Diaper rashes are a common occurrence with babies. Diaper rash can really be nasty and discomfort to the baby. Home remedies for diaper rash can come in very handy at times, even becoming go-to treatments among parents. Knowing how to use home remedies is always accompanied with some questions. Hopefully here are few remedies that will be able to aide you and make your baby more comfortable.
Symptoms of Diaper Rashes
- Pinkness/ redness in the nappy area
- Peeling skin
- Increased skin sensitivity
- Development of bumps
- Swelling of the affected area.
Causes of a Diaper Rashes
- Irritation because of urine/stool
- Bacterial/ fungal infection
- Constant chafing or rubbing
- Change in diet
- Allergy to a new product.
Home Remedies To Treat Diaper Rash
Generally many mums swear by the chemical-free, old school methods of home remedies, and well they seem to work like magic! In fact, most diaper rashes need just that, unless the rash is too severe to require the medical intervention.
Coconut Oil
A fairly simple item to find in any household has huge benefits when it comes to treating diaper rashes! Coconut oil is known to have antibacterial and antimicrobial properties and also provides a soothing effect on baby’s irritated skin.
- Gently apply a thin layer of coconut oil on the diaper area. Repeat this process a couple of times in a day.
- You can also add a few tablespoons of coconut oil in the baby’s bath water as this will provide extra moisturisation.
Oatmeal Bath
Oatmeal, which contains chemical compound saponin, is very good for skin. Oatmeal is protein rich which helps soothing skin. Dried oatmeal is easily available.
- Add 2 table spoon of oatmeal to baby’s bath water. Soak it for 10-15 minutes before use. Apply it on baby’s skin and wash it with more water.
- Do this two time a day for 3-4 days and you will see clean smooth skin reemerging without any traces of rash.
- Add 1 tablespoon dried oatmeal to your baby’s bath. It protects the skin and soothes the rashes.
Vinegar
Generally vinegar helps neutralize the ammonia that found in urine, gets rid of any soap buildup, and gets rid of diaper smells.
- Vinegar can be used in two different ways depending on which types of diapers you are using. If you are using reusable types of diapers then you can use vinegar to wash the diaper. This will completely remove all traces of ammonia on the diaper.
- Another way is to use is to wash the skin is mixture of water and vinegar.
Corn Starch
Corn Starch helps healing of rashes fast. We are all so used to use cosmetic products such as talcum powder on baby’s bottom to keep the area dry.
Some skins are sensitive to the perfumes used in talcum powders causing rashes. Corn starch is a better natural substitute. Sprinkle cornstarch instead of Talcum Powder on your babies diaper place.
Olive oil
Take a teaspoon of olive oil and add half a teaspoon of water. Mix it well to make emulsion. Wipe and dry diaper area of baby! Apply the emulsion on the area and let it dry for 10-15 minutes before putting on new diaper.
The emulsified olive oil makes a thin protective film on the skin which doesn’t allow the acidic urine to penetrate skin, thereby preventing diaper rash.
Vaseline
Apply Vaseline on the baby’s bottom and affected area to make it a waterproof layer between baby’s skin and diaper. This reduces the diaper rash.
How to prevent diaper rashes ?
There are a few ways to help prevent a diaper rash. Changing your baby’s diaper often, washing your baby’s bottom with warm water at every change, and patting their bottom dry as opposed to wiping are a few keys to preventing a rash from occurring.
Try and be sure that the diaper is not too tight. If you can let your baby run around with no diaper, it can be an effective way to prevent diaper rashes (although it’s not the most practical at times).
Diaper rashes can be severe sometimes. let us understand how these severe rashes are formed and how home remedies can be a better option to both treat the rash as well as protect the sensitive skin of the child.
