Donkey Label Chamois Balm (premium)

Donkey Label Chamois Balm isn't much like your ordinary chammy balms but not in a bad way; it does a very good job in spite of my initial concerns about its longevity. Anyway, if you don't think it's up to the job, iL Soigneur will give you your money back. So it's a no-risk one to try, really.

There are two ways to buy it: in the £19 premium metal tin we've got, or a £15 glass pot. It's the same stuff and the same amount of it. If you get the premium tub you can have 15% off your next purchase and decant.

So what's in it? Well, the substrate is organic olive oil, and there's a bunch of (mostly organic) stuff mixed in: jojoba oil, beeswax, avocado oil, calendula, lavender, peppermint, eucalyptus, myrrh, patchouli, peru balsam and chamomile. It smells like a cross between Provence and a National Trust gift shop. In a nice way.

Olive Oil? Isn't that a bit, you know, liquidy? Well the balm is just about solid at room temperature but I found it helped to keep it in the fridge. If you took it to a summer sportive in a hot car you'd probably find it too runny to apply, however. It's certainly not a thick, tenacious substance like some chammy creams are. On the plus side, it's simple to apply and doesn't get everywhere and make a big mess of your shorts if you're less than über-careful. It's nice straight out of the fridge, too. It's just a tiny bit tingly, much less so than other more minty unguents.

And does it work? Yes. It does. It stays put better than you'd think, reduces friction between your sensitive sections and your chammy pad, and smells good into the bargain. I used it for a 400km audax and it lasted much longer than I expected it to; I'd stashed a small top-up tub to keep me going and i didn't need it until 250km in, that's pretty good going. It disappears into the pad much more quickly than thicker creams but that doesn't really seem to affect its anti-chafing performance.

All in all it was a pretty positive experience. It wasn't really what I was expecting but it did the job just fine, and you can't argue with the quality and organic-ness of the ingredients.

Verdict

Good quality, organic chamois balm that's thinner than many but still lasts well.