Home Remedy for diaper rash

My baby frequently suffers from diaper rashes, but I do not want to use commercially available diaper rash creams as I have seen they tend to make his skin dry. Are there any safe home remedies to treat diaper rashes?

Aiman

 

Hi Aiman,

Most babies suffer from diaper rash during the first year of their lives. Diaper region is prone to rashes because of the retention of moisture in the nappies.
Diaper rash can be painful for baby, but if you follow simple precautions, it may be prevented to a large extent. 

 

 

Prevention of Baby Diaper rash

There can be various reasons for diaper rash and you can try a few things to prevent it the next time. 

• First of all, you should try changing his diaper as soon as it gets wet or soiled. Wetness against the skin irritates baby’s sensitive skin and causes rashes.

• Leave the skin without diaper for as long as possible. Air-drying the diaper area helps in healing rashes fast.

• If you are using disposable diapers for your baby, try and change the brand of diapers.

• You may also check if the wipes that you are using to clean baby’s nappy region is irritating the sensitive skin and causing diaper rash. Do not use any perfumed wipes to clean the nappy area. Instead, you may use a cotton ball dipped in warm water to clean.

• Do not rub the sensitive area to avoid causing further damage.

• When changing, do not rub. Pat dry and leave it open to air dry as long as possible.

• You can also try to move your baby to cloth diapers if that is an option for you, as there is less incidence of diaper rash in children wearing cloth diapers due to breathability of cloth nappies.

• Use only gentle detergent to wash baby’s nappies and clothes and harsh chemicals in detergents can irritate baby’s skin and cause rashes.

 

Home Remedies for Diaper Rash in Babies

There are many simple home remedies for diaper rash, which you can try for your baby and see what suits him best.

• Air time – Leave the baby diaper free for a while and allow air time to let the skin heal without causing further damage.

• Coconut oil – Coconut is the best home remedy for diaper rash. In place of diaper rash creams, you can apply coconut oil on baby’s bottom. It has natural cooling properties and forms a shield over skin to protect it from moisture.

• Ghee – Ghee also has cooling properties and can be applied sparingly on affected area.

• Olive oil -You can also apply olive oil can on the affected area to form a barrier between the moisture and the skin.
• Oatmeal bath – Add ground oatmeal to warm bath and bathe baby in this. Then pat dry thoroughly and give air time.

 

Read more on diaper rash – symptoms, prevention & remedies and other rashes that babies suffer from during first year.

You may also like to read the differences between disposable diapers and cloth diapers