Sweat Chafing? Maybe It’s Time to Try Some Aloe Vera

Summertime brings heat, sweat and sometimes that very uncomfortable phenomenon called sweat chafing.

That redness between your thighs, or under your armpits or breasts, can sting a little for a while or it can be downright angry and nasty all day long.

And as you keep sweating and the skin keeps rubbing, it just gets worse.

Your friend aloe vera may help put out the fire and get things back to normal.

Sweat Chafing: Discomfort Almost Anywhere

Sweating in the summer is pretty standard, especially when you are into sports and vigorous activities.

You might think chafing is caused by clothes that are restrictive – professional cyclists with their tight shorts experience a lot of it – and sometimes it can be. When you sweat, clothing and your skin tend to rub together a lot. However, it may be more common for chafing to occur when wearing loose clothing. The sweaty skin has more room to rub together and create friction. Any residue or grit in there, including the salt of the sweat, makes it more intense.

Chafing can result in various degrees of irritation, from a simple bit of redness to a more intense discomfort. The most common areas for it to occur are the inner thighs, the groin, under the breasts, the armpits, and even the buttocks. But it can crop up on any part of the body where the skin rubs together.

How to Tackle Chafing

The first thing to do is gently clean the area to ensure all grit, sweat, salt, residue, and bacteria are removed.
Do this very gently because harsh soaps and vigorous rubbing will sting like crazy.

Forget applying powders or petroleum jelly. Keeping the area dry is good, but powders can cause more grit and thus more irritation. Meanwhile, petroleum jelly is just a surface grease. It may be a helpful, water-resistant barrier and lubricant when dealing with sand at the beach, but it’s a “band-aid” and not a long-term approach.

Apply a high-quality aloe vera moisturizer for a gentle, cooling effect that penetrates below the surface to where the skin is working to recover. Then let the skin breathe for a while so the lotion sinks in. Reapply as often as you like. A good aloe vera moisturizer can act as a soothing lubricant.

When you get dressed, be sure to put on clean clothes, preferably made from natural fibers like cotton. Artificial materials don’t breathe and will cause more sweat and irritation.

Aloe Vera Moisturizers Can Be a Cooling Agent for Chafing

Since aloe vera has anti-inflammatory and soothing properties for burns, you know it will be good for chafed skin also. After all, chafing is like a form of burning.

Most aloe vera moisturizers have ingredients that are non-toxic and nutrients that provide natural assistance to the broken and irritated skin. Aloe vera typically does not cause any adverse reactions.

The last thing your stinging chafed skin needs is more irritation.