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The folks at Sportique Active Body and Skin Care sent me three products to try out. Riding and working around horses can be hard on your skin. Chaffing, minor abrasions, and just being out in the weather are all part of the game, but can take a toll on your skin—especially hands and face. These three products are designed to help make your life a bit more comfortable while you’re riding, and after you're done.

Century Riding Cream

Of greatest interest to horseback riders will be the Century Riding Cream. Horseback riders are prone to chaffing in a few areas, and this cream can help prevent skin irritation caused by boots and other gear. It's a mix of ingredients like silicones, and antifungal, antimicrobial and skin conditioning botanicals. The product comes in a tube, unlike the stick formulations of some other anti-chaffing products, which makes it a bit easier to apply to wider areas like the inside of knees or calves that might get saddle sore. It does a good job of preventing blistering in stiff riding boots. I even tried it going to the gym, because my heels often get blistered using the rowing machine, and found it very helpful. The product washes off easily, although they do recommend using a special Road Soap (which I didn't have a sample of.) It is formulated not to damage your clothing, whether you wear natural or synthetic materials. It didn't seem to stain. It's not recommended for intimate areas, and directions say to keep it away from eyes and mucous membranes.

It's pleasant smelling and at $19.95 for a six-ounce tube, it's good value compared to similar silicone 'stick' products.

Elements Cream

I'm writing this in 2014, which may be remembered for the coldest winter on record in several decades. So, the “polar vortex” which is responsible gives me lots of opportunities to try out the effectiveness of Elements Cream. Elements Cream is designed to protect your skin when you are outdoors. This blend of botanical and oils is formulated to put a barrier between you and wind, wet, sun or cold. One of the botanicals in the blend is something called Durvillea antartica a variety of kelp that produces a protein that is a natural antifreeze. I can't say conclusively that this cream protected me from frost bite during the coldest weather, but it is pleasant to use, non-sticky and has a mild, clean fragrance. It blends into your skin nicely and doesn't feel thick on your face. I have managed to avoid the hangnails and cracked fingertips I often get in the winter so perhaps Elements Cream has helped with that.

Bio Shea Butter Lavender

While the other two products are useful, the Bio Shea Butter is lovely. My first impression was 'yuck'. The initial feel of this product is not nice—like dipping your finger into grainy lard. However, once the product warms up, and you smooth it on, it is luxurious. The ingredients include Shea butter and vitamins A, E and F. The fragrance of the lavender is amazingly natural, not like many lavender scented products that have an artificial 'purple' fragrance. If you've got cracked fingertips from carrying water buckets in icy weather, dry irritated skin, or winter itch Bio Shea Butter will help sooth it. Even my husband, who has super-sensitive skin, easily irritated by shaving, dry air or cold winds could use this after shaving without irritation.

I've now got the sample canister sitting beside my bed, so I can smooth on a bit before going to sleep, both for its moisturizing properties and for the soothing lavender fragrance. You only need a tiny bit for your face or hands, which means the 5 oz/150 ml container should last all winter. Put this on well before going to work with your horse, however, because the fragrance is quite strong and your horse is more sensitive to fragrances than you are.

The Bottom Line

Overall, I really liked these products. I wasn't totally convinced that the Elements Cream protected my skin specifically from the cold, but it did help moisturize. It's also not a sun screen, which is nice to have even in winter. It's worth throwing a tube of Century Riding Cream in your tack box. I preferred this to the silicone stick product I generally use. And the Shea Butter is lovely, once you get past the initial feel of the product. I think all will be useful to those who ride and work around horses, and all are a good value.

 

Disclosure: Review samples were provided by the manufacturer. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.