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A dreaded scenario for moms and dads everywhere:
One innocent morning you are treated to whines, yelps, or outright shrieks as you open baby’s diaper to reveal his red, inflamed or even scaly bottom.
Armed with gentle wipes, Desitin, Vaseline, Eucerin, Aquaphor, baby powder, and, in the worst of cases, earplugs, you try your best to follow doctor’s orders.
Constant changing, globs of cream everywhere, pangs of guilt every time you leave baby sitting in his dirty diaper one minute extra…
This goes on until the angry skin hopefully recedes.
Diaper rash. Diaper dermatitis. Nappy rash. We all know what the myriad names refer to.
According to international data compiled from China, Germany, and the U.S. last year (Carr et al., 2019), 8.7% of the U.S. babies’ sample experienced severe diaper dermatitis (DD) between the ages of 2-8 months (It is worth noting, however, that diaper rash is thought to peak between the ages of 9-12 months).
Prevalence of DD in general is estimated to be between 16% and 65%. Interestingly, rates were higher in light-skinned babies than in black babies.
Like other new moms, I had never given much though to diaper rashes before having my own little cuddle-ball. I’d done lots of babysitting and small-cousin admiring, so I remembered well the sacred presence of Desitin and Boudreaux’s Paste in every diaper bag.
With newborn T, we depleted diaper gear quickly overall, but I began to realize we never so much as touched the diaper cream my mother had gifted us.
Then all my friends who’d had babies around the same time as me began complaining about their babies’ terrible rashes…
So I kept waiting for it to happen to us! One month, two months, three months…My baby is over a year old, and I have never once had to apply Desitin/Eucerin/you name it. His skin is thankfully as buttery-soft as it ever was.
3 Tips for Preventing Diaper Rash Naturally
Obviously there are SO many factors that contribute to this, as with any skin condition.
I’d just like to share the measures we’ve taken in our family, since we are pleased with the results.
Try one tip, or try them all! Be in touch if you find anything helpful or have any tips to add.
1. “Airing Baby Out” Helps Prevent and Treat Diaper Rash
It is widely agreed that a major factor in diaper rash is friction and humidity in the diaper area.
This is, obviously, worsened by having the diaper area covered 24/7!
So, here comes my easiest, most logical and simplest trick: Air baby out!
A friend of mine told me she was advised to just let her baby crawl around bare-bottomed all day, and that would cure his intense, painful diaper rash.
If you want to try that, that’s fine, but most parents find that to be extreme and overwhelming.
My method is just to do this in small increments, and I’ve seen tremendous success in preventing diaper rash from developing in the first place, as well as helping to heal minor diaper rash.
Practically, here’s the program:
Please, please JUST WAIT a few minutes after removing the wet/dirty diaper before putting on the new clean one!
A good marker I usually wait for is calming of the red marks on baby’s thighs/stomach where the diaper fastened.
But any air is better than no air. So do as much as you can tolerate.
I understand the difficulty in considering this option seriously if “airing out” is a new concept.
It may seem like a gross risk to take, but I assure you: it’s actually quite unlikely that an Adverse Elimination Event (my own coinage) will occur during the short span of this activity.
If you don’t want to hear it from me, hear it from the researchers who are also employees of Procter and Gamble itself (Procter and Gamble is the parent company which owns Luvs, Pampers, and All Good):
“…It is noteworthy that Chinese caregivers commonly leave the infant un-diapered for periods of time, which may prevent skin over-hydration”
(Carr et al., 2019)
2. Prevent and Treat Diaper Irritation by: Not Over-Cleaning
Be gentle on this delicate area!
Applying a harsh soap is not going to be good for keeping the area hydrated and soothed. In the same vein, try not to bathe baby overly frequently.
These will only serve to dry and irritate the skin further.
If you’re dealing with a diaper rash I would personally recommend trying a once-per-week baths and only applying soap if baby is actually dirty.
It may be against what seems “right,” but just give it a try! Think about it- babies don’t get that dirty, anyway.
Bottom line: Clean gently and sparingly!
Here is an in-depth explanation of what bath products we use and why.
3. Dealing with Diaper Rash? Choose Diapers Wisely
Some of the ingredients in widely used, big-name diapers include:
- Pthalates (hormone-disrupting plastics),
- Dioxin (umbrella term for hundreds of chemicals, a significant amount of which are toxic to humans),
- Chlorine will be used to bleach the diapers; chlorine is known to emit tiny dioxins.
- Dyes (hopefully these will be used on the outside only, and not against baby’s skin). Many diapers contain lotions and perfumes on their inner lining.
- Any artificial scent will contain VOC‘s (Volatile Organic Chemicals), which according to the EPA can cause symptoms ranging from irritation of the eyes and throat to kidney and liver damage.
(I have an upcoming post all about your diaper options as a natural mama. Spoiler alert: my faaaaave is Andy Pandy!)
Did you know that baby’s skin is much more absorbent than that of adults?
Whatever you’re going to knowingly place on your baby’s most delicate skin 24/7, be sure that you’re okay with it being absorbed into their bloodstream.
Anything sitting on the skin will be soaked in by baby’s body, and the local skin is most likely to show any irritation that the ingredients triggered.
Use caution- avoid any chemicals you can, as they may be exacerbating diaper rash. Especially aggravating can be fragrances/perfumes, synthetic plastics, bleach, adhesives, and so on. If you have the option, a natural diaper will be less likely to irritate baby’s skin.
Yes, natural diapers are slightly less absorbent than the name-brand diapers. Actually, many believe that this hyper-absorbency leads parents to change diapers less often, meaning that baby sits in a soiled diaper for longer periods of time.
“Change diapers often” is a first-line approach by most conventional doctors right along Desitin and other creams.
In fact, you’ll end up changing diapers more often if using a natural diaper which gets saturated slightly faster.
These are my preferred gentle and non-toxic diaper brand, after much research. More essential recommendations below.
Natural, Gentle Baby Products for Diaper Rash
Most parents tend to look at gentler options for wipes and diapers only AFTER there’s a rash or irritation.
However, in general, gentle, non-irritating products are the best idea for use with a new baby. Using these can help prevent irritation in the first place!
Either way, here are some of my very favorite products for a natural baby’s diaper stash.
Water Wipes, Andy Pandy Diapers, Honest Company Diapers
Note: If your baby has more of an angry red rash which doesn’t respond to typical diaper rash treatment, it may be a yeast infection.
Have you tried any of these tips? Have any more that I didn’t include here? Tell me in the comments or reach out on Insta!
–>Psst!
You may also enjoy:
Plastic-Free Nontoxic Breastmilk Storage
Natural Baby Bathtime Essentials
Spelt Flour Spiced Cinnamon Buns
References:
Carr, A., et al. (2019). Diaper Dermatitis Prevalence and Severity: Global Perspective on the Impact of Caregiver Behavior. Wiley Journal of Pediatric Dermatology, 37 (1), pp. 130-136. doi: 10.1111/pde.14047
EPA. What Are Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC’s)? https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/what-are-volatile-organic-compounds-vocs#:~:text=Volatile%20organic%20compounds%20(VOCs)%20are,ten%20times%20higher)%20than%20outdoors. Accessed 6.10.2020.
