Products featured in this Yahoo article are selected by our shopping writers. We will earn a commission from purchases made via links in this article. Pricing and availability are subject to change.

The magic £12 anti-chafe balm I can't go anywhere without during the warmer months

anti chafe stick review
A swipe of Megababe Thigh Rescue a day keeps the chafing away. (Megababe/ Yahoo UK)

Until about six years ago, the thought of wearing anything that put my inner thighs in direct contact with one another filled me with fear - because of the dreaded chafing.

Despite being affectionately known as ‘chub rub’, chafing between the thighs can be very unpleasant and painful. But in 2018 I discovered my holy grail product that now lets me look forward to wearing shorts, skirts and dresses in the spring and summer.

🛍️ Product reviewed: Megababe Thigh Rescue Anti-Friction Stick
Tested for: Six years
Rating: 5/5
💸 Reasons to buy: Stops painful skin irritation from chafing and lasts for hours without having to reapply frequently
Reasons to avoid: Doesn't really last if using it for exercise, as the product gets wicked away by sweat
💰 Best deal we've found: Currently we can only find it full price at Boots, Cult Beauty or Beauty Bay

This deodorant-style anti-chafing balm is easy to apply and lasts for hours. It effectively eliminates skin irritation from chafing.

Pros
  • Soothes skin
  • Stops irritation before it happens
  • Lasts for long periods of time even while walking
Cons
  • Requires more applications on very hot days
  • Doesn't hold up to a lot of sweat, like during exercise
£12 at Boots

Megababe, an American beauty brand founded by Kate Sturino, is my saviour. I came across the brand’s Thigh Rescue Anti-Friction Stick while searching desperately for a solution to my chafing woes.

Although the company was still in its infancy, having launched just the year before, I saw that the product had garnered rave reviews from women who claimed it “changed” their lives. I took the leap and ordered a couple of sticks, and the rest is history.

Now, I always ensure I have a stick in my bag whether I'm out and about or travelling. On the rare occasion I forget it, I genuinely feel despair - walking around in shorts and skirts is much harder without it.

The creamy balm comes in a deodorant-style stick that is easy to apply to your inner thighs or any other part of the body that chafes easily.

Dermatologist and gynaecologist-approved, the formula contains aloe, pomegranate seed extract, grapeseed oil, and ginger root extract to soothe and hydrate the skin.

(Cult Beauty)
The anti-chafing formula is intensely moisturising and lasts for hours. (Megababe)
megababe review
Shaped like a deodorant stick, Megababe Thigh Rescue is easy to apply and glides onto the skin without leaving colour or residue. (Yahoo Life UK)

£12 at Boots £12 at Cult Beauty £12 at Beauty Bay

It also contains occlusives and emollients, ingredients that help create a physical barrier between the skin and the outside world, protecting it from irritation.

The brand boasts a cult following, with products that sell out often. In the UK, Megababe is only stocked by a handful of retailers, including Cult Beauty, Beauty Bay, ASOS and Boots - so if it's out of stock at your favourite online store, you may have to join a waitlist to get notified when it's back in stock.

In my own experience with using this anti-chafing balm, it lasts for hours. I use it while I'm on holiday and doing plenty of walking in warmer climates, and always find that I don't have to reapply more than once or twice throughout the day, if that.

It might wear off sooner in more humid climates, where sweating is more of an issue. It still impresses me just how long this product lasts, though, even with heat and sweat to contend with.

For everyday use and moderate activities, like exploring cities on foot and day-to-day existence, the Megababe Thigh Rescue Stick is a true lifesaver. It has made me look forward to wearing shorts, skirts and dresses during the warmer months - something I used to dread.

x
You can reapply Megababe Thigh Rescue as often as you need, but just one application lasts an impressively long time. (Megababe)

It successfully stops painful skin irritation from chafing and lasts for hours without having to reapply frequently. The glide-on formula doesn't stain clothes or leave any residue, but if any bits of product break off you can simply rub it into your skin.

Another huge bonus of the anti-chafing stick is that it's very versatile, as you can use it in other places too.

Other places you can use the anti-friction stick:

  • arm pits

  • bra lines

  • digging waistbands

  • blistering feet

I often rub it on certain points of my feet that might rub against the back of a shoe or the side of a sandal. Because it's so intensely moisturising, I also like to rub a bit of Megababe Thigh Rescue on my elbows and knees if they get dry and flaky on really hot days.

If you were hoping this stick would be the solution to chafing while running in shorts, I'm afraid it will let you down as frequent movement and sweat from exercise will wick the balm away quicker.

Megababe's formulas are suitable for sensitive skin, but if you have very sensitive skin or are averse to scented products, you should be aware that there are two versions of Megababe Thigh Rescue - a scented (£12) and unscented version (£14). The product with the blue lid is the scented version, while the white lid indicates it is unscented.