Ideal Bite

Diaper Creams

Dirty diapers making your baby itchy out back?

08.26.2009

Submitted by alara on Tue, 08/25/2009 - 11:00pm.

The Bite:

Haul out a plant- and mineral-based diaper cream the next time your baby's got a rash or a dry spot. These remedies are safe and effective (and multi-use), minus the junk in some regular creams and without wasting resources.

The Benefits:

Not trashing Mama Earth. Many conventional creams contain petroleum or paraffin (a petroleum by-product), which use up limited oil resources.
Trucking in eco-ingredients. These creams contain the rash-fighting mineral zinc oxide, and botanicals like soothing calendula and antibacterial lavender, which wouldn't harm you even if you ate it (not that you'd want to).
Putting toxins in the rubbish pile. No synthetic fragrances or hormone-disrupting parabens here.
Handling many chores. The active ingredients in these diaper balms also heal scratches and dryness.

Personally Speaking:

Wanna Try:

California Baby Calendula Cream - lightweight yet superhydrating multipurpose cream for everyday use; absorbs quickly without leaving any residue. Also: Diaper Rash Cream with zinc ($13).
Waleda Calendula Diaper Cream - zinc and calendula combo in a thick white cream that's easy to apply; a little goes a long way ($11).
Earth Mama Angel Baby Bottom Balm - organic, vegan ointment with olive oil, calendula, and antibacterial and antifungal herbs; absorbs completely into skin and clears up dryness too ($10).
Baby Avalon Organics Zinc Diaper Balm - packed with good stuff including aloe and jojoba oil, as well as calendula and zinc ($10).

Timeout

Sacha Sterling of Forestville, CA, tried several creams on Isis, 10 months, and says Earth Mama Angel Baby's diaper balm is tops. "It cleared up Isis's diaper rash overnight."

Bang For The Bite

If 10,000 Mama Biters opt for an eco diaper cream instead of a conventional one, we'll keep the weight of 12 garbage collectors in petroleum-based products out of production and away from babies' butts.

4 comments

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Stasi on August 26, 2009 at 06:26 AM 1

I have tried nearly all the creams, natural & not, and I have found that different ones work for different rashes. Sadly, the natural ones tend to not work as well or at all, at least not on my baby's stubborn bottom (and since she's in cloth, she has rash all the time - while cloth is eco-friendly, it makes her sit in wetness - frustrating! the week we went disposable for a trip, her bottom was so much happier...sigh). Honestly although petrolatum is made from petroleum, it works better than anything else. That's why they all use it. I hate putting it on her, but I hate her rash more. It's Boudreaux's Butt Paste for us, unfortunately. BUT MotherLove for rash & thrush worked great on a yeast infection, just not on regular rash.

Dayna on August 26, 2009 at 09:02 AM 2

I have never had to use diaper rash cream since I switched to G-Diapers--a cloth diaper with a flushable, biodegradable wood pulp insert. They are so easy to use and Molly hasn't had even one bout of diaper rash in the 5 months since I switched.

JM on August 26, 2009 at 05:28 PM 3

Hey Stasi, You should check out fuzzi bunz cloth diapers--they are brilliant!! The outer layer is moisture wicking material that stays dry and the moisture gets absorbed into the inside insert...its more of an investment upfront, but saves so much compared to buying paper (nevermind landfill!!) and my daughter rarely ever has a diaper rash.

MariaK2 on November 12, 2009 at 05:15 AM 4

Not trashing Mama Earth. Many conventional creams contain petroleum or paraffin (a petroleum by-product), which use up limited oil resources. free games

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Dirty diapers making your baby itchy out back?

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Bang For The Bite

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