Best cream to treat saddle sores?

stevenmew

Hi all,

I'm relatively new to cycling and the inevitable has happened, I have a saddle sore. It seems to be lingering and while I'm now using chamois cream to prevent any more sores from occurring (successfully!), I was wondering what the best course of action is with the sore I currently have. I'm now using Lasepton and Bepanthen which are two creams I had lying around the house but they're not really doing the job. Does anyone have any experience with this? Any recommendations?

Thanks very much!

itboffin

sudocrem works well but ultimately a hot bath and rest

no assumptions but you do need be keep everything clean down there before and after riding, get out of sweaty kit asap and shower

chippyk

Never seen it in the UK but Boudreaux's Butt Paste is great, picked up samples at conferences for the kids' nappy rash when they were young.

navrig2

Coconut oil after your post ride shower is good for keeping the skin soft and free from sweat rash.

Wash shorts after every ride.

Don't sit around in your shorts after you finished your ride.

meanredspider

Sudocrem is mostly a water repellent. When I tried it (after advice from here) it gave me far more problems than it solved. But some people do seem to find it works.

Assos do a skin repair gel that's formulated for exactly this type of problem. Female friends swear by it. I have some but have never tried it. There's probably some cheaper options. I expect your local pharmacist could recommend something too.

joe2008

[quote="Navrig2" "Don't sit around in your shorts after you finished your ride." [/quote]

How's that any any different from extra time riding your bike?

Assos Skin Repair is excellent stuff.

itboffin

meanredspider wrote:

Sudocrem is mostly a water repellent. When I tried it (after advice from here) it gave me far more problems than it solved. But some people do seem to find it works.

Assos do a skin repair gel that's formulated for exactly this type of problem. Female friends swear by it. I have some but have never tried it. There's probably some cheaper options. I expect your local pharmacist could recommend something too.

yeah there's not a lot in it but it does take the pressure off for a while i.e. rest on the bike

Zinc oxide, which reduces the loss of tissue fluid
Anhydrous hypoallergenic lanolin, an emollient which soothes and softens skin
Benzyl alcohol, which has local anaesthetic and antiseptic properties that help to reduce discomfort

meanredspider

itboffin wrote:

meanredspider wrote:

Sudocrem is mostly a water repellent. When I tried it (after advice from here) it gave me far more problems than it solved. But some people do seem to find it works.

Assos do a skin repair gel that's formulated for exactly this type of problem. Female friends swear by it. I have some but have never tried it. There's probably some cheaper options. I expect your local pharmacist could recommend something too.

yeah there's not a lot in it but it does take the pressure off for a while i.e. rest on the bike

Zinc oxide, which reduces the loss of tissue fluid
Anhydrous hypoallergenic lanolin, an emollient which soothes and softens skin
Benzyl alcohol, which has local anaesthetic and antiseptic properties that help to reduce discomfort

Yup - most of the other bits'n'bobs are good but all that wax/oil just seemed to block pores. I can absolutely see why it's great for babies to protect them from wee and the sulphuric acid they get instead of poo when teething....

thegreatdivide

As stated several times already, get out of you kit, shower, dry thoroughly and then dab on some Sudocrem. Wear clean bibs for every ride. It does work. I've just finished treating mine with Sudocrem and I've used it many times before.

I like my expensive kit but that Assos stuff is laughable b@llocks (excuse the pun). Bought some and went back to the Crem.

meanredspider

thegreatdivide wrote:

As stated several times already, get out of you kit, shower, dry thoroughly and then dab on some Sudocrem. Wear clean bibs for every ride. It does work. I've just finished treating mine with Sudocrem and I've used it many times before.

I like my expensive kit but that Assos stuff is laughable b@llocks (excuse the pun). Bought some and went back to the Crem.

Think it just goes to show that we're all different.

slowmart

I tried the assos repair cream and I found it had little effect on my saddle sore although it was soothing when applied without a sore. I've still got a full and a half open tube upstairs.

I tried sudocream with little success and I posted on here a while ago and someone recommended witch hazel gel. Cheap as chips, soothing and highly effective and a product I highly recommend

navrig2

joe2008 wrote:

[quote="Navrig2" "Don't sit around in your shorts after you finished your ride."

How's that any any different from extra time riding your bike?

Assos Skin Repair is excellent stuff.[/quote]

Quite simple. When you are moving your bits will get a cooling breeze.

Get off the bike and sit down with a coffee and some toast while watching TV and your bits will bake. Leaves a dreadful sweat rash and, if your unlucky, jock itch.

If you want cheap but, probably, just as effective as most chamois creams try this:

https://www.chemistdirect.co.uk/emulsif ... ment/prd-t

fudgey

What is the best way to prevent them in the first place? I have a couple of reoccuring little buggers that are near enough in the exact same place either side of my gooch...

Last week one flaired up after 3 consecutive hard lunch rides of 45 mins, and then last night i did a hard 30 min effort on the turbo and the other side flaired up. Last night was in brand new rapha classic shorts.

Been painfull to sit all day today!

They are fairly close to the tips of the narrower part of my sit bones, so will check/adjust saddle a little i think.

Ironically 3 weeks ago i did 100 miles with no conmfort issues at all.

daniel_b

I have had success with this in the past:

Noxzema Deep Cleansing Cream

Bobbinogs

If you have a sore then the biggest priority is stopping an infection since that can get quite serious and involve a long time off combined with antibiotics. Sudocrem is good for preventing infection as it is an antiseptic whilst rest will let nature sort things out. However, just like a blister, if you want it healed quickly then the best way is to first get rid of any pus in a safe, sterile way (surgical lance which has been sprayed with wound wash, for example...not some rusty safety pin that has been lying around). Gently squeeze out any crap then clean the whole area with wound wash, apply Sudocrem regularly and have a couple of days off the bike. Sorted...but be bloody careful with any lancing!!!

joe2008

Navrig2 wrote:

joe2008 wrote:

Navrig2 wrote:

Don't sit around in your shorts after you finished your ride.

How's that any any different from extra time riding your bike?

Assos Skin Repair is excellent stuff.

Quite simple. When you are moving your bits will get a cooling breeze.

Get off the bike and sit down with a coffee and some toast while watching TV and your bits will bake. Leaves a dreadful sweat rash and, if your unlucky, jock itch.

Spare pair of shorts for the mid ride cafe stop it is then.

yiannism

It just happened to have sudocrem from my kids in the house, and i used it. It works really well for me even on the very hot summer of Cyprus.

navrig2

joe2008 wrote:

Navrig2 wrote:

joe2008 wrote:

Navrig2 wrote:

Don't sit around in your shorts after you finished your ride.

How's that any any different from extra time riding your bike?

Assos Skin Repair is excellent stuff.

Quite simple. When you are moving your bits will get a cooling breeze.

Get off the bike and sit down with a coffee and some toast while watching TV and your bits will bake. Leaves a dreadful sweat rash and, if your unlucky, jock itch.

Spare pair of shorts for the mid ride cafe stop it is then.

Of course. In fact you need to carry multiple pairs just in case you stop several times.

On a serious note try it. Go for a decent ride, come back hot and sticky. Then hang around in your bibs for an hour and see how it feels. Especially if you sit down on the sofa. You won't do it twice unless you have to.

leedsmjh

As a treatment rather than preventative - Tea tree oil applied carefully to just the sore, don't splash it round

drlodge

Give it a good squeeze.

There, better?

No? Thought not

Sudocrem afterwards on the odd occasion I've needed some.

Alex99

Double cream, or twice the amount of single cream

drlodge

Alex99 wrote:

Double cream, or twice the amount of single cream

As its "down there", shouldn't it be whipped cream?

thegreatdivide

drlodge wrote:

Alex99 wrote:

Double cream, or twice the amount of single cream

As its "down there", shouldn't it be whipped cream?

More like sour cream.

fudgey

leedsmjh wrote:

As a treatment rather than preventative - Tea tree oil applied carefully to just the sore, don't splash it round

For me this has helped reduce the swelling. Last night before bed i dabbed on some 100% tea tree oil then rubbed in some antiseptic cream. Then this morning more tea tree oil and sudocrem. As said, the swelling has down a lot but still quite painful with pressure applied.

Alex99

drlodge wrote:

Alex99 wrote:

Double cream, or twice the amount of single cream

As its "down there", shouldn't it be whipped cream?

Keep a can of squirty in your jersey pocket and blast it down there as needed. Inhale any remaining gas for giggles.

itboffin

Fudgey wrote:

leedsmjh wrote:

As a treatment rather than preventative - Tea tree oil applied carefully to just the sore, don't splash it round

For me this has helped reduce the swelling. Last night before bed i dabbed on some 100% tea tree oil then rubbed in some antiseptic cream. Then this morning more tea tree oil and sudocrem. As said, the swelling has down a lot but still quite painful with pressure applied.

if you have to ride then a zinc plaster over the top you know the unpadded very sticky cloth pink ones, will protect the area enough to prevent any further rubbing.

fudgey

itboffin wrote:

Fudgey wrote:

leedsmjh wrote:

As a treatment rather than preventative - Tea tree oil applied carefully to just the sore, don't splash it round

For me this has helped reduce the swelling. Last night before bed i dabbed on some 100% tea tree oil then rubbed in some antiseptic cream. Then this morning more tea tree oil and sudocrem. As said, the swelling has down a lot but still quite painful with pressure applied.

if you have to ride then a zinc plaster over the top you know the unpadded very sticky cloth pink ones, will protect the area enough to prevent any further rubbing.

Good idea, although trying to wash the sticky left by those plasters off after will probably hurt a fair bit ha.

peat

I had a stubborn one last month. Tea Tree & Sudocrem weren't shifting it. I went to the chemist and he suggested Metanium Barrier Ointment. It's very similar in consistency and look to Sudocrem but with a few different ingredients.

The sore faded in 2 days after i started using it, but i'm not sure if it was already on it's way out anyway.

The episode was a useful reminder to re-up my hygiene game. It had been so long since i had a problem down there i think i got a bit complacent. I drove to the start of a 300km Audax, rode it, and drove home in my bibs. Pretty festy.

undapressure

Metanium is the best I've used, it's designed to treat nappy rash but works well on a saddle sore

Mr _Tibbs

Fudgey wrote:

What is the best way to prevent them in the first place? I have a couple of reoccuring little buggers that are near enough in the exact same place either side of my gooch...all.

Wear Lycra, not lose shorts
Avoid big padded saddles
Contact with your sit bones, not your bum
Keep the area clean and dry
Apply cream to the pad as well as your..er...body
Make sure your saddle isn't too high and you are not rocking your pelvis to reach the rotation of your cranks
Never wear underwear (under Lycra)
ride more and it will likely go away in time (assuming none of the above are an issue)