The 9 Best Diaper Rash Creams for Babies

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Even with superabsorbent diaper technology and frequent diaper changes, diaper rash can happen from time to time. It's worth having a good diaper rash cream on hand to help settle your little one’s skin and help prevent the condition from reoccurring. To help you choose the best diaper rash cream for your baby, we surveyed more than 10,000 Pampers Parents. Discover their favorite products here as well as some pros and cons of each.

What Is Diaper Rash and What Causes It?

Diaper rash is a rash that can appear around your baby’s diaper area. It usually makes your baby’s skin red and tender. It’s sometimes accompanied by red bumps, scaly skin, and—in more severe cases—blisters or open sores. Diaper rash often forms when urine or poop irritates your baby’s skin, such as when she’s been in a wet or dirty diaper a little too long. However, there are several other potential causes of diaper rash, including:

• A diaper that’s too tight

• A diaper that chafes against your baby’s skin

• An allergic reaction to certain soaps, laundry detergents, fragrances, baby wipes, or even certain foods

• A skin infection caused by fungi or bacteria

• A yeast infection that’s brought on by your baby taking antibiotics, which can lead to an overgrowth of yeast.

How to Treat Diaper Rash

Here are some things you can do to help treat or prevent diaper rash:

1. Change your baby’s diaper often. This is typically the best way to clear up or prevent diaper rash.

2. Use superabsorbent, disposable diapers. This is particularly important if you’re treating diaper rash.

3. Clean your baby’s bottom carefully and gently during each diaper change. Use fragrance-free and alcohol-free wipes or rinse your baby’s bottom with warm water.

4. Ideally, let your baby’s bottom air-dry. If not, pat your baby’s bottom completely dry after cleaning it during a diaper change.

5. Apply a thick layer of diaper rash cream or ointment. You might like to get your baby’s healthcare provider’s advice about how to apply diaper rash cream, especially if the provider has prescribed a cream for a more severe diaper rash.

6. Make sure your baby’s diapers fit properly. If they’re too tight, there isn’t enough airflow, the diaper might chafe against the skin, and urine or poop might be held against your baby’s skin—all of which can increase the risk of diaper rash.

7. Connect with your baby’s healthcare provider for advice, especially if the diaper rash doesn’t clear up within 48 to 72 hours, or if it gets worse.

Types of Diaper Rash Creams and Ointments

Diaper rash creams often have a base ingredient of either petroleum jelly or zinc oxide, both of which serve as a barrier to protect the skin from damaging moisture. You might want to experiment with the different base ingredients to see what works best for your baby. For example, Aquaphor is a classic petroleum-jelly-based product, and Desitin is a well-known zinc-oxide-based product. Other ingredients are sometimes added, among them aloe vera and calendula, which one study has shown to be effective in treating diaper rash. If your baby’s diaper rash is more severe or is caused by a yeast infection, your baby’s healthcare provider may recommend or prescribe a special cream or ointment such as a gentle hydrocortisone cream (a steroid cream), an antifungal cream, or an antibiotic. If you're unsure which diaper rash cream might be best for your little one, consult your baby’s healthcare provider.

What to Consider When Choosing a Diaper Rash Cream

We polled Pampers Parents to find out what they look for in a diaper rash cream. These are the top features they felt were worth considering when choosing a diaper rash cream:

• Effectiveness — in that it works quickly at healing the diaper rash

• Safe on your baby’s sensitive skin

• Made with the least amount of chemicals

• Hypoallergenic

• Fragrance-free

• Ease of application — that is, it goes on smoothly and not too thickly

• Not too messy and easy to wash off your hands

• Made with natural ingredients

• Affordability.

9 Best Diaper Rash Creams and Ointments

More than 10,000 Pampers Parents voted for the best diaper rash creams. Here are the top nine creams as chosen by Pampers Parents: