Diaper rashes
Seeing the tiny angel wake up with that honey smile is an inexpressible feeling that charges the soul and gives a positive kick start to the day! On contrary, worst is the scenario when the delicate baby is in pain and the innocent eyes are full of tears. The baby may not speak up his heart to you, but you can probably figure out what’s troubling. One of the several hidden culprits is diaper rash!
Causes and what really happens on skin
If you notice reddish appearance or irritation on your baby’s skin under a diaper, your tiny soul might be struggling with the occurrence of diaper rash. And this is when you need to be most alert, aware and conscious about his cleanliness and hygiene.
It is worth mentioning that despite of utmost care, every baby experiences this condition once in his initial 3 years of life. But you would not want your little one to bear the pain, irritation and restlessness that comes along with the problem of diaper rash. Therefore, learning about the triggering elements becomes important. Look for the factors below, and check if you are shielding the baby well against the rashes.
- Rubbing with wet diapers: Unintentionally, while cleaning the genital area or the area under the diaper, you may end up rubbing the new born’s sensitive skin with wet diapers. This generates a friction that leads to red rashes on the area in contact.
- Irritants: No matter how hard you try to protect the delicate skin of your tiny tot, irritants such as cleaning agents, feces or urine somehow find ways to cause irritation. When your baby sits with urine or traces of feces in the diaper, the acid and chemicals in the two of them gets rubbed against the exposed area, making it appear red and cause pain and discomfort.
- Allergic reaction: Not every product suits every skin! Your baby’s skin might react differently to the brands that you trust for diapers, diaper wipes, lotion, soaps and the elastic in plastic pants. And an allergy to any these might trigger appearance of rashes on skin.
- Yeast infection: If your little one has recently been administered with certain antibiotics then probably, fungal attack is the next thing. Fungus such as Candida prefers an environment that is warm and moist enough to fulfill its survival needs. And when you make your baby wear same diaper for long, the conditions under the diaper might turn out to be the best place for fungus to inhabit, resulting in mild to severe fungal infection with symptoms such as bright, beefy red rashes with red spots lining up the edges. The medical condition is often referred to as yeast diaper rash.
Diaper rash with blisters
Most of the diaper rashes go away, once you identify the cause and switch to alternatives. Unfortunately, all rashes aren’t limited to reddish appearance and temporary patches. A severe form of diaper rash is when blisters or even pus-filled sores come along. This one is a rare condition that calls for consultation with pediatrician.
But why wait for the last hour when you can go for effective easy-to-do home remedies and prevent the situation from getting worse?
Have a look at some of the tricks that really work to kick out the rashes, even before they take their full fledged form and plan about bothering your baby!
Home Remedies for Diaper Rash
1.Coconut oil for diaper rash
Coconut oil is all-in-one care taker. Like a guardian, its excellent antimicrobial properties gives complete protection against bacterial, fungal and yeast infection and pool of natural compounds makes it the most preferred moisturizer for the baby, especially when diaper rashes are on hike.
How to
- Clean dry your baby’s diaper area by washing it with water and letting it dry without rubbing with any cloth.
- Gently, apply coconut oil all over the affected area with your fingers and leave it open to dry.
- Once done, you may put a soft diaper again. This time, the oil’s layer will act as a barrier between the irritants and skin and probably, won’t allow the outburst of rashes.
2.Vinegar
Urine remains in the diaper is a leading cause of diaper rash since the alkaline nature of the stale urine can act like an acid and burn the baby’s skin. So, simple chemistry says you need to neutralize the condition! And what could be a better balancing agent than the vinegar itself?
How to go about using it?
- Prepare a dilution of vinegar by adding about one tsp of white vinegar to a whole cup of water and wipe your baby’s diaper portion with this weak solution. This will ensure that the conditions under the diaper aren’t favorable for fungal growth, thereby eliminating the risk of yeast infection.
- Rinse all of the usable and cloth diapers with super diluted vinegar solution, prepared by adding half a cup of vinegar to half filled bucket of water. This will act as natural disinfectant and you can be free of soap remains in the diapers that can act as irritants.
3.Baking soda for diaper rash
Another neutralizer with beneficial properties is baking soda. It neutralizes the acids so that microbial growth resistant conditions are maintained under the diaper and the chances of infection leading to rashes are minimized. Not just this, baking soda is an amazing cleanser too that gently nourishes the baby’s skin.
Using Baking soda
- Add about 2-3 tablespoons of baking soda into 3-4 cups of luke warm water and soak a clean dry wash cloth in it.
- Bathe your baby’s bottom with this solution and pat dry. Do not rub it, else the friction may develop rashes.
- Do not put on a new diaper until the solution dries up completely.
4.Vaseline or petroleum jelly
The main idea of using petroleum jelly or Vaseline is to block the contact of irritants and microbes with the skin by applying a protective shield on the baby’s bottom. Isn’t it a smart way?
Method
- Every time you remove the soiled diaper, do not forget to clean the area with warm water.
- Next, pat dry it well with a soft towel and apply a layer of Vaseline or petroleum jelly on the affected area and the job is done!
5.Aloe vera
I am already a huge fan of this herb since no home remedy’s list is complete without the mention of its wonders. And this time again, aloe has something more to offer to the newborn. The credit goes to the anti-inflammatory component and the infection fighting properties that goes well with along with the goodness of vitamin E and provides quick relief from diaper rashes, irrespective of the cause.
How to use it
- Cut the aloe leaves apart and squeeze out its gel.
- Take 2 cups of water, boil it and allow it to cool.
- Next, mix half a cup of aloe gel to this water along with 2 tablespoons of baby oil or tea tree oil or almond oil.
- Stir and shake the ingredients well and the solution for your aloe wipes is ready.
- Spray this solution on soft cloth or tissue and your 100% home made diaper wipes are ready to be used.
6.Essential Oil
There’s no rocket science in the fact that oils are excellent friction cutters and when it’s about natural oils, you cannot doubt on reliability factor. Coconut oil has already topped the list but this one has additional benefits.
How to
- Take equal volume of carrier oil and essential oils; preferably, 4 tablespoons each. For carrier oil, you may go for any of the following
Coconut oil
Sweet almond oil
Jojoba oil
- You will also need 2 tablespoons of non-nano zinc oxide and 1 table spoon of beeswax. But optionally, you can skip this step.
- Assuming that you are including all the mentioned ingredients, add all of them to a double boiler, except the essential oils and heat until the mixture melt.
- Next, add zinc oxide slowly to the solution and whisk it until it turns smooth.
- Lastly, add essential oils and stir the final solution well.
- Apply it on the baby’s bottom, every time you change the diapers but only after the area is clean and dry. Also, do not apply much of the essential oils, since after its evaporation the skin turn dry.
7.Breast milk
Mother’s milk is one ingredient, both mommy and baby can rely on for all skin ailments. For the baby, it works miraculously better than the best of the diaper creams and so we decided to include it in our list of home remedies for treating diaper rash.
How to use
- Express some of the breast milk into a bowl and apply it on the baby’s affected area and leave it on to act until it dries.
- Do not forget to clean the baby’s bottom with warm water before going for this remedy.
8.Epsom salt
Salt is a good option to relieve all kinds of soreness and it goes well for the treatment of diaper rashes too. Being super easy to use, this remedy is amongst the most preferred list.
Method
- Add about a cup of Epsom salt to a bucket of warm water.
- Allow your baby to bathe in this water and soak for few minutes so that the salt gets enough time to act on the infected part.
- Depending on the severity of the rashes, you may use this remedy as and when needed.
- Alternatively, you may simply soak a soft cloth in this water and wash the affected area of the baby.
9.Soothing bath
Diaper rashes may vary in intensity and type depending on the cause and the sensitivity of the baby’s skin. Perhaps, some may even spread to other parts of the body and take a more serious form. For this reason, pediatricians recommend bathing of infant with some of the homemade solutions, completely made of natural ingredients that drive away the symptoms of diaper rash as well as nourish the skin back to its healthy form.
Amongst the various other options, oatmeal bath is a proven remedy with established efficiency.
Here’s how you can go about this remedy
- Blend some oats to their finest powdered form and pour it into a tub full of warm water.
- Stir the solution well, until no clumps are left at the bottom of the tub.
- Once the uniform solution is obtained, allow your baby to soak in the tub for about 15 minutes or so. You may even rub the prepared oat meal gently on the baby’s skin.
- Pat dry the soft skin with a towel.
- Again, remember rubbing will cause friction and irritation on the rashes.
You can deploy this remedy twice a day or as advised by your pediatrician.
You may also check the Home remedies for itchy skin for adults.
10.Best cream for diaper rash
When you look up on Google for the diaper rash creams, you’ll end up with an ocean of products with their attractive and appealing advertisements. And then it’s hard to opt one! But how about making your own cream that is 100 percent natural and healthy? Great idea! Isn’t it? Do not worry about the process! It’s easier than visiting the nearby store and blindly picking up a synthetic one!
Here’s how you can prepare the best cream for diaper rash at your home.
- Take some coconut oil in a bowl and allow it to melt by keeping it above boiling water.
- Once the liquid state is reached, add some calendula and chamomile flowers to the oil and let it heat further for an hour or more until it turns yellow. Keep the flame low.
- Next, strain the flowers and add Shea butter and arrowroot to the coconut oil, so obtained.
- And the mixture is ready! Store it for later use.
- You may also use a food processor to make it turn into a velvety cream.
Use it for a day or two and the results will amaze you for sure!
How to prevent diaper rash
Although the list of remedies for diaper rash is endless and you have pretty more options to go for, nothing can beat the old and gold saying ‘prevention is better than cure’!
Here’s how you can give your best to protect those beautiful eyes from crying out of uneasiness that diaper rash causes.
- Remove and discard soiled diapers promptly. Do not wait for your baby to go restless and then change the diapers.
- Use warm water to wash the baby’s bottom with each diaper change.
- Avoid using alcohol or fragrant filled wipes. They may contain potential irritants.
- Always opt for pat dry or air dry. Never scrub the baby’s skin with a cloth.
- Go for loose fit diapers for your little angel. Tight fitting block airflow and creates a moist environment, best for microbial growth.
- Do not stress on putting the diapers every time. Let the baby be bare bottom for some time. Instead of diapers, you may lay down the baby on a large soft towel.
Note : The remedies mentioned in the article are mere suggestion. You should always skin test every single ingredient before exposing your baby to any of the remedies. In case of any allergic reaction or if rashes do not show healing, consult your pediatrician immediately.
Egg white (Not recommended)
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1628731/
Cornstarch for diaper rash – It allows bacterial growth
http://www.webmd.com/parenting/baby/tc/diaper-rash-home-treatment