Cloth Diaper Safe Rash Creams

Using cloth diapers generally cuts down on diaper rashes, but they do still happen.  When my daughter started teething around a year old, she had an awful reaction and thankfully I found a fix, but not before needing to lather her bottom up to protect it.

There are a couple of ways to go:  Pick a cloth diaper safe rash cream, or use a liner.

I’m going to start with the liner because I really feel like it’s the easiest answer.  I can’t purchase any diaper safe creams locally, so I image that many others will have the same issue.

The idea here is to buy some fleece and cut it to fit the general size of your diaper.  I think I made mine approximately 5″x10″.  The great thing about fleece is that you don’t need to sew it, at all.  Just cut them up and you’re done.

If you don’t want to use fleece, you could use flannel, but you will need to sew the edges to keep them from fraying and falling apart when washed.Once you have your liners, you can use any diaper cream that you wish, just be sure to put the liner on to keep it from getting on the diaper.

If you really don’t want to buy some fleece for dirt cheap and make these yourself, you can always pay a whole lot more and buy them!

Next up are cloth diaper safe creams.
I want to note that these creams are considered cloth diaper safe and shouldn’t need a liner.  However!  I worry about things too much and would always use a liner.  I have read many comments that they are perfectly safe from people who have used them lots.  Do what you are comfortable with.  If I get a chance to use any of these, I will certainly update with my personal findings. For now please read a little about them from their company descriptions.

Earth Mama Angel Baby’s Angel Baby Bottom Balm is allergy tested, non-irritating, vegan (no beeswax!) and the only balm made with organic olive oil infused with a proprietary blend of naturally antibacterial and antifungal organic herbs, shea butter and pure essential oils. No wonder it’s often referred to as Mama’s miracle balm. Angel Baby Bottom Balm is an Editor’s Pick in the diaper cream category of Natural Solutions’ 2009 Beauty With a Conscience Awards!

I have been using this on my daughter, as she is now teething and it’s causing her bottom some problems.  It works great, no liners needed, no problems!

California Baby® Diaper Rash Cream‘s  all-natural, food-grade diaper rash cream includes ingredients such as ultra-purified lanolin, vitamin-grade zinc (12%) and vitamin E, in addition to organic tea tree and aloe vera.

California Baby® Diaper Rash Cream also contains their proprietary Calming™ aromatherapy blend which includes French lavender, known for its soothing, antibacterial, and healing properties.

Norther Essences’s Better Butt(er) Cream says that it is a diaper cream that you can use when your baby has a yeast infection, that will NOT irritate it!  Safe to use on cloth diapers.  Contains no Essential Oils, only conditioning oils and butters including:  Hemp Butter, Shea Butter, Meadowfoam Seed Oil and many more.  It also contains GSE (grapefuit seed extract) in it, we triple whip it to give it a fluffy appearance and super smooth texture.   Fragrance free.

Motherlove Diaper Rash & Thrush is an excellent all-natural salve for diaper rash, including persistent, inflamed diaper rash possibly caused by yeast. It is also effective on yeast infected nursing nipples.

Bum Bum Balm by Dimpleskins Naturals is said to be a must in every diaper bag and an excellent choice for cloth diapers. Pure, unbleached, Canadian beeswax provides a nice barrier on the skin, helping to keep moisture away, while organic Calendula oil provides natural healing properties for rashes.  *I have read that this is good for very mild rashes.

Nature’s Baby Organics Diaper Cream is enriched with organic calendula extract, organic tamanu oil, and organic chickweed extract.   Pamper your baby with the incredible ingredients of Nature’s Baby Diaper Ointment. Their soothing ointment promotes healthy, smooth skin, keeping your cherished little one in cooing comfort. You’ll love the way it makes baby feel, naturally.  100% Vegetarian, Free of Glutens & Parabens.

Grandma El’s Diaper Rash Remedy & Prevention ointment soothes baby’s most sensitive skin while keeping it protected.

It reduces the redness, pain, itching & irritation caused by diaper rash. This ointment creates a breathable, softening, protective barrier which prevents wetness from coming in contact with the skin, therefore keeping your baby comfortable. An application of Grandma El’s will heal & protect, helping your precious little one to be more comfortable while sleeping, playing & exploring.

*I have tried this cream.  It came as a sample during the period I mentioned in the liners section.  I did like it and noticed no issues with my diapers as a result.

 

CJ’s BUTTer has been called a”A Miracle in a Tube” by some.  Not only is it recommended for use with rashes and cloth diapers, it touts a whole list of ailments for which it is useful – including: eczema, rashes, dry, chapped skin, rug burns (sore ‘crawler’ knees), mechanics’ hands, cuticles, hang nails and even leave-in conditioner for your curls.  For more information (and uses) check out their site.

35 Responses

  1. I use the California Baby Rash cream with my Fuzzi Bunz and Bum Genious AIOs and it works GREAT! No problems so far! Nice article!

  2. I use California Baby on Kissaluvs and Bubu bebe diapers as well as the above mentioned and also have had no troubles

  4. Okay this might sound dumb, but oh well–
    So I definitely need to purchase fleece liners, and I have been contemplating this purchase for awhile. I want to just make them myself, but I am intimidated because I don't want to purchase the wrong thing. Is there a particular type of fleece I need to purchase or is anything in the fabric section all right? Thanks so much!!

  7. I use liners pretty much all the time anyway, my son has super sensitive skin and anything but fleece irritates him. Do I need to wash the liners separately all the time or just the times I use cream? I've been keeping them in a separate wet bag and washing with other clothes but I'm wondering if I'm creating extra work for myself.
    Thanks!

  8. I have washed mine all together, even when I used cream. I didn't have any problems.

    However…. I think it's probably best to wash them separately if you use cream, or much of it anyhow. Otherwise you are perfectly fine washing them together!

  9. I have washed mine all together, even when I used cream. I didn't have any problems.

    However…. I think it's probably best to wash them separately if you use cream, or much of it anyhow. Otherwise you are perfectly fine washing them together!

  12. Thanks for this helpful post! I just added the Earth Mama Angel Balm to my registry.

  13. I have been using California Baby for a week now on my pockets, and I have yellow greasy stains…. I'm beginning to think its not so CD safe. I love my CJ's Butter.

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  18. HELP! My son has chafing on his little scrotum and I don’t know what to use! I’ve been using Weleda Calendula with a liner, also tried the Honest Company Healing balm (which is CD safe), but it just stays red and raw looking. Any advice?

    1. Poor little guy! I would try allowing air to get to it when at all possible. Using a healing salve like EMAB’s bottom balm should help, I would probably lay it on a little thicker than usual to help give the skin a bit more protection when inside of a diaper. Are you noticing a strong ammonia smell on the diapers? Also, if so, how old is your son? Please feel free to email me too so that I can help troubleshoot. amanda@theecofriendlyfamily.com

  19. I saw someone suggested organic coconut oil. Will that be safe with pocket diapers? I had assumed it would not, because the problem with some diaper creams was the oils they contained. Can you guys weigh in?

    1. Organic coconut oil has so many great benefits and uses. From everything that I have read and know it is indeed safe to use with cloth diapers, however the key is how much is used. I have found that natural salves require only a thin application, which is generally massaged a little into the skin. This helps protect and heal the skin effectively while remaining safe for cloth diapers, as opposed to “traditional” rash creams that contain petroleum based ingredients and are meant to be lathered on to create a barrier.

  20. Teva Neta’s All natural diaper rash cream is amazing and it’s cloth diaper safe. The only rash ointment I use for my 2 babies now.

  21. My son had a reaction to a certain brand of wipes and that perpetuated into a really bad rash in the diaper area. I bought and used the virgin organic coconut oil and it worked – though very slowly. I noticed the redness was going down and some patches started to shrink. However, I just got some of the California Babies cream and in two applications, the rash is all but gone! I use GroVia AI2’s as well as Kawaii Pockets and so far, I’ve seen no issue with the coconut oils. I’ll repost if I find a problem with using California Babies.

    Question though: Should these products also work for rashes around the neck? My son has a similar rash around his neck where the milk drips. I feel bad, but it seems I have to force his chin up to wipe in there, but the area doesn’t get much air. Any advice?

  23. Is Beeswax, a component in many petroleum free diaper rash creams, ok to use for cloth diapers?

    1. It will depend on the other ingredients used. I do believe there is at least one very good, and cloth diaper safe salve that does use beeswax.

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  25. I love the idea of using fleece liners to protect the diapers from ANY rash cream. That will definitely save me some money.

  26. I haven’t tried any of these creams, but I have used GroVia Magic Stick and I love it!

  27. Super salve co baby bottom cream is my favorite. I’ve been using it with our sun baby’s and not had any problems I think I will invest in some fleece liners anyway to extend the life of my cds

  28. I just tried out Pugo Baby diaper rash and thrush cream and absolutely loved it. its 100% vegan and completely organic. it was very hard finding a vegan diaper rash cream soo I completely love this one. so dose little jammie :).

  29. Angel Baby contains two ingredients that should not be used together: lavender and tea tree oil. This combination appears to create estrogen imitators and has been shown to stimulate the growth of breast tissue in boys. This company is irresponsible for continuing to sell this formulation.

    http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/jan2007/niehs-31.htm

  30. Thanks for this article! I never even thought about rash creams doing anything to the cloth diapers so I will have to start making some liners. It’s good to know of some rash cream options before baby comes along.