Ok, a bit of a tale here.

My significant other is a lady of a certain age, where skin elasticity and resilience is less than it used to be. We enjoy longer trips by bike, often travelling for some days. Over the last year or so, coinciding with some ‘changes’ to her system, she has experienced some very painful blistering of her skin, especially on hotter or harder rides. This is despite using the usual Assos cream and best shorts combo that has been working fine for years. It’s more like a sweat rash than the more traditional saddle sores that she only very rarely has experienced. Does anyone have any advice or similar experiences to help offer a solution? It does seem likely that her hormone changes are affecting how her skin copes with stress.

Ditch the cream. It blocks pores and changes skin pH. I assume wearing lycra? It holds sweat against the skin. Try to get a bit more air circulating if possible ie baggy shorts with a minimal liner and wash well before and after with perfume free soaps.
If she is getting chaffing use a very basic cream with no purfumes

Ditch the cream. It blocks pores and changes skin pH

What total and utter crap. Some creames such as whipped or double may do this but that’s a massive generalisation.

Assos is one of the best, possibly the best if you need to use cream.
Side note, the women’s and men’s are exactly the same other than the smell. The men’s cost less per ml.

My wife worked in the industry as a formulation chemist.

“The change” is a tough time and the body does some strange things. I think it’s probably better to see the doc rather than ask here.

Possibly a heat rash but better to seek professional help.

Worth mentioning that a sport wash like halo is great for killing bacteria in cycling gear.
Clean bibs every day is an absolute must for multi day rides.

If it’s a heat rash then an antihistamine might be worth trying

on and on – its actually true. like it or not. this is why we no longer use creams routinely pressure sore prevention as the research shows them to be damaging. Assos contains menthol does it not? that should be nowhere near fragile skin

Worth mentioning that a sport wash like halo is great for killing bacteria in cycling gear.
Clean bibs every day is an absolute must for multi day rides.

Yup – this. and a plain perfume free antibacterial skin wash before and after

I get really bad nappy rash on hot rides, usually at the start of a nice alps holiday, I think salt from sweat and friction is the main problem for me. Chamois butter (non menthol) helps prevent for me and it’s very dependent on the liners I’m wearing – eg decathlon liners are a disaster for me despite being popular on here.

You say years old shorts – I’d try some new ones as if the liners have become rough with time that might be a contributing factor. Also try a different butt cream, or even none?

Also I try to only wash with simple soap, anything containing sodium laureth sulphate (almost everything) makes my skin dry and susceptible to this kind of thing.

Oh and I feel her pain. I wish I could post a picture of my baboon butt from last summer on the first day of my alps holiday, but I’d get banned. Aaaah sudocreme

Liners only last for so long as do saddles. I used a panty-style like this but not this make, just seemed more breathable. Stopped using cream. Baggies on top or Winter tights.

https://www.rosebikes.co.uk/article/craft-greatness-bike-hipster-w-womens-briefs/aid:2657314

Ermmmm! Errrrr!

There’s some advice from the British Cycling team about trimming and not to use creams, as guess what they block pores.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2016/aug/15/team-gb-cycling-saddle-sore-medals

Not old shorts, just that she’s used a range of similar, ‘premium’ shorts throughout and without difficulties in the past. She’s also very particular about using low additive skin wash and we use Halo already to wash kit… I don’t think it’s a bacterial problem, more that the skin is less resistant to the unavoidable friction and sweat of longer rides.
We did wonder about the menthol content of Assos cream but it has been very successful for years, until now. Castelli make a dry, pre-ride skin treatment, anyone got experience of that..?
The most recent problem trip was a 4 day ride in the Highlands in a gap in the weather in early December but I guess that wearing too many layers might again create too much sweat. We’ve discussed with sporty GP friends and none have come up with a viable suggestion as yet.

Brazilian also helped. 😆

Brazilian also helped.

I”ve not read anything from their cycling……..oooooooh! 😳

😆

I think blocked pores would maybe lead to saddle sores/spots but I don’t think it’s anything to do with sweat/nappy rash, which is a fairly immediate reaction to sweat and friction. Good old Vaseline might be worth a pop and I have heard good things about sports underwear instead of padded liners, as per above.

Brazilian also helped.

Which one? did you get a name, only there is 200 million of them