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Hello,
reading through some other posts I just realized that diaper rash creams are not safe to use with Cloth Diapers. I understand they can mess up the fabric to the point that they cannot be cleaned up anymore and lose their absorbency.
I also have seen some mention of "cloth diaper safe" diaper rash creams. Which ones are safe to use w/ ME diapers? Has anyone used one for prolonged periods and know it is safe?
Note: Currently (using disposables), we are persistent users of diaper rash creams at EVERY Diaper Change (Zinc Oxide based creams... mostly WELEDA, but some Destin & others when I don't reorder WELEDA in time. Also, we also use Aquaphor - he has Eczema and we use that product at least once a day all over his body incl. the diaper area, e.g. after his bath).
When my son was younger I tried to skip the diaper rash cream when I thought he was all healed up. Every time I did so, he got a diaper rash again. Talked to his doctor at the time who said that I could use diaper rash cream all the time without any ill effect on his health.
Please let me know about any products you know that work with Cloth Diapers that you have used frequently (not just on occasion and sparingly).
Thanks & Best Regards,
KC |
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I don't have any brand specific suggestions but I did want to say that personally I don't know just how much I would trust the label 'cloth safe' if you use it with every single diaper. Call me a skeptic but I think that any cream has the potential to build-up if used constantly. I will also add that although it can mess up diapers (stains, repelling and perhaps odors with certain creams) there's nothing permanent about it. So although I would recommend caution, know that even if it does cause major build-up, it is always fixable.
One tip would be to use a liner of some sort when you use the cream. That way it'll keep the majority of the cream off the diaper. And if the liner gets messed up, it's easier to clean/strip/scrub or, worst case scenario, you can throw it out and it's not too bad a loss. I'd recommed homemade fleece liners. They'll help keep him dry (fleece isn't absorbant so it'll wetness through and dry almost instantly, keeping his skin drier), make poopy diaper cleanup easier (poop sticks to fleece much less than terry cloth and it'll help with stains too (poop will touch the diaper much less and fleece itself doesn't stain). And fleece is cheap and easy to make into liners. Just get cheap polyester fleece (polar fleece at the store, or even recycle an old fleece blanket), cut it to the size/shape you want and that's it! No sewing needed because fleece doesn't unravel!
One caveat about fleece is that some babies may be sensitive to it, so if you get rashes with them, try it without and see if that helps (you could use a cotton liner of some sort if still using the cream -just something simple & thin like a washcloth or a cut-up t-shirt). Most babies benefit from the stay-dry feature of fleece but some babies do react to polyester or perhaps the slight additional heat of fleece (even if it is breathable and cooler than the plastic lining of disposables).
Also, you might want to give it a go without cream once you start with cloth. It's not uncommon for babies to have bad reactions to disposables (either the materials themselves, the chemicals like dyes/perfumes or even just the heat inside a plastic diaper) that they wouldn't have in a cloth diaper. Provided you change often enough (say every 1.5 - 2 hours approx.) then cloth is actually healthier for baby's skin than is a disposable.
HTH,
Karen. |
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we use coconut oil at every change. it has antibacterial and antifungal qualities, and is solid to 24*C (less than body temp) so sort of melts onto the skin... but easily washes out. I also use Dimpleskins' "bum bum balm" if I'm out and about (easier to transport than my large jar of coconut oil, plus it doesn't melt in a hot car!)
If my daughter does get some redness then I use penaten with a disposable liner. If you are wanting/needing to continue the diaper cream use, I'd suggest using disposable liners regularly. Not much fuss and they can be flushed. |
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I don't like using Penaten because it's so hard to get off the babies skin! When my kids are rash free, I use a Ombra Original Melkfett (http://www.smallflower.com/ombra/original-melkfett-skin-cream-8.4-oz-cream.html). I get it from a local store that sells European Specialties.
But if they have a diaper rash, due to bowl movements mostly, I use Sudocrem. You can get that at any Shopper's Drug Mart for sure. Both my kids have sensitive skin, and both of these products work well.
Good luck!
PS: I'm the diaper tester for ME and I haven't had any issue with either of these products on the cloth diapers (or any of their materials used to construct the various diapers). |
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I have to chime in that although I never had problems with its rinsing out, my DS#1, who does not have sensitive skin or any known allergies, reacted to Sudocrem when he was young. When he was around three months old he had a rash that wouldn't go away, and kept almost moving around his bottom. The nursery nurse (UK) suggested switching to a zinc and castor oil cream, as she'd seen young babies have problems with Sudocrem, and the rash resolved immediately. That said, he was able to tolerate it fine when he was older, and my DH swears by Sudocrem for saddle sores. Just wanted to mention the possibility of irritation on very young babies.
For what it's worth, it's easily available in Canada, but I don't actually think that Sudocrem is even available in the US. I see it on import sites, but Sudocrem's website doesn't have a spot for the US on its international page.
Re. the original question, from what I've read, the real problems seem to arise from creams with fish oil in them, as in original Desitin.
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| We didn't use rash cream with every diaper, but we used Weleda when my son had a rash, plus every night once he started sleeping through the night and had more concentrated urine, and we never had a problem. But then, we used absorbent liners at night and we used stay-dry liners for about the first year of my son's life, so that certainly helped protect the diapers... |
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| So you can use sudocrem without any type of liner? Is that what you meant by you haven't had any problems? |
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| Personally, I used diaper creams only when my sons had rashes, which wasn't often, and I did use fleece liners, so I can't really say what would happen if you were to use something like sudocrem (or any cream) all the time without a liner. I doubt that it would do anything irreversible, though. |
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