When your Skin is irritated by the so-called problem “chafing”, you can get a lot of benefits from this article on Authority Remedies which shows you top 18 natural home remedies for chafing.

What is Chafing?

Chafing is commonly recorded in those who spend a lot of time on doing exercises or obese people. It is related to the redness and irritation on the skin and you often experience the painful feeling as well ^[1][2].

What Causes Chafing?

It results from the habit of rubbing skin against skin or clothing. You may notice this problem in any part of the body, but chafing appears most frequently in thighs, underarms or nipples.

Chafing is not dangerous at all. However, it does not mean that you can ignore it every time it appears. When chafing happens regularly, you may suffer from a lot of discomforts, and your skin might be broken, which will make it more vulnerable to the bacterial infection.

Chafing Symptoms

Chafing usually comes along with redness and inflammation on your skin. The severity of this problem varies, but here are some common symptoms of chafing that help you recognize the problem sooner.

• Redness
• Flaky skin
• Irritation and itchiness
• The appearance of some blisters
• Skin ulcer
• Discoloration happening to some skin areas
• Pain or even bleeding
• Vesicular rashes

Chafing treatment is super easy and everyone can do it immediately at home. Although some creams can bring immediate effects, they will have negative impacts on your skin in the long run. And not everybody is suitable to use chemical creams because of their skin’s sensitivity. It is better to make use of natural ingredients to get rid of chafing.

Home Remedies for Chafing

Below are top 18 natural home remedies for chafing with natural ingredients that you can apply to treat the symptoms without any difficulties.

1. Turmeric

Turmeric is one of the most supportive natural home remedies for chafing you need to know. The presence of curcumin in turmeric is its best characteristic in the chafing treatment. This substance is believed to be strongly antibacterial and anti-inflammatory ^[3][4].

• 2-3 spoons of powdered turmeric should be combined with a sufficient amount of water to have a paste.
• Get the paste rubbed over the areas affected by chafing.
• 30 minutes later, you can rinse these areas with warm water.

This method should be applied 2-3 times on a daily basis to get the best result.

2. Aloe Vera

Aloe vera is one of the most well-known natural home remedies for chafing, and many other skin problems, isn’t it? With soothing quality, it can help you escape from the itchiness and pain quickly.

Also, glycoprotein which is present in aloe vera gel can prevent inflamed skin effectively. Furthermore, polysaccharides can remove the dead cells and quicken the growth of new skin ^[5][6].

You can rub the fresh gel immediately over the skin areas affected by chafing a few times each day to get rid of chafing easily. In case the fresh gel is not available, the gel purchased from a pharmacy is acceptable.

3. Olive Oil

Olive oil can provide much moisture for the skin, which makes it perfect to appear in the list of top natural home remedies for chafing. In addition, its richness of vitamin E and antioxidants can quicken the recovery of skin from chafing. Olive oil should be rubbed over the areas affected by chafing after you take a bath ^[7].

4. Oatmeal

With soothing quality, oatmeal easily becomes one of the best natural home remedies for chafing. Its efficiency in dealing with inflamed skin was scientifically proved by the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology in 2007. To make it easier, you should turn oatmeal into powder first ^[8].

• Get about one cup of oatmeal powder into warm water.
• You should have yourself soaked in this solution in approximately 20-30 minutes.
• Later, rinse yourself with warm water again and pat the skin dry with a soft and clean towel.

5. Cornstarch

Excessive sweating is claimed to be one of the leading causes for chafed skin, and if you want to get rid of chafing as soon as possible, you’d better start from the root of the problem.

As it contains many minerals and moisture to cope with excessive sweating, cornstarch can be one of the most effective natural home remedies for chafing.

• You ought to rinse your body with warm water and soap at first.
• After patting the skin dry, you can dust cornstarch on the areas affected by chafing.

You can read more about Home Remedies for Excessive Sweating.

6. Cold Compress

Ice is one of the simplest natural home remedies for chafing and its irritating symptoms. If you are struggling with the red and irritated skin, then you can rush to the fridge and apply this method instantly.

• Keep several ice cubes in a soft cloth.
• The cloth should be left over the areas affected by chafing.
• You should repeat doing so every 5 minutes.

7. Baking Soda

Baking soda is one of the most recommended natural home remedies for chafing because of its healing quality. After using this ingredient, you will not feel painful or itchy any more.

And what you cannot see with your ordinary eyes is that baking soda prevents the attack of bacteria on the skin. Nevertheless, it is recommended that you keep baking soda over the skin in a short period of time unless you want to worsen the irritations.

• Baking soda should be combined with water with the ratio 1:3.
• Get the mixture applied over the skin.
• 5 minutes later, the skin should be rinsed with cool water.

8. Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is another great natural home remedy for chafing, just in case you cannot get olive oil. It is rich of moisture and nutrients than can soothe your irritated skin and regain the average color of your skin.

To take advantage of coconut oil, you can replicate the same procedure as that of olive oil.

9. Water

Do you know that when your body lacks water, the skin will be affected firstly? It will become dry and more vulnerable. Therefore, you should never leave your body dehydrated. Drinking water also plays an essential role in the chafing treatment because your skin is improved when the body does not suffer from a deficiency of fluid.

You can get more advice at Home Remedies for Dehydration.

10. Calendula

With many flavonois, calendula is the next natural home remedy for chafing. It is safe for every type of skin, which is proven by the fact that calendula is also one of the best Home Remedies for Diaper Rash in children.

To get the best results in the shortest period of time, you ought to get calendula oil applied over the areas affected by chafing a few times per day.

Another way is to have yourself soaked in the mixture of calendula flowers and boiling water.

11. Tea Tree Oil

Many skin problems can be treated with the help of tea tree oil and chafing is not an exception. One of the most common fear when people cope with chafing is the potential bacterial infection. Tea tree oil can help you solve this problem instantly. It is one of the most effective natural home remedies for chafing.

• Get a cotton ball soaked in water first.
• Some drops of this oil should be sprinkled on the cotton ball that can be pressed over the areas affected by chafing later.

12. Indian Lilac

With anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and antifungal qualities, Indian lilac is one of the best natural home remedies for chafing.

• Get several indian lilac leaves and put them into water.
• Keep simmering them in about 20 minutes before straining the mixture.
• When it is cool, you can rinse the chafed skin areas with it.

13. Baby Powder

One of the safest natural home remedies for chafing is baby powder. Do not worry about side effects even when you have a sensitive skin. It can be used on the baby’s skin; therefore, it is good for your chafing treatment.

14. Neem

People have taken advantage of neem to cope with many health problems for ages. And neem is especially beneficial for issues related to your skin, such as eczema or psoriasis.

Thus, it is undeniable that neem can be one of the best home remedies for chafing with affordable cost.

How to apply:

• Crush neem leaves to have a paste
• Then, mix it with rose water
• Apply the mixture to your skin and do not forget to massage it for a while
• 30 minutes later, use cold water to rinse your skin

It is likely that you will have your smooth skin back after a week.

15. Clay

Clay is one of the greatest home remedies for chafing, especially when you do not have much time for other treatments in the list. It should be bentonite or montmorillonite clay, which has dominant effects on healing chafing.

How to apply:

• Combine clay and filtered water so that you have a poultice
• Apply it to the skin area where you feel irritated
• Wait until it becomes dry
• Then, take water to clean your skin carefully

In case you only find clay packs, you can use gauze cloth to apply the clay on your skin.

16. Peppermint

Peppermint is our favorite ingredient to refresh the breath and mouth quickly, right? Then, it can bring the same calming effects on your irritated skin. In other words, it is one of the most surprising home remedies for chafing.

It is particularly useful to address itchiness, which you might find super annoying. Moreover, with anti-inflammatory qualities, peppermint helps to reduce inflammation immediately. Overall, it is a quick relief for skin irritation.

How to apply:

• Get some peppermint leaves and crush them
• Soak a clean cloth into cold water
• Spread the peppermint paste on the cloth
• Dab it to your chafed skin

You can apply the remedy 2-3 times every day to get rid of this problem quickly.

17. Lose Weight

When people are obese, the skin of different parts may rub against each other and lead to frequent chafing. Therefore, why don’t you try losing weight as an effective way to get rid of chafing forever? You can combine exercises and Top Superfoods for Weight Loss to get the best result quickly.

18. Vitamin C

Besides natural home remedies for chafing rubbed over the skin, you ought to treat the problem from the inside. Vitamin C plays a crucial part in maintaining a healthy and beautiful skin. Thus, you are strongly recommended to consume more apples, oranges, broccoli or cayenne pepper…to get rid of chafing as soon as possible.

How Long Does Chafing Last?

Chafing is not something too dangerous. Typically, it is a kind of skin irritation and lasts for more or less than two days. Once you have identified the causes of the problem, it is easier to get rid of chafing.

Nevertheless, when chafing happens for much more than 2 days and these home remedies for chafing do not work, then you need to speak to your doctor to find the appropriate treatment. It might be a sign of severe inflammation and infection.

Where Does Chafing Commonly Occur?

Some areas are more likely to have chafing than others. Let’s take a look at where chafing usually happens and how to prevent it!

• Thighs

Undeniably, thighs are the most common area where you will find chafing. It usually happens because your skin or your clothing rubs against this area.

How can you avoid it? The answer is to apply some skin lubricant. If the reason is your clothing, you should stay away from pants or shorts which have seams. In case of running or physical activities, you can choose athletic clothing.

• Nipples

It is common to see chafing in men’s nipples as well. The same problem can happen to women; however, their risk is lower because of the fitting sports bra.

Chafing in nipples results from the fact that a shirt constantly rubs against your skin. If you do not address the problem adequately, chafing might even lead to bleeding. In mild cases, pain might arise when you take a shower after your workout.

The recommendation is to use a little skin lubricant to the nipples before the workout. Or you might want to use bandages over them.

Women should not underestimate this problem either. Sports bra might prevent chafing in nipples, but it also causes chafing in other places, especially if you do not choose the appropriate one.

• Groin

Chafing in the groin is quite sensitive and many people choose to ignore it. It happens as your skin rubs against the skin. In many cases, clothing is responsible for it as well.

The suggestion is to use a skin lubricant. If you are not sure about the causes, you should start examining your clothes and seams.

How to Prevent Chafing

Chafing is more than a problem with your appearance. It can irritate your day and night, which makes you unable to focus on anything. Therefore, it is a great idea to spend a little time on reading the prevention of chafing to see whether your risk of chafing is high or not.

Here are some practical suggestions to make you free from chafing and enjoy your flawless skin more easily!

Loose clothing

Tight clothes are one of many common causes of chafing which people hardly think about. Therefore, you need to stay away from these clothes, especially tight underwear, unless you want your skin to be uncomfortable.

Loose clothes, on the other hand, allow your skin to breathe and prevent significantly the risk of friction and chafing.

If you insist on wearing tight clothes, even after finding out chafing in your body, it is likely that you experience severe swelling and inflammation.

Choose the appropriate fabric

So, when it comes to choosing clothes, you had better go for cotton as much as possible. Even though fancy trousers and shirts might be attractive, you have to take your skin condition into consideration first.

Cotton is the best option because it enables your skin to breathe properly.

Besides, when you do exercises, synthetic materials can be an excellent choice. They have great effects on the perspiration and it will be dry much more quickly than other materials.

Overall, it is better to choose clothes that make you feel comfortable rather than something which annoys you constantly all the day.

Lose Weight

Obesity is a common factor that raises the risk of chafing, especially on your thighs. Thus, one of the crucial strategies to prevent chafing is to lose your weight. But how can you manage to lose weight?

Many people assume that they only need to do exercises. However, diet also has significant impacts on your weight.

Besides, each individual would have a different weight loss program. It is possible that my ways cannot bring the same effects to you. The suggestion is to work closely with an expert to come up with your best program.

Exercises are essential and they should be diverse. You do not need to concentrate on cardio only. Give some time to enhance your strength with intense training. Aerobic activities should be moderate as well.

And do not forget the diet, which is vital to any weight loss program!

Diet

Chafing is a skin problem; however, as diet plays an essential role in your skin condition, it is imperative to pay attention to your diet. You will need to increase the amount of some vitamins and minerals to improve the treatment of chafing.

For instance, beta-carotene and vitamin A provide such an incredible number of antioxidants which are beneficial for your skin. On the other hand, vitamin C has positive impacts on the immune system and your skin’s well-being as well.

You can choose orange-colored fruits to absorb more vitamin A as well as beta-carotene. Other vitamin A-rich foods include egg yolks, spinach and animal fats.

Meanwhile, citrus fruits are the best option when you need vitamin C. Lemons, oranges, and grapefruits are the most popular fruits in the world with an abundance of vitamin C.

Also, there are some foods that should not be in your diet because they only worsen the situation. Processed foods make you more obese, which probably leads to severe conditions of chafing.

Take good care of your skin

The ultimate goal is to make sure that your skin is dry. However, it does not mean that you make it dehydrated. Healthy skin means not too wet or too dry. Otherwise, it both leads to chafing.

When your skin becomes dry, you should add more moisture with the help of a lotion. In contrast, when it is oily, get some mild cleanser to clean and pat it dry.

Sweating might put your chafing in danger as it worsens the skin irritation. Therefore, in case of sweating, you need to take off clothes, take a shower and then, dry the skin entirely.

Conclusion

In general, chafing does not cause too severe risks, but it affects you on a daily basis. Our home remedies for chafing will guide you to overcome this problem quickly.

Moreover, you should take good care of your body and skin from now on so that you never encounter chafing again. Do not hesitate to SHARE the article to let other people know this prevention program!