Can You Use Diaper Rash Ointment with Cloth Diapers?

I use cloth diapers as well and its true, you're not supposed to use diaper cream. I instead use Aquaphor when my 6 month old gets a diaper rash which I have found works even better then typical diaper creams with no ill side effects on my cloth diapers. I hope that helps and good luck!

I used cloth diapers with my 4 children. They always got a rash when I used disposables for traveling. Just rinse them in a cup of vinegar when you wash them. It cuts any detergent that might be left in them. I used Desetin, prescribed ointment for yeast & other kinds of ointment with no problem.

I used Motherease cloth diapers and a variety of diaper rash ointments and never found they made the diapers waterproof. However, some of my diapers do have stains (I don't use bleach on my diapers). Not sure if it's related, but the stains don't bug me anyway. By the way, I'm a birth doula in Denver and would be happy to help if you need anything!

Have fun with the cloth diapers...just a note, you probably want a few disposable until the cord falls off, as the cloth ride high on little ones and can rub the cord. After it falls off, you are good to go.

I use BumGenius, and would not suggest the tub of water. They do better (and smell better) when they are left open to the air to dry. To wash them I then do a cold rinse cycle, a hot wash cycle with detergent, and a cold rinse cycle. Then I toss them into the dryer.

The diaper creams are avoided do to the build up and making them less absorbent. The comments of desitin, are good to avoid too. I went to the fabric store and bought some flannel, then cut it into strips for when I needed diaper cream, and would put that between the cream and the diaper. With daycare, I was so thankful that they would do cloth diapers, I couldn't ask them to do the flannel too, so I decided to just periodically strip them all. I do a wash with like a 1/4 of a tsp of Dawn, then the hot wash, and cold rinse every 4-6 weeks. When I did do the flannel, I just through that in with all the diapers.

Let me know if you need any suggestions on wet bags or traveling with cloth diapers.

I love my cloth diapers and wouldn't go back to disposable if I could (my son has turned red when I tried them once).

Congratulations!!

Most diaper creams are discouraged with cloth diapers because they leave a residue on the diaper (in the same way they create a water tight barrier against your baby's skin) that can make your diapers repel moisture instead of absorb it.

You'll find cloth diapered babies rarely get diaper rash, so you don't need to put it on as a preventative measure - only occasionally in response to a rash. My son only gets a diaper rash if he is cutting a tooth. He is 22 months, and the last diaper rash he had was Oct when his first set of molars came in.

If you find your self in need of diaper rash treatment, look for one that is made for or at least tested on cloth diapers not to leave a residue. Kissaluvs was a great recommendation, so it Grandma Els (happy heiny tested it).

Then, when you do use it, it is always a good idea to lay a thin fleece diaper liner between baby and the diaper - just in case. They only cost a couple bucks, so we have five just in case. Wash them separate from your diapers if you use them, so as not to mix the cream with your diapers, defeating the purpose using the liner to keep it off your diapers.

As a side note, since you chose AIO diapers, use caution on the bleach suggestion above. There are only a few diaper manufacturers that allow occasional (once a month) use of bleach, most other companies discourage it or say it voids their warranty. You have top of the line diapers, and I don't want you to ruin them!

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When I have needed to use cream with cloth diapers I just use an insert.
You can even use a dry baby wipe (cloth or disposiable, the flush away liners, cut up an old flannel shirt/receiving blanklet etc.... as an insert)

I actually haven't heard about that. I've used ointment with our cloth diapers. The best thing to do for diaper rash is to investigate the source. It could be a food intolerance. We had issues with rash and ended up resolving it with a different detergent for washing the diapers.

Had 10 younger brothers and sisters only the last 2 were in disposables. We always used cloth and those bulky plastic covers lol...anyway the diapers were always 100% cotton and when there was a rash we used whatever was cheapest (13 kids in the fam c'mon that's what you do) we always washed the diapers on their own in HOT water with bleach and never had any problems with stains or reusing or having them not absorb anything...maybe it's been so long they don't make them like that anymore. I don't know. I used disposable for my dd, we only had the one in diapers it was easier for me but at home we often had 3 kids in diapers at once. I hated rinsing the poop out in the toilet but did as mom insisted and she washed diapers daily.
don't know if that helps but that was my experience growing up.

We had heard that too, and the one time he had a little rash, we put a thin layer of Lubriderm hand lotion on the rash and there was no change to our diaper's absorbency!

Congradulations! Great choice to go with cloth diapers. I am also a stay at home mom to 2 beautiful little girls. I used cloth diapers with both of them. A couple suggestions, one, if you have to use a cream, you can purchase very thin tissue like diaper liners. The are disposable rice paper liners and they are a life saver. They make cleaning poppy diapers so much easier. I found that when using cloth diapers and my home made wipes, my girls hardley ever got diaper rash. I think it was about a handful of times for each girl. Oh yes, and changing their diaper frequently. You don't have to do like alot of moms and wait till the diaper is very wet, to cut costs on diapers. lol You realy are saving alot of money buy using cloth diapers! If you are interested in making your one diaper wipes let me know. They are so easy and again a great money saver and so good for your babies bottom!

Well the good news is that cloth breaths better and is softer on babies skin so my experience was I did not need diaper cream until he was over a year old. I did purchase this when he was younger and it work on smaller rashes http://www.softclothbunz.com/Kissaluvs-Diaper-Lotion-Poti.... When he was teathing the only thing that would help that rash was a diaper full of corn starch. I think you could use cream occasionally they are concernd that the cream will build up on the diaper and ruine it's absorbancy. I also used flushable diaper liners so that would also keep the cream of the diaper.

You do have to be careful which diaper creams you use with cloth diapers. Desitin is actually a big one to avoid, especially with synthetic fibers. It has fish oil in it and will make your diapers smell like fish:(. It's also really hard to get out. Earth Mama Angel Baby Bottom Balm, California Baby, Grandma El's are some of the safe ones that come to mind.

I wrote an article about caring for cloth diapers, including diaper creams to avoid here:
http://denverdiaperco.com/article_2/Caring-For-Your-Cloth...

I'm happy to help, if you have more questions.

A.

No - don't use the regular diaper cream with cloth diapers! It will leave a residue on the fabric which will lead to leaking and odors. I used a rash cream that I bought on a cloth diapering site called Bootie Balm, which had an olive and almond oil base, which washes out of the cloth diapers. It didn't work as well as the white gooey stuff, so I just tried to be extra diligent about changing wet or soiled diapers right away. The one time my son had a nasty rash, I put him in disposables for a day or two and used the Balmex. Overall, I thought cloth diapers were completely worth the effort, even if you can't use the standard rash creams.

You cannot use cream with the cloth diapers. It will form a layer on the diapers and they will not absorb anything. (you can strip them, but it is harsh on the diapers) You will find that your baby gets little to NO diaper rash with the cloth. My little boy didn't get it at all when he was little. Now that he is almost 14 months he has had it a few times as we try new foods. I find that I can usually just wipe it down and it will be gone by the next day if I keep it clean and dry. I do keep a pack of earths best disposable diapers to use in case he needs cream. There are other options out there, I just found this to work best for me! Good luck with the cloth diapers. You are going to love them! Everytime I go to the grocery store, I love being able to just pass by the diaper isle without have to buy them!

We had a diaper service with our first. They said don't use Desitin due to the zinc combining with whatever agent they use to clean the diapers leaving a stain.

However, when my sister was a baby (I'm 9 years older than she) we used cloth diapers and Desitin. When we changed her, we put the diaper in a pail that had water with some bleach in it to soak until we needed to wash them. I don't recall any stains on them.

So, that was pretty non helpful.....sorry!

I have always used pure corn starch with good results. Also, if your baby gets a bad rash you can always switch to disposable until your baby is better. If you need an ointment I am not sure if Aquaphor would qualify as a no no for those diapers.

Yes and no. The main thing with cloth diapers is that you will most likely not need diaper rash cream!!! I just got my son out of diapers and I think we used about 1/3 of a tube. Our son had a horrible rash the first three weeks from the disposable diapers before we started using cloth full time.

When considering diaper rash cream it is very important to avoid anything that contains fish oil (all the main stream creams) and also things that will clog up your diapers. Using products with fish oil will stain and leave a stink in your diapers, while others may decrease the absorbency of your diapers. When you do use diaper rash cream always us a disposable/flushable liner to protect you diapers (these are great to have on hand once you introduce solids too - Childish Things in boulder carries them). I found that lanolin, aquiphor and Baby Avalon Organics soothing zinc diaper balm (sold at Sunflower Markets)all worked to clean up any irritations.

A friend of mine uses cloth diapers and she puts the diaper rash cream on every time. I only put it on as needed... Find what works for you best though.

Good luck - C.

Hi and congratulations!! I don't know what AIO diaper you're going to use, but I use Fuzzibunz and have had a great experience with them!! My baby is 4 months old and has not had a problem with diaper rash with these diapers. On the Fuzzi Bunz Store website, they sell Herbal Bottom Balm (URL is http://www.fuzzibunzstore.com and look under "Wipes and More). They say there have been no reports that it damages the fleece inside the diaper, but that the manufacturer doesn't recommend the use of diaper creams on the diaper so you're to use it at your own risk (possibly voiding the warranty). I have also used Arbonne diaper cream and have loved it! It doesn't leave that thick residue, even on baby. It's more of a creamy substance but still leaves a nice barrier on the bottom and rubs off very easily, and it's all natural! I think if you absolutely had to use a cream, you could put an insert on top of the diaper to protect the diaper itself or possibly use disposable diapers during that time (although the cloth diaper would be better on baby's bottom and allow breathability).
On a side note, I have not had one problem with stains on the diapers from poop. I don't pre-soak them in anything and I've never used bleach (I wouldn't want to use a harsh chemical on something so close to my baby's delicate skin). I just wash them with dye-free, fragrance-free detergent in hot water with two cold rinses to make sure all the detergent is removed. I've also heard you can soak them with lemon juice and sit them out in the sun to get rid of stains, but I haven't had to try this.
Best wishes for your family and new baby in June!!

Hmmmm. I too use the rash cream and I've been using cloth for the last 6 months without problems. Perhaps it could stain the diapers or something? We use Butt Paste and have never had any issues. When "strip" them it seems to take any residue out also so - I say forget the instructions and do what seems best for you. My humble two cents...

I used cloth diapers with all 7 of my kids and used diaper rash cream, especially desitin. I never heard of any warnings not to use it and I never had a problem with it.