Diaper Rash

I just typed this up on a board I am on and thought I should C&P it for you to read.


How to get rid of a rash without cream?

You can use powder to get rid of a rash as long as its not yeast. I wouldn't suggest corn starch though, on the off chance it is yeast it will feed it. There are some great clay powders out there that work wonderfully.

How to prevent the rash from starting in the first place?

Rashes are generally caused from being wet or soiled to long. Which for some babies is just 2 mins, others can go for hours (not that I am suggesting that) they can also come from food upset (things in your breast milk) yeast, along with teething, viruses, etc.
To prevent it make sure your diapers are totally rinsed clean, watch what you use on her, some chemicals in disposables are really harsh on the skin. My ds would get chemical burns from disposables. Keep her skin nice and dry and use a protective layer of a salve that is cloth safe. You can use a liner too if you worry about stains.

How to now care for my dipes that I have used rash cream (I've done a full diaper strip today... 1 hour soaking with some soappy hot water, rinse, full wash with baking soda and a double rinse with vinegar) Is this good enough to strip the diapers??
Some rash creams are totally cloth diaper safe, as in they will not cause build up if used normally. Anything with zinc has the potential to stain because zinc is a mineral and can react with the minerals in hard water.

If the cream didn't build up there is nothing to worry about, if it did you will notice her diapers don't hold like they should.
Baking soda shouldn't be used if you have soft water, vinegar shouldn't be used if you have hard water. Baking soda softens water, vinegar hardens it. I am not a big fan of either when it comes to washing. I used to use baking soda as a water softener when I used diapers but eventually switched to borax or calgon.


This of course is all my opinion and from my life experience and dealing with cloth diapers. A good rule of thumb when it comes to rash creams and cloth diapers is less is more. You want to avoid anything with any type of Cod Liver Oil in it. While it is soothing for the skin and such it will make your diapers reek of fish...YUCK! Petrolatum is another thing to avoid, it tends to build up on diapers and to be honest I am not a huge fan of where it comes from and some questions about its purity.
Lanolin is a toss up. It is great for skin (as long as your not allergic to wool) but it can cause major build up and is really hard to get out.