off-road.cc

It won't surprise you to learn that Paceline Products Chamois Butt'r Her' is the women's version of the original Chamois Butt'r skin lubricant, which has been soothing and softening men's bits and bottoms since 1993. The Her' cream shares some of the key ingredients – aloe vera to soothe irritated skin, vitamins A and E – but is pH balanced specifically for ladies, so you can put it 'everywhere' and there's no tingling sensation (which you may see as a good or bad thing).

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Chamois Butt'r Her also shares the same price as the men's, and is very good value compared to the likes of Assos Chamois Creme Woman, especially considering you can find the 235ml (8 fl oz) tube discounted online for £10.49.

• You can buy Chamois Butt'r Her from CRC here

Her' is designed to make your rides more comfortable by protecting against chafing, and soothing already irritated skin. It does this by lubricating and softening your skin (it contains shea butter, which is a good moisturiser), and although it makes no claims to be anti-bacterial Her' does include tea tree oil, which has proven anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory properties. It also contains lavender oil, and when you first apply the cream there's a faint scent of lavender but this soon disappears.

Tube feels more hygienic than dipping fingers into a pot!

The directions say: 'Apply liberally to skin and/or chamois before each ride. May be applied to any skin areas that rub together or against clothing.' So does it work? The Her' cream does seem to help and reduce friction, although because it is non-greasy and absorbs easily, I did find I needed to reapply it on long days in the saddle, after about three to four hours.

Our road editor Tass, from road.cc used it on the Deloitte Ride Across Britain and had positive, if inconclusive, results. "I used a different product initially and started developing sore spots after the first two days – conditions were pretty horrendous – and the 'bum doctor team' recommended a post-ride shower, no cream (and no pants!) for the evening, then a thin application overnight. I used Her' for this, and then applied it first thing in the morning, but topped up during the day with a different (more conveniently packaged) product. This kept the soreness at bay when I really wasn't convinced it would, so I would definitely use it again."

It includes tea tree oil, which has proven anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory properties

The plus side to its lighter consistency, compared with some chamois creams – Her' feels like a good-quality hand cream – is that it doesn't make a mess of your chamois pad and washes out very easily. It's formulated to wash out with just soap and water, which is very handy if you're touring and need to wash your shorts by hand in a sink.

Another thing I like about Chamois Butt'r Her' is that it comes in a tube, which feels far more hygienic than dipping your fingers into a pot. The tube is pretty large and heavy – hence the very good value – but no use for carrying on the bike for reapplication on long rides. However, you can buy packs of 9ml single sachets, although these obviously work out more expensive.

• www.chamoisbuttr.com 
• www.2pure.co.uk

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