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review
Skincare & embrocation
Veloskin Chamois CreamVeloskin Chamois Cream.jpg

Veloskin Chamois Cream

8
by Ian Walker
UPDATED Sat, Mar 24, 2018 09:46

First Published Mar 24, 2018

3
£14.00

VERDICT:

8
10
Wonderfully thick and smooth chamois cream, a good choice for all-day riding comfort
Weight: 
117g
Contact: 
www.veloskin.cc
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VeloSkin Chamois Cream is a thick, luxurious skin treatment that smells great and holds up on long rides. If you're a fan of chamois creams, you should try this.

  • Pros: Great texture, doesn't drip when being applied, holds up on long rides, smells nice
  • Cons: Slightly pricey, doesn't use organic ingredients

VeloSkin Chamois Cream feels like a real top-end luxury item. The smart black metal pot holds the most wonderfully thick, luxuriant paste I've ever smeared onto my nethers. The scent is distinctive and pleasing, with a good dose of bergamot – a key ingredient in true Eau de Cologne, it is worth remembering, so at the very least it should lend your shorts an olfactory touch of class.

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The texture of this cream is delightful. It is extremely smooth yet firm. This means it spreads on well and, unlike some chamois creams I've tried, isn't going to drip onto your floor or clothes as you apply it. I found I didn't need a huge amount to anoint my undercarriage, and so a tin of this should last a reasonable length of time.

The list of ingredients is extensive and includes cocoa butter, soy wax, jojoba oil, aloe vera, cucumber oil and a whole host of other substances that suggest they're going to be soothing on the skin. Perhaps surprisingly, for such a top-end product, the cream doesn't claim to use organic ingredients, so that might be something to consider if that sort of thing concerns you.

I've already mentioned the consistency of this cream, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to mention it again, because it really is lovely. There was none of the stickiness or sliminess of some creams, and applying it was always a pleasure, inasmuch as such an undignified act can ever be.

> Read more road.cc reviews of chamois creams & other skincare products here

But how it feels when rubbed onto your bum is only part of the story – the true test of a chamois cream is how it feels on the saddle. I gave the VeloSkin cream a proper test on a hilly 100-mile training ride wearing a pair of bib tights that were, usefully, a bit past their best and which had given me a little discomfort on previous rides. With a single pre-ride smear of VeloSkin between me and the pad, I can report that I did not feel the slightest hint of rubbing all day. I was genuinely impressed, and the experience of wearing those tights was notably different to other recent rides. Subsequent rides in other shorts and tights felt equally good and I'm convinced that first experience wasn't a one-off.

There are certainly other creams out there, including Assos's highly popular Chamois Crème and, for those wanting to support UK industry, Bristol Butt'r and Bikemonger's Happy Bottom Bum Butter. As our review of the latter notes, it is vegan-friendly, which is something not all creams can claim. VeloSkin similarly makes a feature of its products not being tested on animals.

Verdict

Wonderfully thick and smooth chamois cream, a good choice for all-day riding comfort

road.cc test report

Make and model: Veloskin Chamois Cream

Size tested: 150ml

Tell us what the product is for

Veloskin describes its chamois cream like this: "Chamois cream forms a protective buffer between you and the saddle. Friction is one of cyclist's worst enemies, more so than the longest ride or the highest climb and can cause saddle sores and discomfort. At VeloSkin, we are firmly of the opinion that prevention is better than cure, which is why our chamois cream offers a vital line of defence."

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

According to Veloskin, the ingredients include:

Shea butter - Your skin's best friend. Soothes itching and balances skin hydration levels

Cocoa butter - Bursting with healthy, fatty acids to add a protective layer of hydration

Soy wax – Superbly moisturises and revitalises the skin

Witch hazel - Mother Nature's astringent fights swelling, sores and infection

Coconut oil - Can make the difference between dry, sore skin and smooth, soft and supple skin

Jojoba oil - Naturally anti–microbial, jojoba oil prevents the growth of bacteria on skin.

Raspberry seed oil - Great for sore skin thanks to its anti-inflammatory properties

Argan oil - Packed with Vitamin E and essential fatty acids; an ideal natural moisturiser

Aloe vera - Helps heal and has sooth due to its anti-inflammatory properties

Vitamin C - Its antioxidant properties make it a vital molecule for healthy skin

Cucumber oil - Detoxes pores to keep things clean and fresh

Wheat protein - Gently nourishes whilst balancing moisture levels

Orange oil - Characterised by antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties

Bergamot Oil – Providing a natural citrus scent, as well as warding off microorganisms

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
9/10

It's a very thick, luxurious paste that applies easily and feels great on the skin.

Rate the product for performance:
 
8/10

Really seemed to help comfort on long rides.

Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10

The cream lasted well on long rides.

Rate the product for value:
 
5/10

It's not cheap, but is priced comparably to other high-end chamois creams.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

The cream seemed to work well for preventing discomfort on long rides.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

The pleasant, thick texture and the scent.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Nothing.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your overall score

This is a luxurious chamois cream that goes on well, doesn't drip, and really seems to help out with comfort on long rides.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 44  Height: 181cm  Weight: 72kg

I usually ride: Cannondale Synapse  My best bike is: Whyte Wessex One

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Most days  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: road racing, commuting, touring, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding, mountain biking, audax and long-distance riding

Veloskin Chamois Cream 2018
Veloskin Chamois Cream
Veloskin 2018
Veloskin
Ian Walker

A research psychologist by day, Ian spends quite a lot of time on bikes, particularly commuting between Bristol and Bath or doing audax rides. For years he was an ultradistance runner, but this came to an end when he realised getting back onto a bicycle offered the chance to race over much more preposterous distances. In recent years he has ridden in the Transcontinental Race, the TransWales and the North Cape 4000. He has even finished first in some of these. 

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3 comments

Avatar
Ian Walker | 6 years ago
0 likes

I'm not here as a spokesperson for the chamois cream industry (Big Cream?), but there are a few advantages to the real stuff over basic grease. Perhaps the most notable is that a lot of chamois cream is antibacterial, which could be useful on back-to-back rides (especially, perhaps, for a commuter?). They'll generally also be a lot more comfortable - a good chamois cream goes on and then works while you completely forget it; a bad one keeps reminding you it's there with cold greasy sensations - which I suspect Vaseline would do.

It's then up to you whether you're prepared to pay for these benefits!

Avatar
peted76 | 6 years ago
0 likes

I claim to know nothing about creams what you smear on your bits..  or anywhere else for that matter, I've brought a few pots through the years, but do balk at the prices of these things, I'd much rather be spending my cash on a light weight carbon fibre pipe to match my mavic slippers and pinarello smoking jacket?

What are the main differences between this and smearing a dollop of vaseline on your bits, genuinley mildly interested.

 

Avatar
bendertherobot | 6 years ago
0 likes

So, it smells of Earl Grey, which is fine. But what ascent does it smell like, that's what's important........

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