Today is the perfect beach day. The sun is shining, the ocean water feels amazing, and you’re building a sandcastle with your child. Everything is great until you stand up and begin to walk.

The hot sunshine coupled with sand and saltwater can cause painful leg chafing. This is enough to put a damper on any fun beach day. The good news is that there are ways to stop it from happening.

You’ve just got to be careful about what you wear and use the right prevention methods. To help you have a pain free day in the sun, check out this quick guide.

1. Rinse and Dry Method 

Playing in the ocean is fun but it causes a lot of sand and saltwater to gather up on your skin. This will cause leg chafing before the day is through. One of the easiest ways to stop this from happening is to rinse off throughout the day. 

Most beaches have showers scattered around the area that you can utilize. If your beach doesn't then you can always bring water with you to use. After you rinse the sand and salt off, be sure to dry before heading back out onto the beach. 

If you go back out while you're still damp you're just going to gather up more sand on your skin which will counteract the entire rinsing off process. 

2. Watch What You Wear 

To avoid chafing you always want to make sure you watch what you wear to the beach. Here are a few things you should look out for and do to cut down your risk. 

Shorts

Before you hop in the water, consider putting on a pair of shorts on over your swimwear. The fabric from the swim clothes will rub against the shorts rather than your skin this way. 

Anti-Chafe Swimwear 

If you don't like the idea of putting on an extra layer of clothing then you can always invest in anti-chafe swimwear. The fabric is soft for the ultimate in comfort while you enjoy your beach day. 

On top of being soft, it also has an antibacterial liner that will help prevent your skin from chafing. 

Avoid Cotton 

Some people wear their cotton t-shirts to the beach along with a regular pair of shorts. This is a bad idea especially if you get into the ocean. Cotton is not your friend. 

Cotton absorbs moisture. You can imagine how heavy it gets at the beach let alone how much water and sand it's holding in.

You need to wear a material that wicks moisture away from your body. Otherwise, you'll chafe. 

Keep Things Tight

Try to avoid wearing swimwear that is too baggy on you. Loose hanging material will rub against your legs and cause irritation. So, it's important that you wear clothes that fit. 

Remove Your Swim Short Lining 

Unless you get the anti-chafing swimwear, the lining in your swim clothes can do more harm than anything. It traps the sand against your legs rather than allow it to wash away. 

Take a pair of scissors and cut the lining out. You may feel like you're destroying your clothes but trust us when we say you'll thank yourself for it later. 

Keep a Change of Clothes Handy 

Even if you cut out your bathing suit lining little bits of sand can still get trapped in your trunks and rub against your skin. It won't be as much but it's still enough to cause some mild irritation. You also shouldn't stay in wet clothes longer than you have to. 

So, when the part of the day comes where you're done swimming or you're going back to your car, change into a fresh, pair of swim clothes. This way, you won't be holding sand against your body for too long.  

3. Sit in a Chair, Not a Blanket 

You're going to want to sit in a chair rather than lounge on a towel for a few reasons. For one, a chair is more comfortable. For two, It's too easy for you or someone else to track sand onto a towel. 

If you want to prevent chafing you should cut down on how much you come into contact with sand. Bring a chair to keep yourself elevated off the ground. 

4. Anti-Chafe Salve   

There are products you can buy that will decrease your chances of chafing while you're at the beach. If you're not going to be swimming much then you can use baby powder. It will make your skin smooth and prevent friction. 

Once you get in the water though, it will stop being effective. For swimming, there is our anti-chafe salve. Let the salve soften in your hands and then rub it onto the areas that you think may be affected by the beach weather. 

The salve is weather resistant so it will stand up to anything. Even if you decide to take a dip in the ocean. Like your sunscreen, you may have to reapply it throughout the day but it will keep you protected and rash free. 

Stop Leg Chafing So You Can Enjoy Your Day at the Beach 

Besides sudden rain showers, there is almost nothing that can make a beach trip turn sour quite like leg chafing. Lucky for you, there are plenty of ways you can stop it from happening. 

Try out some of the methods on this list to have fun in the sun without worrying about any pain coming after. 

Our salves are a foolproof way to keep yourself from chafing in the summer heat. 

Browse through our store to pick up your supplies in time for your next beach trip.