love you for the review and recommendation. Thank you.
@Mary
Glad you like it and that you’re saving money!!