Diaper Rash Creams and Ointments
It can make it much easier if you understand that even with all of the different diaper rash treatments on store shelves, they actually only include a few different active ingredients.These ingredients, which may be present alone or in combination with each other, can include:
- Petrolatum
- Zinc Oxide
- Lanolin
Diaper Rash Cream Differences
In addition to having different ingredients, various diaper rash creams and ointments also may have the same ingredients in different concentrations. For example, Desitin Original Diaper Rash Ointment has 40% Zinc Oxide, whereas most other diaper rash creams, including Desitin Creamy, only have 10% Zinc Oxide.Many diaper rash creams and ointments also include a number of inactive ingredients, such as aloe vera, vitamin E, and shea butter, that are supposed to help them work better. Boudreaux's Butt Paste, for example, contains petrolatum, mineral oil, paraffin wax, peruvian balsam, in addition to zinc oxide. Triple Paste medicated ointment, also contains zinc oxide, plus corn starch, lanolin, beeswax, and glycerine.
Choosing a Diaper Rash Cream
Understanding what is in each diaper rash cream won't necessarily help you in choosing a diaper rash cream for your baby. That is because there are no head-to-head studies showing that any one diaper rash cream is better than another. Therefore, you can likely just pick one that you like and that seems to work for you and your baby.If the diaper rash cream you are using isn't working, then consider switching to another with a different ingredient or higher concentrations of the same ingredient. You might also call your pediatrician to make sure your baby's lingering diaper rash hasn't turned into a yeast diaper rash.
