Dry skin on the butt---what to do?

Allison - posted on 11/29/2009

Thanks everyone for your help! I will try out these suggestions. Hopefully, it will get better soon. Going to the doctor on Monday so maybe he'll have some suggestions as well.

Kristina - posted on 11/29/2009

1. Try letting his doctor take a look at it. You might be dealing with eczema or a fungal infection.
2. Switch to a more clean-rinsing detergent and/or adding an extra rinse. I like Country Save.
3. Try adding a quarter-cup of white vinegar to the rinse.
4. Make sure your diapers get really clean. Wash in the hottest water that won't damage the fiber.
5. Try stripping your diapers if you've been using a "normal" detergent. These can leave a lot of build-up. There are several websites with instructions on how to strip cloth diapers.
6. Don't use fabric softener.
7. Try a more breathable cover. Wool is great.
8. It may be that your son has a sensitivity to the material of the diaper. Try switching to a different fiber if none of the above has helped.
9. To treat the rash: Bathe with lukewarm water. Pat dry and immediately slather with a fragrance-free, dye-free emollient. Natural non-volatile (not fragrant) oils are fine as long as your son demonstrates no sensitivity to them. I like lanolin because it's moisturizing and dissolves in hot water so should wash out of diapers easily. A diaper rash cream with zinc oxide can be helpful, but watch out for other harsh ingredients and fragrances. These creams are also more likely to stick to the diapers and cause a build-up as well. Your son's doctor may prescribe something to specifically treat the cause of the problem (anti-fungal, steroid cream, topical antibiotic, etc.). If so, it's likely you'll need to strip the diapers once the treatment is done so they don't get build-up and start repelling.

Kimberly - posted on 11/28/2009

I definitely wouldn't switch to disposables because of a rash, because in my opinion, they make it worse.



I'd use lanolin or olive oil for a ddry skin problem...and also make sure that my cloth dipes are FULLY rinsed of all soaps, detergents, additives, etc., that you wash them in. I run a full extra cycle of hot water after my wash load to get my diapers fully rinsed. (This also keeps them from EVER having to be stripped due to poor absorbtion or odor problems.)



Either just plain old lanolin like you use when breastfeeding or olive oil can be rubbed thinly over baby's skin to create a moisturizing and protective barrier on the bum skin, and both will wash out of your cloth dipes easily leaving no problems.

Leveda - posted on 11/26/2009

my daughter is no longer in diapers, but she did have a similar problem every once in a while before she started using the potty. i would usually let her go diaper free whenever we were home because most creams didn't help. the problem with diaper rash cream is that most of them contain zinc oxide and zinc is very drying, so of course it's not going to help. however i did find this amazing diaper cream called Nature Only. it doesn't contain zinc or petroleum. it has evening primrose oil and lavender oil in it. the only thing is, you can't really use it and then put a CD on your baby's bum because the oils will ruin the diaper. whenever we used it i would put it on her bum, then but a prefold between her bum and the diaper. just any old prefold. then you need to make sure you wash the prefold separately from the other diaper.

Samantha - posted on 11/26/2009

I would look into the type of detergent you are using first. Hopefully it is all natural and has NO fragrance to it. Many detergents have really nasty chemicals in them that can be irritating to babies bottoms. Second, try moisturizing with olive oil. I know it might sound crazy, but at least you know it is all natural and it's amazing for moisturizing and healing skin.

I hope this helps. :)

Christine - posted on 11/26/2009

I personally would not use ANYTHING with any synthethic chemicals at all, keep nappy off and have free time as much as possible and try a balm preferrably certified Organic so you know there are no conflicting harmful chemicals going onto your little ones toosh. Try the baby range at www.miorganichealth.com i swear by it. Good luck
If you do decide on lanolin make sure it is froma good supplier that is from Organic farming as lanolin can contain a lot of nasties from the farming side of things, Hope this helps

Elizabeth - posted on 11/26/2009

Do you have the microfiber insert directly touching his skin? Have you tried lanolin?

Brynne - posted on 11/25/2009

We're kind of dealing with a similar rash it sounds like. It seems different than a diaper rash and at times her poor bum skin peels or rubs off. I've tired Desitin, A&D, Burt's Bees, Aquaphor, and Bag Balm. I keep switching to try and find the one that works, maybe I'm not giving any of them long enough to work? It's seems to come and go and has corresponded with teething.