I know this may seem bizarre coming from a website called “Green Drink Diaries,” but as a mother of a diaper rash prone daughter, I feel called to share the wealth of knowledge on how to stop diaper rash forever, all with ingredients you can eat!
At our house we try to avoid hygiene products with chemicals as much as possible. So, when at 11 months old (when breastfeeding came to a screeching halt and solid foods became more common) my daughter started developing severe, bleeding, cracking diaper rash, I became OBSESSED with finding a natural cure that worked.
After visiting several different websites and reading through my “What to Expect When….” type books, I came up with a few contenders to start with. Many women said that tea tree oil worked well with killing yeast diaper rash, so I mixed it with some olive oil and slathered it all over my baby’s bum for a few days only to see very little progress. It seemed every time she pooped it would start all over again and couldn’t heal.
Perhaps I gave up too soon, but I began to emotionally plummet into the belief that perhaps natural remedies weren’t strong enough for this horrible, bleeding rash. So, I ventured into the conventional products. I bought Boudreaux’s Butt Paste, A&D Ointment, Desitin Thick and Creamy, and an Avalon Organics diaper cream. I had the same result. The rash would somewhat heal but then after a poop going unnoticed for more than 5 minutes, it would come right back around to its awful condition again.
Finally, after weeks of this it divinely hit me. Perhaps I needed to double or triple up on the natural approaches? And THAT is what worked!
The BEST natural diaper rash cure in the world is as follows:
1. Vinegar and Tea Tree Oil Bath: Add 1 cup of white vinegar and 1/4 Tbsp tea tree oil to 2-3 inches of bath water (in a full-sized bath tub). Make sure there is enough water to cover your baby’s affected area. Try to keep baby in the tub to soak for 10-20 minutes if possible. Drain tub and wash baby with clean water. Towel dry baby and dry affected area well or with a blow dryer set on low to medium heat. Leave diaper off as long as possible after this to air area out. Leave diaper off as much as possible while treating diaper rash.
2. Coconut Oil Cream: Lather a thin layer of coconut oil on baby’s bottom and then diaper with a clean, loose, diaper. Avoid using baby wipes at changes. I also found that we needed to go ahead and buy the next size diaper (we went from size 3 to 4) to allow for more air to flow through. I believe this also contributed to my daughter’s bum healing. If you cloth diaper, make sure that you follow yeast cleansing protocols for your diapers.
3. Grapefruit Seed Extract Daily Spray: After the baby is healed, mix 15 drops grapefruit seed extract with 2 oz of water and add to a spray or spritzer bottle. Spray 3 squirts on baby after each diaper change. Once the rash is healed this will help keep yeast away. I still spray this on my daughter daily, especially when I see redness starting.
I only know this protocol from personal experience. Please follow all three steps for 3-4 days or until rash is gone. All of the listed products can be purchased at your local health foods store. Chronic diaper rash can also be a sign of a food allergy. If your child’s diaper rash worsens, please consult with your physician.
***UPDATE: 2/16/15: It has been almost 4 years since I wrote this post and now 2 more children later, I have learned how to avoid diaper rashes from getting this bad to begin with. I haven’t had to use this protocol since writing this post due to two big changes I’ve made. #1: Making my own baby wipes. Something about THIS RECIPE from Wellness Mama has helped a ton and keeps baby’s bum moisturized without the irritation of conventional wipes. #2: Applying Boudreaux’s Butt Paste Maximum Strength at the first sign of irritation. This stuff is amazing, and although not as “crunchy” or natural as I typically like, IT WORKS. Enough that I rarely have to use it, therefore reducing frequent exposure to chemicals.
My son always had the worst diaper rash. It would be so raw anything I put on it would just run off from the heat. Go to your cupboard and pull out the cornstarch and put it on liberally. By morning it was just a light pink instead of firehouse red. Came from a grandma who raised seventeen kids! Hope it works for you.
Please do NOT put cornstarch on a yeast rash! It will feed the yeast and make it worse. For a normal diaper rash caused by anything other than yeast, it’s fine to help dry the skin as a talc alternative, but please make sure you know what you’re dealing with before picking a remedy, as yeast is very different to a standard diaper rash.
Hi. My 21 month old has had a bad yeast rash for over three months. I’ve tried what seems like everything then came across this…woah. In addition to the calmoseptine I’ve been using this is helping. I did the bath for a week then stopped and now the rash is slowly creeping back. My concern is about the safety of using TTO for an extended period on a little boy. I am using no more than one tablespoon once a day. Do you have any opinions on how long it’s safe to use? We both want, need, the rash to be gone and I don’t want to give in and use steroids.
i have been trying for about a week with little improvements. Does the GSE spray make that much a difference?
My Son started with a diaper rash about 6 weeks ago! I have been treating and treating and treating, with everything and at this point feeling like a horrible mom. However, i know i am not alone. This YEAST MONSTER is going down!!! It all started after a 10 day reg. of ab, then boom his little bottom flared up. after 2 weeks of trying everything from your run of the mill diaper creams, including coconut oil and crisco, we took im to the ped. she prescribed Nystatin and Desatin. this help, but after 2 weeks, it still wasnt 100% gone. Then without warning he got another ear infection and yep you guessed it, another round of AB. Ped suggestion was to continue with the Nystatin, but instead of a ZO based cream we did hydrocortison cream for 1 week and Aquaphor for at all diaper changes. I was so excited, we made solid improvements, until last Wednesday when it exploded agian.Now i am at my witts end with this monster. I liked what you said about the coconut oil. Thinking I will try the viniger bath tomorrow night as well. How long doyou think before i will see results ?
It heals gradually, so keep up with the GSE spray, change poopy diapers immediately, and blow dry baby’s bottom often. Funny enough, I have a second baby now and she has a stubborn diaper rash as well now. I just made the GSE mixture today to start spraying on her. (:
I WILL DEFINITELY TRY THIS! I’VE BEEN USING THE TEA TREE OIL AND OLIVE OIL TREATMENT, IT WORKED WONDERS! CLEARED UP ALMOST COMPLETELY AFTER THE FIRST NIGHT. BUT EVERY TIME HE POOPS IT SEEMS TO COME BACK.SO HOPEFULLY THIS WORKS.
I WILL DEFINITELY TRY THIS! IVE BEEN USING THE TEA TREE OIL AND OLIVE OIL TREATMENT, IT WORKED WOUNDERS! CLEARED UP ALMOST COMPLETELY AFTER THE FIRST NIGHT. BUT EVERYTIME HE POOPS IT SEEMS TO COME BACK.SO HOPEFULLY THIS WORKS.
Ohh and if breastfeeding mom has to avoid sugars and watch carbs
I was told by my natropath(spelling?) that yeast rash is caused by candida – treatable by probiotics (Garden of Life kids) and 1 tsp of organic olive oil at least a day which smothers the yeast. We had to mix the olive oil with the probiotics and sweet potatoes and momma milk and give throughout the day.
Faith- Another great option. Thanks for sharing!
Hi,
I found coconut oil at my grocer . Is that the same as what you referenced above ? If not, where can I find the cream?
Yes- “coconut oil” is what you’re looking for. Organic would be best, but some is better than none.
Actually- when the rash is at its worst, I went ahead and blow-dried ANY form of wetness on my daughter and then diapered her up. Good question!
I actually have used ACV instead of white vinegar once when I didn’t have any white. Typically I have found white vinegar cheaper and available in larger quantities than ACV, so I used it instead. I say that white would be fine, but if you find the rash persistent after doing this, then try ACV and see. (:
I am going to try this. Mu poor 8 month old has such bad diaper rashes it has started to leave scars. I have tried desitin (worked for the first few episodes now it doesnt work), tried neosporen (lso helped a couple times now nothing). The dr told us to try triple paste and it does not work at all. I just started trying coconut oil since i always used it for a moisturizer for myself. I havent seen an improvement yet. I was also told I may be feeding her too much fruit, so now I will be giving more veggies.
I can clear her up and the first bowl she has its all raw, especially if I cant change her asap. We have used cloth but havent seen much difference. I am desperate so I will be getting everything above. Thanks
Thanks so much! I can’t wait to try an alternative to yucky Nystatin. With the GSE spray, do you wait for it to dry before diapering? Thanks!
Just wondering if you’ve ever sub’d Apple Cider Vin for White Vin as Ive been reading other articles that say the white vin actually feeds the yeast? Im not sure what to believe as it would seem that the ACV would feed it too? Just looking for your opinion as my DD has had this aweful rash for almost two weeks now and its driving me crazy!!!
Would you still recommend the tea tree oil with boys? I’ve read about some (rare) negative hormonal side effects in adolecent boys. I want to find a maintainence routine for my 16 month old once we get his rash under control.
Definitely look into that. I haven’t come across that in any of the reading I’ve done, but it sounds like it’s worth reassuring yourself with research.
Hi, I was wondering if you used concentrated tea tree oil and if not how much of the concentrated staff would you recommend for the bath?
Hi Anna- i just used standard tea tee oil which is naturally highly concentrated. I state the ratio above in the post.
Wow – such great advice and all natural too! Just my style. So relieved that I came across your site. Everything worked and we are back in business again thanks to your regimen. Thank you!!
This makes me so happy to hear!
Bookmarked! Thank you!
THANK YOU for this, it really is what I believe finally stopped the yeast rash (the bath primarily as I’d been doing the spray and coconut oil). I’m going to share it with everyone I know!!!
You’re WELCOME!!! (:
Thank you, I will try these. My 20 month old daugther occasionally will get really bad yeast diaper rashes (usually from too many strawberries or carrots, my husband thinks blueberries but I don’t think it is the blueberries). If I don’t diversify her fruit it tends to happen with the strawberries.
I used every product out there and found that Flander’s oinment worked wonders. Though I would rotate using Lotrimin-AF after one change, then Flander’s the next. But it never occured to me to try something more natural, thanks for the info.!
I swear by this protocol. I really hope it helps!!