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Despite all the wonderful benefits cloth diapers provide for a baby’s skin, sometimes rashes do occur. Yes, the ugly truth is that rashes can happen even with cloth diapers. There are many factors besides the type of diaper that can cause diaper rash. In our case, a combination of very sensitive skin and food allergies is the most common cause of Jocelyn’s rashes.

I am sad to report that today Jocelyn is sporting a pretty nasty diaper rash. Thus, I have spent nearly the entire day trying to soothe her sore bottom. It is funny how something as simple as a little rash can totally unhinge a day’s plans. I had planned to have a nice relaxing day getting lots of housework done. Instead, I have spent the day pampering Jocelyn’s little bottom.
 

 
The first thing that is very important to know when treating diaper rash is that rashes can be symptomatic of a deeper problem and a pediatrician should often be consulted.

The second important thing to remember is that diaper cream purchased in the average store cannot be used with cloth diapers because these creams can build up on the diaper and cause repelling which will lead to cloth diaper leaks. Using these standard creams will even invalidate the warranty of many brands.
 

 
So, all of that said, what do I do for diaper rash? The first and best treatment for diaper rash is leaving the baby’s bottom open to air. This is a trick that I learned while Jocelyn was in the newborn ICU after her birth. The simplest way to do this is to put the baby on their tummy and put a spare diaper under their bottom. Because it is easiest, I usually use a disposable diaper for this purpose.

Second, a baby powder with cornstarch and zinc oxide (I use the Caldesene Baby brand – get it here on Amazon) can be sprinkled in the cloth diaper to keep moisture off the baby’s skin.

While this has been effective for me, nothing beats Grandma Jo’s Witch Hazel Spray (see my post Witch Hazel Diaper Rash Spray ~ When It Hurts Too Much To Touch)
 

 
I am forced to resort to using disposables with a prescription diaper cream if none of this works. However, this is truly a last resort for me because the rash always seems to get much worse before it gets better with this option.

In the future, I am going to consider buying disposable liners to place inside my cloth diapers so that I can use diaper cream and not have to use disposables. Also, Thirsties has a diaper cream which is safe for their diapers called “Booty Love.” (can be purchased on Amazon)  However, before I do either of these things I need to check the warranties on my diapers.

Do you get diaper rash even while using cloth? If so, what do you do to treat it?