[:en]We’ve all heard the expression “soft as a baby’s bottom” as a comparison to something new and fresh – however, when your little one has a bad diaper rash flare up it is more like “red as a baby’s bottom” or “sore as a baby’s bottom. For a mother, there is nothing more unnerving than opening your baby’s diaper only to discover, yet another painful rash! Try as you may to heal it with regular treatments and remedies, your baby’s rash is stubborn and just simply won’t go away!
Dealing with reoccurring diaper rash on babies with sensitive skin is a real struggle! It can also be embarrassing for a mom who “does everything right” but still can’t figure out a way to heal the rash for good. Trust us when we say that it isn’t your fault when bad diaper rashes keep coming back. Some babies skin are more sensitive than others and have a tendency to develop rashes very easily. The reality is that genetics play a major role when determining whether or not a child will be susceptible to reoccurring diaper rash.
So, what can you do to treat a bad diaper rash? Well, first things first let us cover what you should NOT do to take care of it:
1. Do not use oil based diaper rash creams, lotions or lubricants!
Some diaper rash creams are composed of a large percentage of oil. Yes, sometimes a bit of natural oil can be good for moisturizing, but in the instance of a bad diaper rash, oil based creams can actually make the situation worse. Why? Well, the oil acts as a water barrier and holds moisture in. Diaper rash is caused by moisture on the baby’s skin, you want the skin to be able to “dry out” rather than stay moist.
2. Try to avoid scented powders or creams
Another thing that you will want to avoid when treating a bad diaper rash is scented powders or creams. This is especially important when you are dealing with a baby who has sensitive skin. When an infant has really sensitive skin, the manufactured chemical ingredients that are used to scent products can be very irritating. It is wise, never to expose your child’s skin to cosmetics that include manufactured fragrances.
3. Don’t use Polysporin ointments
This one may surprise you, but you actually do not want to use Polysporin antibiotic ointments on diaper rashes! Although, there is no evidence that using these ointments as a treatment will make the rash worse, it is unlikely to do the rash any good. Like the oil-based creams and lubricants Polysporin is heavy in oil and composed mostly of water. For this reason Polysporin will not work on a diaper rash.
4. Don’t use cream or lotions that contain chemicals.
If you read the ingredients and don’t understand or can’t pronounce it, there’s probably a chemical ingredient in your diaper rash treatment, chemicals which may further irritate your babies delicate skin.
Okay, so now that we have covered the three things that you should avoid doing, let us talk about what ACTUALLY works for a stubborn diaper rash.
By now, we have all heard the old wives, bare bottom method of treating diaper rash. This is where you allow your baby to go diaper free for a day or two during the day in order to clear up the rash by having it dry out naturally. This method has been known to work and is likely the “most natural” way to cure the diaper rash temporarily. However, if the rash is occurring because of sensitive skin, it may come back as soon as you put the diaper back on. Furthermore, this method is not very clean or sanitary if your baby happens to poop or pee without their diaper. Research has shown that the “airing out” method can take up to 3 to 4 days to clear up a rash. We can’t imagine this being a very effective way to manage a bad diaper rash that keeps coming back.
Honestly, without tooting our own horn – the most effective method of treating diaper rash is applying a high percentage zinc based barrier cream, an all natural diaper rash cream like Baby Butz, as a proactive measure. What you want to do is get into the habit of applying the cream before the rash occurs so that it does not have the opportunity to come back, and by applying Baby Butz diaper rash cream at every diaper change guarantees your baby will never again experience painful diaper rashes.
At the end of the day, diaper rash is a part of diaper wearing infant-hood. If your baby has very sensitive skin they will develop a rash whether you use cloth diapers or not. Parents should never underestimate how painful these rashes can be and should do everything they can to prevent them. (The pain could be likened to that from a chemical burn!!! )
At Baby Butz, we are very knowledgeable about diaper rash and how to treat a bad one. That said, our advice is never a substitute for a doctor’s proper diagnosis. If you are reading this and are REALLY concerned about your child’s diaper rash because it’s not going away you may want to get a second opinion. In rare cases repeat rashes may turn out not to be diaper rash at all but something else entirely. If Baby Butz cream can’t heal your baby’s diaper rash, then it’s time to see your Pediatrician.[:]
