This Year’s Anti-Thigh-Chafe Stick Face-off
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I have thick thighs, which means I am intimately acquainted with the burning, red-hot pain ofthigh chafe. I once got a case so gnarly it left scabs on the inside of my legs. That was also the day I bought my first tube ofMegababe’s Thigh Rescue, an anti-friction stick that looks like an especially nice stick ofdeodorant. Six years later, I still apply it faithfully each morning, and the magical barrier it creates lasts all day — and then some. It has prevented any further wounding, even after long days at the beach, late-night dance parties at weddings, and outdoor concerts in the swampy NYC summer. I keep a spare stick in every bag for emergencies.
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Two years ago, I tested First Aid Beauty’s anti-chafe stickto see if it could hold up to my Megababe (it did not). This year, there’s another contender entering the thigh-chafe-prevention ring: Fur’s Chafe Cushion. I was interested in testing Fur because I’ve used and liked its products in the past (its oil is a godsend for preventing ingrown hairs).
The Fur
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On an unusually warm and sunny spring day, I applied a few swipes of Fur Chafe Cushion on the inside of each leg. To set the scene, I spent this day of testing traversing the city for several hours: I ran errands, commuted to work, and went to an event. When I first applied the product, I noticed right away that it had a much waxier consistency than both First Aid Beauty and Megababe. It was almost tacky once applied. Which makes sense: The main ingredient is sunflower-seed wax, which is what creates the protective barrier on the skin to give it slip. The formula includes volcanic ash to absorb moisture, which gives the stick a grayish tint, but don’t worry — it applies clear once on the skin. It also has soothing chamomile and brightening niacinamide to tackle discoloration.
The product almost dries down after the initial application, which the brand says is thanks to the volcanic ash. For the first few hours, I so extremely impressed I almost forgot I was wearing anything in between my legs at all. However, after about hour three, as the day started to heat up, where I once felt a smooth glide I now felt my legs start to rub against each other. I kept up my walking pace but knew what was happening: The friction of my legs had rubbed the product clean off, leaving nothing but sweaty, sticky skin behind. I grabbed the lime-green tube from my purse and reapplied before I started rubbing my skin raw. While I avoided a full-blown fire-thighs situation, trying to discreetly reach under my skirt in the middle of a crowded sidewalk wasn’t ideal.
The First Aid
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This wasn’t the first time I’d been let down. My testing from two summers ago revealed that the First Aid Beautyanti-chafe stickwas kind of a dud. I’m a First Aid Beauty fan and have trusted it to deal with some nasty skin issues in the past. But as I wrote back then, I applied four to five swipes, as directed, on each thigh before I headed off to the park for a journey of 10,000 steps. The product felt more like my gel deodorant than a cream, which made me ever-so-slightly skeptical. That skepticism proved to be correct when I only made it about 5,000 steps before the product stopped working.
The Verdict
When I compare all three, I definitely prefer Fur to First Aid Beauty. It’s less greasy and lasted hours longer. And while I keep cheating on her, nothing has ever quite compared to my old faithful. Megababe’s signature anti-chafe formula is much thicker than that of both Fur and First Aid Beauty. It’s more like a rich balm, and its thick, creamy texture is what makes it work so well and for full days at a time. I like feeling the Megababe on my skin, knowing it’s there, acting as a shield protecting my inner thighs from the gates of hell.
All said, I think Fur is a perfectly fine runner-up option if you’re okay with reapplying and would prefer a lighter texture. First Aid Beauty takes a distant bronze medal. So this summer, like I have for the past six, I’ll be sticking with Thigh Rescue, our returning champ.
Some more summer-ready products:
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