I Rubbed Coconut Oil On My Thighs To Prevent Chafing. Here’s How My Legs Felt Afterwards

Penn State Hershey Medical Center defines chafing simply as "skin irritation." Chafing usually looks like redness — almost like a rash. It can occur anywhere, but many people, like myself, experience chafing on the thighs. Livestrong reports "chafing can occur anywhere on the body but most often occurs in the area of the underarms and inner thighs due to the constant friction of the arms and legs moving."

According to the National Library of Medicine, chafed skin is red, sore skin that has been irritated by something continuously rubbing against it. Playing sports that involve a lot of movement, like soccer, baseball, track and field, and football results in skin-on-skin or skin-on-clothing friction. If you remember the lesson from middle school science class, friction is caused by the resistance of rubbing two things together — like your legs… ouch!

While I am the least sporty person (unlike my brother, who is an all-star athlete), I do walk a lot in New York City so I experience chafing the same way many athletes do.

Being wet, like sweating, can also make it worse. But have no fear, there are ways to prevent chafing from happening.

"Selecting proper clothing can be an important part of prevention," according to Livestrong. "Clothing that does not fit properly may rub your skin. Avoid cotton and choose synthetic materials that wick away sweat to help keep the skin dry."

Athletes, like runners, are prone to chafing because of how much movement they're doing. Livestrong suggests athletic tights and cycling shorts to reduce friction. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends the use of petroleum jelly to help prevent chafing while running or biking.

But for normal day-to-day activities, that's not something that could work unless your job is at a fitness center! So I wanted to find some more practical chafing remedies for us normal folk!

To be honest, I wasn't sold on using deodorant as a way to prevent chafing. It felt so weird to rub it on my inner thighs instead of under my arms. But if it stops sweating, it should be a good way to keep thighs dry.

I wanted to try this with the same style of shorts with which I experienced chafing for the first time, to see how big of a difference it would make.

The deodorant is supposed to help ease friction while walking or running. Since there is an antiperspirant in the deodorant, it should keep the sweat to a minimum. I rubbed this on in the morning the same way you'd put it under your arms, then wore shorts all day. I made sure to take an extra-long walk during the hottest part of the day since sweat tends to make chafing worse.

While my thighs weren’t red and bumpy when I got home, they were tender to the touch for about four to five hours after I had gone out. For me, this meant the deodorant had not prevented friction on my inner thighs. As you can see above, my shorts rode up so much even with the deodorant! This method will need to be reapplied every few hours if you walk around a lot.

I bought the Suave roll-on deodorant for $4.63.

I was pleasantly surprised by the effectiveness of Monistat anti-chafing gel. Funnily enough, I've used this product for years as a face primer (it works wonders!) and I forgot its intended use!

To use, squirt a good amount on your fingers then rub onto each thigh, it's not messy at all, which surprised me. It's silky smooth and comfortable — not oily or sticky. I wasn't sure if the Monistat chafing gel would be a long-lasting chafing remedy, but I was wrong.

After my walk in 92-degree weather, my thighs barely stuck together and the Monistat chafing gel left me with no redness — as you can see in the photo! While walking I noticed my legs didn't even stick together, which is amazing!

The one thing I also really love about this product is that the bottle is small enough to pop into my purse and bring with me if I know I'll be walking far and will need to reapply. Another great thing is it doesn't smell like anything, so it's even more discreet.

After I finished my walk, my thighs looked great and had no redness. I didn't feel any tenderness either. It was a complete win in my book!

I bought the Monistat chafing gel for $5.68.

I thought the Anti Monkey Butt Lady Powder product would be similar to baby powder, but the two are completely different.

To apply, use it the same way you would with baby powder and sprinkle some on your hands and rub into your inner thighs. My only complaint is this gets everywhere! I made a mess on the bathroom floor and the powder got all over my black dress. Next time, I think this would be best to apply before getting dressed.

The product does have a funky scent to it — I think it's the calamine — but I didn't notice it after rubbing the Anti Monkey Butt Lady Powder into my thighs. I did notice that unlike the Monistat chafing gel, this powder did not completely disappear into my skin and left a faint white layer.

But after walking in the hot summer sun, I didn't feel any soreness or see redness. In fact, my inner thighs felt cool as I walked around New York City and there was no sweat between my legs when I was finished walking. The photo above shows what my thigh looked like afterward — no chafing!

I bought the Anti Monkey Butt Lady Powder for $5.02.

I really liked using these anti-chafing thigh bands under a dress. They were invisible under the fabric and comfortable to wear. But all day I just envisioned the Bandelettes falling down and people thinking it was my underwear — thankfully that didn't happen and they stayed put!

To use, put your leg through the lace thigh band, keeping the sticky side against your skin, and pull them up to the meatiest part of your thigh. Repeat with the other side. You can adjust them as needed, but I found that they stayed in place on the biggest part of my thighs — about six to seven inches above my knees.

The Bandelettes worked great because the lace kept my skin from rubbing together, which meant no chafing — hooray! But sometimes I had to adjust them when they slipped down a little. I recommend these if you don’t walk too much during the day.

I have to say the Bandelettes were fun to put on because it gave me the same feeling of wearing my favorite fancy underwear for a boost of confidence. They're cute and not embarrassing to carry around in your bag — on that note, they're easy to fold into little squares!

I bought the Bandelettes for $15.95. They come in a variety of sizes and colors.

These shorts are perfect for wearing under skirts or dresses — you pull them up just like normal underwear and can cover your belly button with the top depending on your comfort. You can either go commando or wear underwear with them. I opted to wear underwear and the shorts didn't cause dreaded wedgies.

For me, the chafing shorts did the best job of being discreet and keeping chafing away for a prolonged period of time. Unlike the gels or powders, the Jockey shorts are not something you need to think about reapplying. They also work great under tighter dresses and skirts without showing visible lines like cotton shorts tend to do.

While I was walking, I noticed the Jockey Skimmies were light and airy, so I didn't feel like I was wearing shapewear (which they’re not). It didn't feel like a thick extra layer, which is the last thing anyone wants during the summertime.

The only negative aspect is that I found myself adjusting them a few times because they kept riding up. I would have to go to the bathroom or make sure no one was looking and pull them down.

I bought the Jockey Skimmies for $16.50.

Much like the Anti Monkey Butt Lady Powder, the baby powder gets everywhere! I would not recommend this if you're wearing dark colors. Or put it on before getting dressed so it has time to set.

To use, just sprinkle some baby powder into the palm of your hands or directly onto your inner thighs and rub in. Like the Anti Monkey Butt Lady Powder, the baby powder left a faint white film on my thighs after application.

My grandma Maria was a big believer in baby powder. She used it as a remedy for everything. From deodorant to dry shampoo (before it was cool), she was in the know! When I was little she'd put it on the bottoms of my feet to stop them from sweating and keep blisters away since it soaks up any sweat and eases friction.

That knowledge gave me high hope for baby powder as a chafing relief! Grandma couldn't be wrong, right?!

For me, the baby powder felt fine at first but it definitely didn't work as my walk progressed. If I'd walked less than a mile this would have worked great. But my long, hot, and sticky walk was no match for Grandma's favorite product.

While I didn't get red bumps like I usually do, my inner thighs felt tender from rubbing together. It's hard to see in the photo, but the baby powder did leave me with redness on my thighs. Reapplying may be the cure, since it did work for the first few minutes!

I bought the baby powder for $7.19.

I love cooking with coconut oil and even shaving with it, so I was excited to try using it as a way to prevent chafing, especially since coconut oil is having a moment right now!

The whole process of using coconut oil to relieve chafing was messy from start to finish. While coconut oil starts in a solid form, the second my warm fingers touched it the oil liquefied and went everywhere! It also leaves a sheen on your skin, which I tried to capture in the photo above.

It felt nice rubbing a dime-sized amount onto my inner legs but walking with it felt very wet and slippery. Honestly, it sort of reminded me of the way most women feel after leaving the gyno's office! I could see coconut oil being good to rub on your legs after walking because it has anti-inflammatory properties, but for me, it was not a contender for chafing relief as my legs felt very sticky and it made walking uncomfortable.

I bought the coconut oil for $10.47.

Best Method: Jockey Skimmies.

After this experiment with seven different chafing relief methods, I crown the Jockey Skimmies the winner!

I came to this conclusion in a few ways. For starters, they're reusable, which saves money in the long run. Instead of having to buy more when the product runs out, you just wash them and they'll last for years.

Secondly, they are versatile, can be worn underneath a variety of clothing, and are discreet and invisible underneath. The lightweight fabric didn't weigh me down or make me feel hotter than usual. They also act as a second barrier against surprise gusts of wind!

If you like wearing shorts more than you like wearing dresses and skirts, the Monistat Complete Care Chafing Relief Powder Gel is my second-favorite product to relieve chafing. It's long-lasting and not messy! Plus, it's easy to just toss in your bag.

If you plan on trying out any of these chafing relief products on your inner thighs, please SHARE this post on Facebook with family and friends!