Petroleum...it's a broad, sweeping term that includes both crude oil (yes, the stuff that goes in your car) and the by-products made from the refinement of crude oil.  Petroleum jelly (also called petrolatum) is one of those by-products...and it's widely used in skin care and beauty products.  So the stuff that goes in your car is used to make products for stuff you put on your body.  Yuck.  

Petrolatum is in more products than you'd think.  There are some chamois cream brands who use it (the names will be withheld to protect the innocent).  There are also many chamois cream "substitutes" like diaper rash ointment and "barnyard animal" balms that use it too (again, brand names will be withheld).  It's also in many lotions, lip balms, and other cosmetics.

Here are just a few reasons we feel petroleum jelly/petrolatum has no place in a chamois cream:

• Petrolatum does not let your skin breathe.  It's an occlusive agent which means it seals off the skin...meaning nothing, air or water, penetrates its barrier.  This means it also traps dirt, oil, and bacteria on your skin.  
• Petrolatum can break down your the chamois in your shorts.  At up to $200 a pop, why shorten the lifespan of such an important investment?  Petroleum jelly dissolves rubber...and since the inside of your chamois is made out of foam rubber, you run the risk of ruining it.  And if you've ever used a chamois cream or substitute which contains petroleum jelly, you know it can be really hard to wash out of your chamois and off your skin. 
• Petrolatum can discolor or stain your clothing and/or saddle.  There are some "home remedies" to help get it out of fabric, but you'll be hard pressed to get a petroleum jelly stain out of your saddle.  
• Petrolatum does nothing to actually nourish your skin.  Due to its occlusive property as noted above, petroleum jelly has the potential to age skin prematurely since it can suffocate the cells.  Since it does not allow moisture to penetrate the surface, dry skin can become even more so.  A good chamois cream should not only help fight friction, but it should also help repair your skin.
• Petrolatum can cause skin irritation.  If combined with skin irritants such as lanolin, squalene, mineral oil, or anything else you might be sensitive to, it can cause further irritation since it traps the irritant on the skin.
• There have been studies linking petroleum products to cancer.  A study conducted at Columbia University linked an impurity found in petrolatum called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) to breast cancer.  A similar study conducted by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences discovered that lab animals with mammary gland cancer had PAHs in their mutated genes.  In fact, the European Union has banned many petroleum jelly products for this reason.

And FYI...mineral oil, paraffin wax, and paraffin oil ALL go by the name petrolatum and are ALL petroleum derivatives, so read your ingredients labels carefully!

At Petal Power, we strive to use the very best natural and plant-based ingredients in our products to help protect and nourish your delicate skin.  For a full list of our ingredients and how they are derived, click here!

Everyone is doing it.
Yep, that’s right.  All the cool kids ride commando.  The women you see line up at the start line of the at your local mountain bike and road bike races?  No undies.  The men and women who do the grueling Race Across America (RAAM) race?  No undies.  All the guys who race in the Tour de France…no boxers, no briefs, no nothing.  You might be saying, Yeah, but they are all racers.  I don’t race.  It doesn’t matter!  If you ride a bike, you probably have friends who also ride bikes.  Ask them what THEY do.  They will likely tell you “NO UNDIES”…if they haven’t already.
























Nobody cares.
I have actually had women tell me that one of the reasons they can’t bring themselves to ride without panties is they are embarrassed to go into public without underwear on.  I promise you…all those people whizzing by you in their cars will have NO CLUE you aren’t wearing panties under your bike shorts unless they happen to be cyclists themselves.  And I guarantee you that not one hiker or equestrian you meet on your mountain bike will turn to their friends and say, Oh my!  She doesn’t have panties on under her shorts!  And if they did?  WHO CARES!  Chances are you’ll never see those people again anyhow.

Mother doesn’t always know best.
I think a lot of women hear their mother’s voices at the mere thought of riding commando.  Memories come flooding back of that conversation you had with your mother when you were 7 or 8 years old after you asked why you just couldn’t be naked under your dress or pants.  Good girls ALWAYS wear underwear.  Bad girls don’t wear panties.  Peace out and word to your mother:  It’s OK to not wear panties under your bike shorts.  Really it is.  Nobody…not even you mother…will chastise you for not wearing them on your bike.

Hopefully, we’ll get a few more “commando converts” out there.  If you are still on the fence, just start slowly and ease into it.  Don your bike shorts (sans panties!) and go for a short ride around the block.  If you see your neighbors, no big deal.  They will never know unless you happened to hang a big sign around your neck that says, “Howdy neighbor!  I’m riding with no panties on!”  Once you’ve mastered a few short rides, try some longer rides.  If you really feel you MUST have some sort of an extra layer on, get a little cycling skirt to wear over your bike shorts when you ride.  Moxie Cycling makes some particularly cute ones…as does Club Ride, shebeest, Sweet Spot Skirts, and Terry.

Come on, ladies…take those panties off, put on your bike shorts (and don’t forget your chamois cream!), and go for a ride!  Your girly bits will thank you.