A diaper rash is hurting your baby, and you are worried about them. The baby’s skin is sensitive and soft. Sensitive skin is always more prone to irritation and rashes.
Nowadays, babies wear diapers 24/7, so their skin is exposed to bacteria from the moisture.
For all these issues, diaper cream is the best solution to prevent and treat diaper rash. It is essential to choose the best diaper cream and at the same time, its application is equally important.
How to Apply Diaper Cream?
The application of diaper cream is important, along with the selection of diaper cream. Follow the below-given steps for the proper application of diaper cream.
Change the baby’s diaper as you usually do. Wipe all the traces of excrement and check hidden areas. Open a clean diaper and place it under your child before applying cream because diaper cream can be messy regardless of the formula you choose.
When you are applying diaper cream, and your baby is on the changing pad or table, never leave your baby unattended. If your baby has a diaper rash, it is better to change the diaper on the floor and place a clean towel under your baby. If you want to change the diaper on the changing table, then buckle the child safely.
Most diaper creams spread quickly, so you only need to get a dime-sized amount to cover the baby’s bottom. A middle or index finger can be best for applying the cream. If you want a gentle touch, you can also use a ring finger.
Make sure that skin is completely dry and then apply a layer diaper cream over the irritated area. Rashes mostly develop in the fleshy buttock cheeks, but many children also have irritation around the anus.
Genital areas of both boys and girls are less likely to develop rashes, but they can still occur. So carefully apply any diaper cream on the outer genital skin, and it is safe to use for both treatment and prevention. However, never apply diaper cream inside your daughter’s vagina.
Do check out other posts if you wish to know about using too much diaper cream.
If some part of the cream is left behind on your finger, you can rub it onto the clean diaper. Otherwise, you can wipe it with a clean wipe. Now fasten the diaper around the legs of your diaper as you usually do.
Now, you have done with a diaper change, and placed your kid at the safe place, wash your hands with soap. Diaper creams repel water, so you might need to do extra scrubbing to remove all the cream from your skin.
What is the purpose of a diaper cream?
Before going into the details of how to apply diaper cream, it is important to understand its purpose. Diaper cream can be used for two purposes, such as:
Diaper cream acts as a barrier between the baby’s skin and irritated area. Potential irritants include excrement, moisture, acids from foods, and chemicals in diapers.
If the skin is already affected, diaper cream can act as a healer. Diaper cream contains ingredients that moisturize and soothe the skin. Diaper cream offers a moisture barrier that helps skin healing without further irritation. It helps to kill yeast and treat yeast-based rashes.
We also found 27 unexpected uses of diaper cream here. It is a useful guide if you got expiring or leftover diaper cream in the future.
How to Prevent Diaper Rash?
You can prevent diaper rash by following the proper diapering technique. It has been seen that many diaper rashes clear up on their own when you follow the proper diapering techniques. When you change the baby’s diaper frequently, it can prevent rashes. Keep your baby’s skin exposed to open air and clean to prevent rash. Proper diapering techniques involve:
- Frequent diaper changes, generally after every two hours or so. Or you can change after every poop.
- Don’t completely rely on wipes to clean the stool off the skin. Wash the baby’s skin with warm water.
- Don’t use soap every time for cleaning the stool.
- Use alcohol-free baby wipes.
- Allow enough time for the baby’s skin to get dry.
- Fasten a new diaper when the baby’s skin is completely dry.
- The fresh diaper shouldn’t be too tight on the baby’s skin.
- If you are using cloth diapers, wash them thoroughly to remove all the bacteria.
- Wash your hands after each diaper change.
By following all these diapering techniques, you can stop rashes from appearing.
When to Apply Diaper Cream?
If you have done everything right, but still rashes develop on the baby’s skin, now you will have to apply diaper cream. You can apply diaper cream after every diaper change. If you feel it’s too much, you can use it once in the morning and again before sleeping. It is necessary to apply diaper cream during nighttime diaper changes because, during nighttime, diapers hug your baby’s bum for more than six hours. Start using diaper cream as soon as you start to see the signs of diaper rash. Apply diaper cream in case of:
- Skin inflammation or redness
- When your baby passes loose stool periods. Loose stools can be due to teething, diarrhea, or antibiotic medication.
- When your baby starts eating solid foods. Solid food changes the composition of stool, and it can result in rashes in the diaper area.
Conclusion
It is important to know the best diaper cream and how to apply diaper cream. You can use diaper cream to prevent and treat rashes. Moreover, you can prevent diaper rash by following the proper diapering techniques. You can apply a diaper cream after every diaper change or at least twice a day. Properly apply the diaper cream on the bottom of your baby and wash your hands.