{"id":15467,"date":"2026-07-09T14:22:47","date_gmt":"2026-07-09T14:22:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/?p=15467"},"modified":"2026-07-09T14:22:47","modified_gmt":"2026-07-09T14:22:47","slug":"why-this-endurance-swimmer-covered-himself-in-diaper-cream-and-bag-balm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/?p=15467","title":{"rendered":"Why This Endurance Swimmer Covered Himself in Diaper Cream and Bag Balm"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"justify-start\">\n<nav class=\"align-left col-span-full mb-base\" data-pom-e2e-test-id=\"breadcrumbs\"\/>\n<p>Rob Lea, the first person to complete both the Seven Summits and Oceans Seven, swears by a 125-year-old cow udder salve to survive 11+ hours in salt water.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/p>\n<p class=\"fp-leadCaption py-tight text-left font-utility text-utility3-size leading-utility3-line-height text-secondary\">Caroline Gleich coats Rob Lea in zinc oxide cream before his 12-hour swim across the Tsugaru Strait, part of his record-setting Double Seven Challenge. <!-- --> (Photo: @carolinegleich on Instagram)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"article-body\">\n<p>Published July 9, 2026 08:02AM<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Completing the Double Seven Challenge\u2014an epic years-long quest to climb the Seven Summits and swim the Oceans Seven\u2014requires a finely tuned gear kit with stress-tested equipment, backups of backups, and a staggering amount of liquid food. But when Rob Lea completed the challenge on June 30, it was partially thanks to something you\u2019re more likely to find in a diaper bag than in a professional gear kit: diaper rash cream.<\/p>\n<h2>Why Ocean Swimming Is Brutal on Skin<\/h2>\n<p>Even on cloudy days, water can reflect <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"article-content-link text-brand-primary underline hover:text-brand-primary\/85 break-words overflow-wrap-anywhere underline-offset-[3px]\" data-afl-p=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC6069363\/\">more than 20 percent of UV rays<\/a>, and those rays can penetrate <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"article-content-link text-brand-primary underline hover:text-brand-primary\/85 break-words overflow-wrap-anywhere underline-offset-[3px]\" data-afl-p=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/27144454\/\">below the water\u2019s surface<\/a>. At the same time, <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"article-content-link text-brand-primary underline hover:text-brand-primary\/85 break-words overflow-wrap-anywhere underline-offset-[3px]\" data-afl-p=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/phys.org\/news\/2010-01-sunburn.html\">water droplets on skin<\/a> can have a magnifying effect, making UV penetration even more dangerous. The cherry on top? Spending hours upon hours in salt water<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>strips your skin of its natural protective barrier, making you even <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"article-content-link text-brand-primary underline hover:text-brand-primary\/85 break-words overflow-wrap-anywhere underline-offset-[3px]\" data-afl-p=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC3479513\/\">more susceptible to UV damage<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s not even getting into the skin damage of it all. In abrasive saltwater conditions, the human body can break down quickly. Ocean salt, like its kitchen table counterpart, is hygroscopic, meaning it draws water out of your skin\u2019s outer layer. If you\u2019ve ever spent a blissful afternoon floating in the ocean, only to feel like you have alligator skin that evening\u2014that\u2019s why.<\/p>\n<p><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"article-content-link text-brand-primary underline hover:text-brand-primary\/85 break-words overflow-wrap-anywhere underline-offset-[3px]\" data-afl-p=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/40286568\/\">Research has shown<\/a> that when skin comes into contact with salt water, that skin contracts to become almost twice as stiff as skin immersed in fresh water. Plus, saltwater-treated skin experiences\u00a0more drying stress (think: it felt tight, cracked, or developed small tears) and could be more susceptible to bacteria.<\/p>\n<p>So, what\u2019s an open-water swimmer to do when he needs to spend 12 hours in the ocean? It all starts with diaper cream.<\/p>\n<h2>The Diaper Cream Fix<\/h2>\n<p>Lea\u2019s skin protection strategy needed to be two-fold: He needed to protect his wet, vulnerable skin from sun damage, and he needed to reinforce its protective barrier to prevent chafing and irritation. And before you ask, a wetsuit\u00a0wasn\u2019t an option\u2014Lea was only allowed to wear a swimsuit, a cap, and goggles in order to stay within the rules of the challenge.<\/p>\n<p>So Lea and his partner, professional ski mountaineer <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"article-content-link text-brand-primary underline hover:text-brand-primary\/85 break-words overflow-wrap-anywhere underline-offset-[3px]\" data-afl-p=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/carolinegleich.com\/\">Caroline Gleich<\/a>, thought outside of the box. In a <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"article-content-link text-brand-primary underline hover:text-brand-primary\/85 break-words overflow-wrap-anywhere underline-offset-[3px]\" data-afl-p=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reels\/DabIUMkNI1X\/\">behind-the-scenes Instagram Reel<\/a> that was basically a \u201cGet Ready With Me to Swim the Tsugaru Strait,\u201d viewers can see a gloved Gleich rubbing <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"article-content-link text-brand-primary underline hover:text-brand-primary\/85 break-words overflow-wrap-anywhere underline-offset-[3px]\" rel=\"nofollow\" data-afl-p=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Desitin-Strength-Hypoallergenic-Parabens-Protects\/dp\/B00ZQXT4EY\/?tag=outsideonlinedotcom-20\">Desitin Maximum Strength diaper rash cream<\/a> over every inch of Lea\u2019s exposed skin (and we do mean *every* inch). The diaper rash cream is 40 percent\u00a0zinc oxide, Gleich notes in her voiceover, and it provides a physical barrier between Lea\u2019s skin and the sun, staying put for up to 12 hours and sealing out the damaging moisture.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><\/p>\n<p><iframe style=\"width:100%;border:none;display:block\" title=\"Script Content\" async=\"\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>On his face, Lea applied <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"article-content-link text-brand-primary underline hover:text-brand-primary\/85 break-words overflow-wrap-anywhere underline-offset-[3px]\" rel=\"nofollow\" data-afl-p=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Zinka-Mens-Colored-Sunblock-Nosecoat\/dp\/B002HFMXAQ?tag=outsideonlinedotcom-20\">Zinka<\/a>, a similar reef-safe zinc oxide cream that smells marginally better than diaper cream.<\/p>\n<p>With sun protection checked off, Lea and Gleich moved onto skin protection. \u201cOnce he\u2019s covered head to toe in [zinc oxide], we load up his armpits, neck, and every other high-friction spot with Bag Balm,\u201d Gleich narrates. <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"article-content-link text-brand-primary underline hover:text-brand-primary\/85 break-words overflow-wrap-anywhere underline-offset-[3px]\" rel=\"nofollow\" data-afl-p=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/B01AASJCPA?tag=outsideonlinedotcom-20\">Bag Balm<\/a> is an all-purpose salve that was invented over 125 years ago to soothe irritated, cracked cow udders on a dairy farm. Now, you\u2019re more likely to see it in ski jacket pockets and high-altitude hiking daypacks as an antidote to windburn and cold temperatures\u2014or in the bags of open-water swimmers.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEleven-plus hours of salt water will sand your skin raw, so [Bag Balm] is our anti-chafe insurance,\u201d adds Gleich.<\/p>\n<p>One spot that could have used more TLC? The inside of his mouth, which was \u201craw and swollen\u201d after his swim. \u201cThe salt water just kind of eats away at the inside of my mouth,\u201d he told <em>Outside<\/em>. \u201cIt\u2019s like canker sores all over my mouth.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Although Lea still experienced a little chafing and scorching on some missed spots, he swam the Tsugaru Strait in just under 12 hours and thus completed the last leg of the Double Seven Challenge. We assume he\u2019s recovering by lathering himself in luxurious lotions and hydrating body wraps.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.outsideonline.com\/outdoor-gear\/gear-news\/double-seven-challenge-diaper-cream\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Rob Lea, the first person to complete both the Seven Summits and Oceans Seven, swears by a 125-year-old cow udder salve to survive 11+ hours in salt water. Caroline Gleich coats Rob Lea in zinc oxide cream before his 12-hour swim across the Tsugaru Strait, part of his record-setting Double Seven Challenge. (Photo: @carolinegleich on<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15468,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15467","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-wild-living"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15467","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=15467"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15467\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/15468"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=15467"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=15467"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=15467"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}