This remedy is used by many parents worldwide. Use a hair dryer and put it on Cold air setting. Blow this cold air on the baby. Cold air absorbs moisture and soothes the skin. It has been noticed that diaper rash occurs mainly due to accumulation of moisture. If this excess moisture can be taken out of the skin, then diaper rash can resolve on its own. So, this technique of blowing cold air on the child is perhaps the best and inexpensive home remedy for diaper rash. Can you use warm air ? Well, cold air has a better drying capacity, as we see in the winter season. So, using cold air is better for drying the skin. It is also more comfortable for the baby.
You can clearly see your baby enjoying the cool breeze over his buttocks. This reduces the moisture, redness and also the pain.
Feed the baby something that stays longer in the gut. This way you can give the cold air more time to act. Use it in the time between changing diaper.
Use dry corn starch and spray it onto the skin surrounding the diaper rash. Corn starch absorbs moisture from the skin. Then, rub it off after a few minutes. Do not use wet corn starch in the beginning as it can aggravate the diaper rash. Make sure your corn starch is absolutely dry.
Do not put a diaper on the baby. Lay the toddler down with back pointing up.
Cornstarch absorbs moisture from skin and this helps to heal the rash automatically.
Useful Advice - Put a bit of cornstarch in the diaper after every diaper change. It makes sure that moisture doesn't come back. There is always some cornstarch to take care of it. This trick is used by numerous grandmothers and it shows you how well it works.
4. Flour
Heat flour till it attains light brown color. Then cool it down. Dust the skin with the flour. It takes care of all the moisture and heals a diaper rash. It works fast and is effective.
5. Baby Powder
Invest in a good baby powder which can relieve diaper rash. It can be an easy remedy for diaper rashes. However, use this only if you do not have cornstarch at hand. Baby powder is a simple way to prevent diaper rash, but may not be that effective at treating one.
When you use it, always put the powder on your palm first and then apply. Avoid dusting as it releases powder into air. This diffusion alters air nearby. When baby inhales this air, powder can go into his or her lungs, which is bad.
6. Baking Soda bath
Give your baby a baking soda sitz bath. Baking soda takes care of acidity on the skin as it is highly alkaline in nature. It has been that acidic foods like most fruits increase the chances of baby developing diaper rash. To combat acidity in skin caused by faeces, baking soda is used.
Procedure
4 tablespoons of baking soda in baby bathing tub. Keep the water slightly warm, but not hot. Mix the baking soda well and then wash the baby with it. If the toddler likes it, let him/her stay in this bath. After the bath, clean the skin and dry it with a dryer. Apply some cornstarch to the diaper rash and let the baby stay without diaper for a few hours.
7. Witch Hazel wipes
One can get pure witch hazel wipes easily in a store. Use these wipes to clean baby's skin. Witch hazel promotes skin healing, reduces inflammation and is an astringent ( shrinks the skin ). Use witch hazel wipes to clean skin in between each diaper change.
8. Cooking Lard
Lard is the fat of a pig. It is a well known traditional remedy for diaper rash in babies. Lard can be applied directly, as a cream , on dry skin. It works against diaper rash. Avoid using a diaper over this.
9. Coconut Oil for diaper rash
This works for all kinds of diaper rash, those that are irritant ones and those that are actual infections ( by bacteria or fungus ). Coconut oil strongly kills fungus , virus and some bacteria. It can be directly applied to baby's skin. It is gentle and non irritating.
In fact, doing a daily massage with coconut oil is great to keep the skin protected from numerous bacterial and fungal infections. This works for babies, kids and adults.
Research has identified that candida is the most common pathogen found in infectious diaper rash. And we know that
coconut oil kills candida most effectively.
10. Zinc oxide based cream
You can use a skin cream containing zinc oxide. It is a white powder which has been used to heal skin conditions for centuries. But, the cream must be a baby cream, that it should be prepared especially for babies.
Cream for adults contain a lot more harmful, and potentially harmful, sometimes even carcinogenic chemicals, which would be too much for a baby's young liver to filter out.
11. Oatmeal and Lavender Bath
This is a wonderful natural bath for a baby and even for adults when the skin is inflamed and itchy. Oatmeal reduces itching an inflammation. Lavender is antibacterial and anti fungal. It is also very soothing for the skin. The procedure to prepare this bath is easy.
- Ingredients
Cheese cloth
Oatmeal
Lavender essential oil
- Directions / How to use
Take a cheesecloth. Put finely crushed oatmeal in this cloth. Fill it to make the matter almost the size of your fist. Then prepare some hot water in the bathtub. Put this cheesecloth in the tub. Pour 10 drops of lavender essential oil in. Now, let the water cool till it is slightly above body temperature, like 40 degree celsius. Give the baby a bath with this water.
- Why it works ?Essence of oatmeal enters into hot water. Lavender exerts its antibiotic effect on skin, which takes care of any bacterial or fungal infection.
After a bath of about 5 - 10 minutes, wipe the baby gently, but thoroughly. Use a drier to dry the skin completely. Then you can sprinkle some cornstarch and let the baby roam around like that. If need be, use a diaper.
Do this only 1 times a day. Too much bathing can make the skin sensitive to moisture. So, it is better to be dry.
"You can also add chamomile tea or green tea to this bathing solution."
12. Aloe Vera
Use a freshly cut Aloe Vera and apply its gel on the diaper rash. It can
reduce itching and pain. It really overcomes inflammation fast. Redness goes away in a few hours.
Tip - Make sure you use it when the skin is absolutely dry.
By the way, natural aloe vera is perhaps the best thing for our skin. It keeps the skin well hydrated, elastic and free from infection. And it doesn't feel oily, as it is well absorbed in the skin, much faster than olive oil. And it is slippery, so you can massage with it too.
13. Give the baby Yogurt
We are talking about baby's diet. There are indications that diaper rash may be aggravated by a weak digestive system, possibly caused by low concentration of healthy organisms in the gut. Give the baby ample amount of yogurt, and buttermilk for a few days. It should improve the quality of digestion and reduce defecation frequency, making life much easier for the overworked mom.
14. Lanolin cream for diaper rash
Lanolin is well recognized as a cream to repair dry, cracked and irritated skin. One can use pure , that is 100 % lanolin cream on a baby's diaper rash. It has excellent ability to keep water away. So, if it is applied on a dry skin, it forms a waterproof seal where water can't enter.
So, remember to apply lanolin after drying baby's skin. Regular application keeps diaper rash away, forever.
15. Best cream for diaper rash
Although lanolin works good for a diaper rash, it is not the best diaper rash cream. The award actually goes to a herbal salve preparation. It is not easy to find it, because it may or may be prepared right now. But if you can get a cream containing few or all of the ingredients, it should work brilliantly on a diaper rash ( and many other skin conditions.
Ingredients
Extracts of comfrey root, calendula , St. John's wort ( also Hypericum perforatum ) , aloe vera and mullein prepared into a cream with olive oil and beeswax as base. If it contains witch hazel, then that is good too.
With some searching on the web, you may be able to find such a cream.
16. Don't use a diaper at all !
What, no diaper ? Yep, this is an advice used by many women who frequently find their kid suffering from diaper rash. I know it is a lot more effort and work, but without a diaper, baby feels much more comfortable. Probably there would be no incident of diaper rash, as fresh, natural skin is contacting the skin, providing relief.
Quality of diapers ( this had to come up )
This is one issue that crops up, for good. The material of which the diaper is made has a role in preventing diaper rashes. So, what to do now ? The point is that there are many diaper manufacturers and each brand itself creates many kinds of diapers. One should use different types of products to see which one works best at preventing diaper rash. Sometimes, diapers which are perfumed can cause diaper rash if the baby's gentle skin is
allergic to the perfume in the diaper.
- Try not to use overtly synthetic diapers. These often cause diaper rashes at their edges.
- Avoid perfumed diapers.
- Try using cloth diapers. If these too do not work, try making diapers at home. Yes, this can be done.
Although most commercial diapers are well designed to be highly absorbent, the material used in it may cause dermatitis for a baby.
