The Best Anti-Chafe Sticks, Sprays and Creams to Get You Smoothly Through Summer

Bodyglide is one of the most popular anti-chafe products on the market. People are obsessed with the clean, easy application and the fact that it’s scent-free, hypoallergenic (three cheers for those with sensitive skin!), non-staining, made from all-natural ingredients and doesn’t contain petroleum. As if that wasn’t enough, there’s also Bodyglide For Her with added moisturizers to make your skin even happier.

What about those hard-to-reach places like the middle of your back, where your bra irritates your skin to no end? TRISLIDE’s spray-on formula makes it super easy to find relief anywhere you might have trouble using a stick.

Developed and designed by Coterie member Katie Sturino, Megababe’s anti-chafe stick truly lives up to its name. And while it was originally intended to make summer strolling around the city in a skirt as comfortable as possible, it’s also one PureWow editor’s favorite to apply before going for a run in humid weather. (P.S. It also comes in a mini for extra easy on-the-go applications.) 

This easy-to-use cream is both scent- and grease-free, but if that’s not enough to entice you, perhaps the impressive 4.7-star rating on Amazon will do the trick. Seriously, this stuff has more than 1,130 reviews, 85 percent of which give it a full five stars. The reviewers range from Ironman finishers to casual hikers to those just looking to make summer skirts and dresses more bearable. (A word of caution: While Chamois Butt’r is amazing for preventing chafing, it is not recommended that you apply it to any areas that have already chafed as the ingredients could cause a slight burning sensation.)

If there is one group of individuals we trust for anti-chafe advice, it’s long-distance runners. So the fact that this hydrating balm was recommended to us by a finisher of one of the hardest long-distance races in the world, the Leadville Trail 100 (a 100 mile trail run with 3,400 feet in elevation change through the Colorado Rockies), is a pretty solid indication that this stuff is good.

One of the major goals of Target’s newest beauty line, Love AnyBody, is to start an honest and open conversation about those sometimes embarrassing skin issues women face (like stretch marks and chafing) to break the taboo. And because uncomfortable rubbing is a common problem that should have an easy solution, they’re released not one, but two anti-chafe formulas: a stick and an ointment.

Love AnyBody ($8)

Another recommendation from an avid runner, this portable stick won’t stain your clothes, applies quickly (with no “drying” time) and is super-long lasting. So even if you plan to spend an entire 100-percent humidity type of day out and about in your favorite sundress, RunGuard has you covered.

This magical salve isn’t just great at preventing chafing—it can also be used to sooth irritated skin from razor burn and sun burn . And because it’s made from 100 percent natural ingredients like coconut oil and beeswax, it’s safe for children to use and is gentle enough for even the most sensitive skin..

When in doubt, there’s always good old-fashioned petroleum jelly, and chances are you already have some in your bathroom. A classic stand-by, Vaseline is great for a number of purposes (Tyra Banks has basically credited the stuff as the reason she doesn’t appear to age), but its anti-chafing properties are definitely one of the handiest. And hey, if it’s good enough for the woman who invented the,‘smize,’ it’s definitely good enough for us.