The Back Side Bliss Shoot Out!

This is a literal “seat of the pants” review of 5 products aimed at making our time in the saddle more comfortable.

   

I am a 50 year old avid Mountain Biker who also happens to be obsessed with Mountain Bike Racing.  I ride 4-5 times a week and compete in more than 30 races a year.
  

2016 brings with it an additional challenge for me to compete in the 7 Day BC Bike race in July.  I hired a coach and have been embarked on a regimented training plan for 4 months now.

I have done a lot of research about what to expect in a 7 day stage race like the BC Bike Race and it seemed that outside of a crash injury or illness contracted during the event the most debilitating problem experienced by racers are saddle sores.  I am the type of person who always expects the best but is prepared for the worst.  So, finishing 7 long hard consecutive race days without actually suffering got me thinking a lot more about my back side.

Skin

Skin is the body's largest organ. It regulates body temperature, protects against injury, and prevents infection. The skin contains nerves that sense cold, heat, pain, pressure, and touch. 

Skin has three layers:

• The epidermis, the outermost layer of skin, provides a waterproof barrier and creates our skin tone.

• The dermis, beneath the epidermis, contains tough connective tissue, hair follicles, and sweat glands.

• The deeper subcutaneous tissue (hypodermis) is made of fat and connective tissue.

 Skin damage is caused by many things

Pressure -Extended time in the saddle builds pressure on the buttocks and groin. This pressure can reduce blood flow to those areas of the body creating injury to your skin such as redness, rash, and open wounds known as pressure sores. Pressure sores are extremely painful, hard to treat, and slow to heal. Skin that is often wet is more likely to break down and form pressure sores.

Friction - Some irritations are a direct result of pedaling and skin rubbing against itself or the fabric of your shorts and saddle. The constant friction can eventually rub the skin raw, providing opportunity for bacterial penetrate the external layer of skin.

Water - Water is a notorious enemy for human skin.  Maintaining moisture balance is extremely vital to skin health. When water evaporates from the surface of the skin, it draws additional moisture from the epidermis through a process known as Trans Epidermal Water Loss (TEWL).   Water based products, chemical irritants, sweat, and wet riding conditions accelerate water loss in your skin and damage its natural barrier function.

Bacteria – Open wounds, raw (chaffed) skin, ingrown hairs, and exposure to bacterial sources will result in infection and dramatically increase the severity, pain, and level of disability of the skin injury. 

• A boil is a skin infection that starts in a hair follicle or oil gland. At first, the skin turns red in the area of the infection, and a tender lump develops. After four to seven days, the lump starts turning white as pus collects under the skin.

• Staph infection is caused by a Staphylococcus bacteria. Amazingly, about 25% of people normally carry staph in the nose, mouth, genitals, or anal area, and don’t have symptoms of an infection.  The infection often begins with a little break in the skin, which gets infected with bacteria.

• Cellulitis is a common infection of the skin and the soft tissues underneath. It happens when bacteria enters a break in the skin and spreads.

Secondary transmission of bacteria and environmental contaminates through “Double Dipping” is a big concern for cyclists. 

Whether you share a jar or tube of you favorite creme with others or just use it by yourself it doesn’t matter.  You are taking fingers (when was the last time they were washed with soap and water?) and placing them in contact with the contents of your product.  Then those fingers either spread it on a chamois pad (was it straight from the wash?) or directly on your skin (did the person just step out of the shower?).

It is common to need to get more cream from the jar or tube immediately or a couple hours into a sweaty ride. So, if you are following me, your product gets contaminated with whatever is on those fingers.  Most likely those fingers have been in contact with environmental contaminants, bacteria, and remember what parts of our bodies we spread these products onto.

Most companies put their products into jars or tubes and it makes sense from a packaging and application perspective since they tend to be heavy creams.  They need to add a lot of antibacterial/anti-fungal chemicals, compounds, and additives to try to keep these environmental contaminates at bay and to keep the cream from becoming rancid since it is a water based product.

Living and riding year round in the Pacific Northwest exposes me to a variety of riding conditions from wet and muddy to dry and arid each year.  Most, if not all, my saddle discomfort or chafing occurs in conditions where my skin is exposed to wet conditions for long periods of time.  Any planned ride/race of 1 hour or more in rainy and muddy conditions has me applying some back side protection.   Typically, in dry arid conditions I don’t reach for the back side protection until planned rides/races exceed 3 hours due to the quality of today’s synthetic chamois pads.

My current training program has provided me with a lot more winter saddle time than usual.  And as a result, I have been using a lot of back side protection to stay healthy during the 5 day a week workouts and endurance riding.

I had accumulated a lot of sample products at races (swag) and on-line promotional programs from BLUE STEEL SPORTS Anti-Chafe Cream, Udderly SMOOth® Chamois Cream, Petal Power Joy Ride Creme, and Crotch Guard Skin Oil. I also had my old standby Chamois Butt’r that I have been purchasing and using for the past 6 years as my baseline for this product shoot out.

Ratings:

-1 Star - Does not work or has adverse effects
 1 Star - Minimal protective qualities
 2 Star - Adequate protective qualities and effective for 1-2 hrs
 3 Star - Good protective qualities and effective for 2-3 hrs
 4 Star - Great protective qualities and effective for 3-5 hrs
 5 Star - Excellent protective qualities and effective for 5+ hours


BLUE STEEL SPORTS Anti-Chafe Cream manufactured by Blue Steel Sports, 16625 Redmond Way Suite M-308, Redmond, WA 98052

Rating: 3 Star   

I used this product, manufactured by a local company, off and on for the past year and thought it worked fine most of the time.

This a thick cream product that is meant to provide a barrier layer to protect skin from friction. According to the manufacturer it also provides a moisture barrier to protect skin from water, and sweat.


It has a thicker consistency than other barrier creams I have used making it harder to apply directly to chamois pad.  However, body heat aids in softening it when applied directly to your skin.  In their product information they say application directly to skin provides better performance and product is not messy even when used in extreme heat conditions. 

This product used Tea Tree Oil and I found the ‘scent” to be pleasant. 

One big plus is this product does not contain Menthol (used by other companies) and this is great if you have sensitive skin.  For me, products with Menthol when applied to already chafed or damaged skin is quite painful.
The protection lasted adequately for rides up to 2-3 hours and did not break down and become ineffective as fast as other cream barrier products on wet and muddy rides.

I never had any issue washing it off my skin or clothing and it never stained or discolored my clothing.

Ingredients: Water, Cetyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Mineral Oil, Octylododecanol, PEG-20 Stearate, Lanolin, Tea Tree Leaf Oil, Mehylparaben, Propylparaben, Limonene
Rating: 3 Star


Udderly SMOOth® Chamois Cream – Family owned and operated by Redex Industries in Salem, Ohio


Rating: 3 Star


Udderly SMOOth® Chamois Cream was originally invented for use as Udder cream for use on dairy cows.  Now in use for dry and chapped skin and can be applied to the skin or to the chamois depending on your preference.

I have used this product off and on for the past 2 years with good results.  It is a much thinner viscosity barrier cream than Chamois Butt’r and the even thicker Blue Steel Anti-Chafe Cream and it is easy to apply directly to chamois pad or skin but has a tendency to run and drip and may necessitate some clean up.  It seems to absorb and disappear more readily on your skin while providing the same level of protection of Chamois Butt’r.

They have fun names (registered trademarks), logos, and an interesting website so I imagine the owners are a fun loving bunch.

Ingredients: Deionized water, stearic acid, Peg-2 Stearate, propylene glycol, isopropyl myristate, dimethicone, lanolin oil, mineral oil, Butyrospermum Parkii (shea butter), triethanolamine, allantoin, methylparaben, propylparaben, fragrance

Petal Power Joy Ride Creme manufactured by Petal Power LLC, PO Box 977, Bonsall, CA 92003.

Rating: 3.5 Star


According to Petal Power - Nothing takes the joy out of your ride faster than sore nether regions.  And, I would agree!

Petal Power Joy Ride creme was developed and marketed for the ladies and since my wife had the complete “system” I decided to give the cream a try since she doesn’t use it any more (more on that later in the review).  For all you with delicate or sensitive skin or like natural plant based products you are in luck.  Looking at their website it appears it could be a Vegan product with a claim that no animal derived ingredients are used.

This is still a barrier style cream and it has a thin consistency on par with the Udderly Smooth® Chamois Cream.  It worked a bit better than the other barrier creams but suffers from the same shortened protective qualities when used on wet and muddy rides.  It is Paraben, menthol, and peppermint free which none of the other barrier creams can claim. 

What I really liked about this product was the awesome natural pomegranate scent.  No perfumes or chemical smells, your chamois and back side smells like fresh cut pomegranate.  Well maybe not as much after a long ride or race but you won’t be as afraid of your dirty laundry while on a long road trip.

Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Glyceryl Stearate, Stearic Acid, Capric/Caprylic Triglycerides, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Canola Oil, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Glycine Soja, Silica, Zea Mays (Corn) Starch, Dimethicone, Peg-100 Stearate, Ceteareth-20, Glycerine, Cetyl Alcohol, Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Extract, Tocopherol Acetate, Aloe Barbadensis Extract, Ascorbic Acid, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Tetrasodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Allantoin, Natural Fragrance Oil Blend, Oxy CA (Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract CO2, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Capric/Caprylic Triglycerides, Ascorbic Acid, Tocopherol, Citric A

Chamois Butt’r® Original manufactured by Paceline Products, Inc., 6607 Royal St., Pleasant Valley, MO 64068

Rating: 3 Star

I have used this product as the standard go to for the past 6 years primarily because it was recommended to me when I got into cycling as an adult, it is available at what seems like every bike shop I have ever visited.

While this product contains Menthol (ouch) it is Paraben free, gluten free, and contains no artificial colors or fragrances.   See ingredient definitions at the end of this report and potential health concerns related to Paraben’s in cosmetics (these back side protection products are classified as cosmetics with FDA).

On the subject of Menthol; after one long ride on our tandem with an ill fitting saddle my wife was very sore and had a fair amount of chaffed skin.  She had not used any back side protection prior to the ride.  On my suggestion she applied some Chamois Butt’r after her post ride shower.  Almost immediately she was nearly crying and in a lot of pain from the burning sensation caused from applying this product to already broken skin.  I have experienced this same thing under similar situations but not to the level of severity.  In our opinion, Menthol and even Peppermint Oil (used by others) should be left out of these types of products.

Chamois Butt’r has worked well for me for many years however I have to reapply it after every couple hours of riding to maintain protection.  It also does not hold up for long when riding in wet and muddy conditions.

Ingredients: Water, Mineral Oil, Glyceryl  Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Hamemelis Virginia (Whitch Hazel) Leaf Extract, Lanolin, Tocopheryl Acetate,   Aloe Barbadensis Leaf juice, Zea Mays (Corn) Oil,  Retinylpalmitate, Choleccalciferol, Schinus Mole Fruit Extract, Menthol, Potassium Sorbate, PEG-100 Stearate, Diazolidinyl Urea, Idapropynyl Butylcarba-mate, Disodium Edta, and Cetyl Hydroxyethyl Cellulose.

Crotch Guard – Manufactured and distributed by Dematect Inc. PO Box 2322, East Hampton New York, 11937

Rating: 5 Star 

Dermatect has 3 products; Dermatect Skin care oil developed for use in treating skin irritations resulting from the harmful effects of radiation therapy and laser treatments, Amputect Skin Care Oil Developed to improve skin conditions for amputee patients, and Crotch Guard that addresses the natural physiology of the skin and creates an effective defense barrier to eliminate friction and chafing irritations for cyclists.

Crotch Guard do not include irritants such as alcohol, fragrance, chemical dyes, or preservatives and is classified USFDA as hypo-allergenic.  Both ingredients used in crotch Guard are developed, produced and manufactured in the United States.

My first use of Crotch Guard was last summer at the Cascadia Dirt Cup Cold Creek Enduro.  After a long dry spell we were treated to a heavy rain fall in the days leading up to and during the event.  It was a long and grueling enduro where most competitors spent 5-6 hours on the saddle.   I was facing 5+ hours of high effort saddle time over very rough terrain in heavy rain/mud and I did not believe the manufactures claim on just a few spritz’s to my skin would be all would take for an all day ride.  So, I liberally applied Crotch Guard both directly to my skin and to my chamois. In hindsight it was way too much, but my back side felt much better after the 5 hour race than it did before.  I was immediately enamored with this new product.  I now apply the recommended amount and still get the same level of protection as that first encounter.  A 4oz bottle should last up to 3 months of constant use according to Dermatect and I am personally getting 2 ½ months out of a bottle riding 5 days a week.

I have used Crotch Guard for 9 months now.  My wife and many of my team mates received 1oz sample bottles and I have only heard good things from them about its effectiveness anywhere skin friction occurs. It works great on feet subjected to long hours in ski and hiking boots, around armpits when wearing tight fitting body armor, nipples during running events, and protects our sensitive body parts subjected to long hours of contact with our bike saddles.

You may have noticed by now that the other 4 products I have used and tested contained water as the primary ingredient while Crotch Guard is completely free of water.  Living in the Pacific Northwet makes this very important since we spend so much time riding in conditions where Mother Nature baths us in water most of the year.  Sweat is also water and water will break down any water based product reducing its protective barrier characteristics and requiring constant reapplication.

I mentioned in the beginning of this review, that maintaining moisture balance is extremely vital to skin health. When water evaporates from the surface of the skin, it draws additional moisture from the epidermis through a process known as Trans Epidermal Water Loss (TEWL).   Water based products, chemical irritants, sweat, and wet riding conditions accelerate water loss in your skin and damage its natural barrier function.  Only Crotch Guard is a non-water based product that is readily absorbed into the skin where it strengthens and protects your skin at the cellular level rather than just providing a surface barrier against friction and TEWL.

Crotch Guard is the quickest and easiest of the products to apply.  You do not get any on your hands or where you don’t want it. You simply spray it directly onto the areas you want to be protected; it absorbs into your skin quickly, but leaves a friction protective layer as well.  The bottles are capped with a fine mist spray applicator, which controls drips and eliminates spills. 

And, unlike other products, this fine mist spray applicator guarantees a factory sealed or in this case a laboratory sealed, hygienically sound application every time.  This provides you with zero risk of contamination resulting from “double dipping” that tub and tube style packaging offers.

I have yet to find a ride distance or riding condition that has required an additional application of Crotch Guard.

I trust my coach for my training plan leading up to the 7 Day BC Bike Race in July.  I also completely trust Crotch Guard will maintain proper skin health and provide the protection needed to reach the finish line in Whistler in comfort!

Crotch Guard is also the sole reason my wife abandoned her Petal Power Joy Ride Creme, giving me the opportunity to use it for this comparison test.

How Crotch Guard work to protect your skin:

Phospholipids (lipids) are compounds found in human skin. They are composed of cholesterol, waxes, fatty acids, and fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. The phospholipid bilayer surrounds skin cells and permeates the layers of skin to strengthen and reinforce the entire structure of the skin. Lipids support and protect with similar intention as the cement mortar in a brick wall.

Ultra Pure Crotch Guard Skin Care Oil mimics the molecular structure of natural phospholipids. In example: Baby oil or oil based products remain greasy and form a film on the surface of the skin. Since the body does not identify with these products, it will not respond by absorption. Because Ultra Pure Crotch Guard Skin Care Oil supports the physiology of the skin’s natural lipids, it is recognized by the human body, and accepted. Once absorbed, the formula will diffuse the layers of skin ultimately supporting and restoring the skin’s natural barrier and protective function.

Ingredients:   Polydecene and Triclosan

Summary

Blue Steel, Udderly Smooth®, Petal Power Joy Ride Creme, and Chamois Butt’r are all water based barrier creams.

They all package their products in jars or tubes that expose the product to “double dipping” and transmission of secondary contaminants and bacteria.  Tubs (Jars) are the worst offender but tubes also allow contact with unused product and potentially contaminated fingers.

Blue Steel, Udderly Smooth®, and Chamois Butt’r are available in single use packets that eliminate “double dipping” allow easy transport in pocket, bag, or pack while riding but make the product cost per use very expensive.  Crotch Guard is available in small 1oz bottles for taking along on rides and trips.  1oz bottles should last 3-4 weeks making it very cost effective vs. single use packets.

Crotch Guard Skin Care oil is a totally unique product that uses the science of maintaining strong and healthy skin along with antifriction vs. just applying an anti-friction barrier with some skin soothing capabilities.  Because it is not a heavy cream it is applied via a hygienically sound fine mist application every time.  For me, what sets Crotch Guard into a class by itself is the extremely long lasting protection it provides and the fact that protection is not shortened or compromised because of water via either sweat or rain.

For more information and how to purchase please visit the manufactures websites below of visit your local bike shop.

http://www.bluesteelsports.com/

http://www.udderlysmooth.com/

http://chamoisbuttr.com/

http://www.petal-power.com/

http://dermatect.com/

Thanks for reading,

Marc Garoutte

EPIC Racing Team manager

Definition of ingredients found in the 5 products tested

Glyceryl Stearate - Naturally derived from palm kernel, vegetable oil, or soy oil, glyceryl stearate is used as a skin lubricant and emollient.  It is widely used in lotions and creams as it slows down the loss of water from the skin by forming a barrier on the skin’s surface.  Also used as a thickening agent and helps make cosmetics more stable.

Polydecene - A non-Sticky polymer (or emollient) that is used in some cosmetics and skin conditioning products.  It's designed to spread easily and what gives skin the soft feel/

Triclosan - An antibacterial and antifungal agent that is used in products like soap, toothpaste, and detergents.

Stearic Acid - A naturally occurring saturated fatty acid, stearic acid is used as a thickener and an emulsifier (binds together agents that normally would not stick together like oil and water).  Derived from vegetable fats.

Capric/Caprylic Triglycerides - A highly effective skin emollient derived from coconut oil and glycerin.  This rich ingredient is an excellent lubricant, moisturizer, and skin repairer.

Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil - Sweet almond oil is an emollient containing skin-repairing triglycerides and fatty acids.  Extracted from the dried kernels of sweet almonds, this ingredient yields many benefits such as soothing skin irritations, relieving inflammation, and anti-aging. 

Canola Oil - Derived from the seeds of canola plants, canola oil is very high in vitamin E which makes it very effective for skin care products.  It’s an excellent moisturizer, anti-inflammatory, and anti-aging ingredient.

C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate - An ester of benzoic acid found naturally in cranberries and coconut oil.  C12-15 alkyl benzoate is used commonly in cosmetics as it is a thickening agent, skin emollient, anti-microbial, and preservative.

Glycine Soja Oil - Commonly known as soybean oil, glycine soja is derived from the amino acid of soybeans.  It is rich in vitamin E, making it an excellent emollient and moisturizer.  High antioxidant properties.

Silica - Silica is the second-most abundant element in the Earth’s crust; it’s found naturally in sandstone, clay, granite as well as in parts of plants.  In skin care, it is used as a thickening agent.

Zea Mays (Corn) Starch - Milled into a fine, silky powder from dried corn, cornstarch is used in cosmetics as a thickening agent.

Dimethicone - Derived from silica, dimethicone is used extensively in skin care products since it is an excellent emollient and slip agent.  It leaves a protective barrier on the skin, which helps to retain moisture.

PEG-100 Stearate - Made by combining palm or coconut oil with stearic acid, PEG-100 stearate is used as a skin emollient and an emulsifier.

Ceteareth-20 - Used in cosmetics as a thickening agent and an emollient.  Made from fatty acids found in coconut oil and ethylene oxide.

Glycerine - Derived naturally from either hydrolyzing fats or fermenting sugars.  Glycerine is a humectant that will attract water from the environment and from the lower layers of skin, drawing moisture to the surface.

Cetyl Alcohol - A fatty acid derived from palm oil.  Unlike the drying forms of alcohol (like rubbing alcohol), cetyl alcohol achieves the opposite effect in cosmetics as it conditions and softens the skin.

Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Extract - Beyond consuming it as a tea, extensive research supports green tea’s health benefits when used as an ingredient in cosmetics.  When used topically, green tea has been found to be a powerful antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-aging, and anticarginogenic ingredient.

Tocopheryl Acetate - A form of vitamin E, tocopheryl acetate is an extremely powerful antioxidant used widely in cosmetics.  It is also an extremely effective antioxidant, anti-aging, moisturizer, and anti-inflammatory.

Aloe Barbadensis Extract - Commonly known as aloe vera, aloe barbadensis is one of the most commonly used plant remedy dating back to the ancient Egyptians.  Derived from the leaves of the aloe vera plant, it has been known to reduce skin inflammation and improve moisture.  Also known to have a rich supply of antioxidants.

Ascorbic Acid - A form of vitamin C with highly effective antioxidant and anti-aging properties.

Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract - Derived from the leaves of the rosemary plant, this ingredient is known to have powerful antioxidant and antimicrobial properties.

Phenoxyethanol - A commonly used cosmetic preservative.  Unlike many other cosmetic preservatives, phenoxyethanol does not release formaldehyde. 

Potassium Sorbate - Potassium sorbate is the potassium salt of sorbic acid; it is considered one of the safest preservatives available.  Used in cosmetics to prevent mold and yeast growth.

Tetrasodium EDTA - Used as a chelating agent to prevent minerals from bonding to other ingredients, therefore increasing the product’s stability.  

Ethylhexylglycerin - Used as a preservative, ethylhexyglycerin is derived from glycerin.  It’s widely used as a natural alternative to parabens.

Natural Fragrance Oil Blend - A Petal Power proprietary, all-natural blend of essential oils derived from plants and flowers

Oxy CA (Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract CO2, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Capric/Caprylic Triglycerides, Ascorbic Acid, Tocopherol, Citric Acid) - An all-natural antioxidant used to preserve the oils in the formulation to keep them from going rancid

Isopropyl Myristate - Or Ester of Isopropyl Alcohol and Myristic Acid (vegetable-derived).  With little or no odor it is water-insoluble and used as a thickening agent and emollient as used in cosmetics.

PEG-2 Stearate – Or polyethylene glycol ester of stearic acid. It is used as an emulsifier and opacifying agent. 

Lanolin oil - Derived from the amber-colored fatty substance (Lanolin) taken from the sheep’s wool before it is washed. Lanolin is made up of wax esters, fatty acids and other organic compounds and softens the skin.

Mineral oil - Clear odorless oil derived from petroleum that is widely used in cosmetics because it rarely causes allergic reactions. It cannot become a solid and clog pores. Once it’s purified to become mineral oil USP (cosmetics- and pharmaceutical-grade mineral oil), it has no resemblance to the original petroleum and isn’t a source of contaminants or carcinogens.

Shea Butter - The oil from the nuts of wild Shea trees (also known as Butyrospermum parkii in the cosmetic industry) that helps to protect, soften and regenerate dry, dehydrated or sensitive skin.

Triethanolamine - Produced by reacting ethylene oxide (considered highly toxic) with ammonia (another known toxin). It is used as a buffering agent, masking and fragrance ingredient, and surfactant, in addition to its primary use as a pH adjuster. Additionally, it may assist in emulsion formation by reducing surface tension of the substances, enabling water and oil-soluble ingredients to mix.

Allantoin (Animal based) - Is a compound found in the urine of most mammals with the exception of human and primates. Mammals other than humans and primates convert uric acid, a chemical produced when purines are broken down, to allantoin, which is then excreted through the urine.

Allantoin (Plant Based) - Extracted from the comfrey plant, an herbal plant known for its medicinal benefits or produced synthetically by oxidizing purines.

Methylparaben and Propylparaben (Parabens) - Used to preserve food and cosmetics. It is a fungicide and anti-bacterial agent, extending the shelf-life of a product. Methylparaben and Propylparaben are quickly absorbed through the skin, and through the intestinal tract when used as a food preservative. There is a great deal of controversy surrounding its use, with many reports of dangerous side effects including Breast Cancer, skin and eye damage, and male fertility.

Propylene Glycol - Propylene glycol is an organic alcohol commonly used to absorb extra water and maintain moisture in certain medicines, cosmetics, or food products. It has been associated with being an irritant and allergic contact dermatitis as well as contact urticaria in humans.