Horrendously dry skin in diaper area...help?

[Kim22]

Luke has horribly dry skin in his diaper area. It feels like excema, if you know what that feels like. What is something natural that I can fix it with? Help!

[velcromom]

I use unrefined shea butter (whipped to spread more easily) on my own and my ds's excema. I also have seen improvements in his skin with a lotion containing olive oil and acv. It could also be made with rice bran oil which is very good for skin too.

For a slightly worse rash that has seems to be at the flaking/peeling stage, and is red, emu oil helps to reduce the redness and pain and is moisturizing.

But for a severe, blistering weeping breakout of excema, I have unfortunately found nothing short of hydrocortisone cream to be of any help. The natural remedies are helpful for less severe rashes.

[Ruthla]

Are you sure it's dry skin and not a reaction to something in the diaper laundry. Does he have dry skin anywhere else?

[Kim22]

Originally Posted by Ruthla

Are you sure it's dry skin and not a reaction to something in the diaper laundry. Does he have dry skin anywhere else?

Nope, I'm not sure. ??? I've tried switching detergents and that hasn't helped. After reading a few threads in this forum, I think I'm going to stop using detergent for a while and see if that helps.

He gets really rashy from wetness. Even using pocket diapers 100% of the time wasn't helping. The only thing that seems to be helping is Aquaphor. (I know that's not natural, but I used it based on someone else's recommendation for the rash and it helps!) If I keep a thick coating of that on his diaper area then he seems to be fine. As soon as I try to skip an application, the rash comes back. I'm using all fleece or suedecloth lined diapers to help keep wetness away, but it doesn't seem to be helping.

Wanna hear something very strange? He looks the best during his first diaper change in the morning, after sleeping in the same diaper for 8-10 hours. That doesn't make sense to me! ??? Once I start his changes for the day, the rash starts to come back.

The chapped spots aren't always there. They were there yesterday when I posted this question, but now they're gone. I applied Burt's Bees Apricot Oil on the spots and apparently it helped. (I think the Aquaphor helps, too.)

Any ideas what's causing this? I am running out of theories! :LOL

[velcromom]

Since you say he looks better in the morning after not being changed at night, perhaps there is something in the wipes solution that is irritating his skin?

[Kim22]

Originally Posted by velcromom

Since you say he looks better in the morning after not being changed at night, perhaps there is something in the wipes solution that is irritating his skin?

That's a great theory...but we only use plain water in a wipe warmer. Confusing, huh?

[alegna]

I was going to suggest plain water for wipes and LOTS of Burt's Bees oil, but that looks to be what you're doing already! I also like the Burt's Bees diaper cream... I haven't had a problem with dd having dry skin, but after the burt's diaper cream has been on awhile the area seems very mosturized if that makes any sense.

hope you get it worked out.

-Angela

[mamaBlue]

I like emu oil, too.

[alegna]

I had another thought... you said plain water in a wipes warmer... sometimes hot/warm water makes sensitve skin drier. Have you tried using cold water (or cool) instead?

good luck!

-Angela

[Autumnschild]

My oldest dd is potty-trained but still wears dipes at night. She has the same awful red dry scaly skin from wearing them. Only, she doesn't wear them during the day. However, her rash does seem to dry out even more as the day goes by. I think it has to do with the acidity of her urine because I have tried different detergents and even no detergent.

We use a natural lotion with an olive oil base. It doesn't cure the rash but takes the scaliness away. I use hydrocortisone cream when it starts to itch b/c I don't know what else to do.

Sorry, I have no answers for you...just wanted to let you know you aren't alone!

[Autumnschild]

Here, I found the lotion/salve we use. It's called HerbEase and has cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil, St. Johns Wort, comfrey, plantain, chickweed, calendula and beeswax. It was sent to me as a gift from Michigan, and I don't know where to get it, but there is an email address on the label: [e-mail]. You might be able to find out where to get it.

I use it on dd's eczema. My MIL sends it to me for that reason.

[meco]

weleda diaper cream

[FillingMyQuiver]

Originally Posted by meco

weleda diaper cream

link???..... we have similar dry patches and would like to moisturize them w/ something natural

[naturalmother]

Wanna hear something very strange? He looks the best during his first diaper change in the morning, after sleeping in the same diaper for 8-10 hours. That doesn't make sense to me! ??? Once I start his changes for the day, the rash starts to come back.

Does it look red, scaly and rough? We had the exact same issue with DD and we were using just plain water too! I was baffled! When she would stay in the same diaper for hours (overnight) the rash would tone down, and when we would start regular changes throughout the day, the rash would get alot worse. So odd. That's why we started EC. She does her business and then I rinse her bottom with water and then dry with a cloth. And the rash is still there. WTF.

I have used cold, warm and hot water. Didn't make a difference.

I am guessing that maybe our babies skin doesn't like frequent wiping or even frequent contact with water? Or maybe it's the acidity of the urine like someone else mentioned. I don't know what else to make of it.

[mommyto2]

Just a thought. Maybe instead of plain water in the warmer, put a few teaspoons of olive oil in the water and a few drops of lavender essential oil. DD had no issues at all with this solution. Also, water in a warmer? Doesn't that allow bacteria to grow? Just wondering... The Lavender EO would cure that.

If you use detergent, use vinegar in the rinse cycle to help get rid of all detergent residue. Vinegar will help whiten the diapers too.

A remedy for the excema that might help (helped a friend with a bad case) is Tamanu Oil by New Chapter. She said it was amazing.

[Autumnschild]

Dd's rash is about the size of my fist and today it went from red and scaly to cracked. She came screaming out of the bathroom after she peed b/c some urine got on it and it burned. I have had to resort to using the steroid cream prescribed. I don't know if it will help, and I hate the idea of it but the oils and lotions haven't been working. I have to do something! I will continue my search...

[Kim22]

It's getting better!!! Hooray! Here's what worked...

I quit wiping him during "wet only" changes. Also, I have to put a fleece liner inside of our Fuzzi Bunz! His skin is that sensitive to wetness! His diaper area is looking almost back to normal now!

Thanks for your help!

[naturalmother]

I quit wiping him during "wet only" changes.

I have been doing that since I last wrote.. and it worked! There are only a few tiny pink spots left.