We were pretty lucky in the diaper rash department, but if your baby is afflicted, you’ll want to find an organic diaper cream without chemicals (common culprits are parabens and BHA).
Do Cloth Diapers Prevent Diaper Rash?
My hunch is that cloth diapers are less likely to cause diaper rash than are disposables because cotton is more breathable than plastic, but I haven’t found studies to support this idea.
Note: If you are using cloth diapers, you’ll want to avoid any diaper rash cream that contains zinc, as it can build up in the diaper and render it less effective. I’ve indicated below which rash treatments have zinc.
My Pick for Best Organic Diaper Rash Cream
Green Goo Organic Miracle Baby Balm
I’ve compiled a long list of customer emails from thrilled parents who have tried Green Goo’s Baby Balm. It’s hard to find a natural, organic diaper cream that does the trick, but this one does. It also has the safest list of ingredients of any of the Good Stuff brands.
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Coconut as Cure-All
I tend to think of coconut oil as a reasonable first-try cure for most ailments, and diaper rash is no exception. Try smearing a little on your baby’s bottom with a Q-tip.
If you want a rash treatment more tailored for tushies, Check out the Good Stuff below.
Good Stuff
Babo Botanicals Oatmilk Calendula Soothing Diaper Cream
This popular diaper cream relies on beeswax, watercress, and vitamin E to soothe sore bums and create a moisture barrier. This cream contains contain zinc oxide, but Babo founder Kate Solomon says they have tested the cream on cloth diapers and it rinsed out completely, leaving no residue.
How to Get this Organic Diaper Cream: We now offer Babo in our online store, where you’ll pay $13 for a 3-ounce tube.
Cost per ounce: $4.50
Babo also makes a Healing Baby Ointment that works well as a diaper cream.
Ingredients: Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Oil,Zinc Oxide,Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil,Coconut (Cocos Nucifera) Oil*,Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter*,Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax,Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Extract*,Lecithin,Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter*,(Nutri-Soothe™ Complex:) [Calendula (Calendula Officinalis) Flower Extract*,Vegetable Glycerin,Chamomile (Anthemis Nobilis) Flower Extract*,Nasturtium Officinale Leaf Extract*,Kudzu (Pueraria Lobata) Root Extract*,Meadowsweet (Spiraea Ulmaria) Extract*]
Badger Zinc Oxide Diaper Cream
Badger makes a great zinc everyday diaper cream for preventing diaper rash before it begins, or treating it once it’s started.
Cost per ounce: 5.17
Ingredients: Mineral Zinc Oxide, Organic Sunflower Oil, Organic Beeswax, Organic Calendula Extract and Sunflower Vitamin E.
California Baby Diaper Rash Cream
California Baby Diaper Rash Cream scores a 2 on EWG’s Skin Deep database because it contains lanolin (the others on this list all score a zero if they have been reviewed by EWG.) All the other ingredients in this organic diaper cream are safe, and it’s a long list of them—everything from tea tree oil to wild pansy extract. I am including it here for those of you who are okay with lanolin, which is effective in serious cases of diaper rash. CONTAINS ZINC (which will ruin cloth diapers).
How to Get This Organic Diaper Cream: Amazon. You’ll pay about $18 for a 2.9-ounce tube.
Cost per ounce: $6.20
Ingredients: Zinc Oxide 12% (active); Glyceryl Starch, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Ultra-Purified Lanolin, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Caprylate,Cocos Nucifera(Coconut) Oil,Euphorbia Cerifera(Candelilla) Wax, Stearyl Glycyrrhetinate (Licorice),Lavandula Angustifolia(Lavender) Oil,Melaleuca Alternifolia(Tea Tree) Leaf Oil.
Earth Mama Organic Diaper Balm
We love pretty much everything Earth Mama, and this diaper balm is no exception. This new version is 100% organic and cloth-diaper safe.
Cost per ounce: $6.50
Ingredients: Organic Olive (Olea Europaea) Fruit Oil, Organic Shea (Butyrospermum Parkii) Butter, Organic Beeswax (Cera Flava), Organic Jojoba (Simmondsia Chinensis) Seed Oil, Organic Lavender (Lavandula Angustifolia) Flower Oil, Organic Tea Tree (Melaleuca Alternifolia) Leaf Oil, Organic Calendula (Calendula Officinalis) Flower Extract, Organic St. John’s Wort (Hypericum Perforatum) Extract, Organic Chickweed (Stellaria Media) Extract, Organic Plantain (Plantago Major) Extract
Green Goo Baby Balm
Sierra Sage Baby Balm is free of lanolin and all ingredients are organic (including olive oil, calendula, beeswax, and chamomile). This balm doubles as a cradle cap and dry skin treatment, and we have been overwhelmed by the positive feedback, with more than one customer calling it a “miracle” product.
Cost Per Ounce: $8.78
ACTIVE INGREDIENTS (*ORGANIC):
*Achillea Millefolium (Yarrow) Extract, *Calendula Officinalis (Calendula) Flower Oil, *Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower, *Symphytum Officinale (Comfrey) Leaf Powder.
INACTIVE INGREDIENTS:
*Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, *Cera Alba (Beeswax), *Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, *Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil.
MADE OF Organic Diaper Rash Cream
Made Of’s Organic Diaper Rash Cream uses non-nano zinc oxide to create a protective moisture barrier, and organic soothers like avocado and argan oils to heal irritated skin.
Cost per ounce: $7.20
Active ingredients
Non-Nano Zinc Oxide 14.0%
Inactive ingredients
Helianthus Annus (Sunflower) Seed Oil*, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil*, Cera Alba (Beeswax)*, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter*, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil*, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil*, Argania Spinosa (Argan) Oil*, Tocopherol *Certified Organic
Noleo Duo Baby Wipes System
Noleo’s system is an environmentally friendly way to streamline diaper changes. You simply apply the cleanser (made of 5 safe ingredients) and wipe with the organic cotton pads. It leaves a transparent protective layer on your baby’s bottom, and you will see a significant reduction in diaper rash within just a few uses.
Cost per ounce: $2.81
Ingredients: Water, Organic Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Glyceryl Stearate, Organic Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Beeswax, Calcium Hydroxide
Poofy Happy Tush Diaper Balm
Like other Poofy products, their Happy Tush diaper balm contains organic apricot oil and lots of cocoa and shea butters. Fans say that you can use it on eczema, too. (Poofy also makes a Tush Stick that’s safe for cloth diapers).
Use code: MAIAJAMES for 10% off
Cost per ounce: $9.00
Ingredients: Organic Beeswax, Organic Sunflower Oil, Organic Cocoa Butter, Organic Unrefined Shea Butter, Organic Virgin Coconut Oil, Zinc Oxide (non-nano), Organic Lavender (Lavandula Angustifolia) Essential Oil, Organic Roman Chamomile (Anthemis Nobilis) Essential Oil, Organic Tea Tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) Essential Oil.
Bad Stuff
Dyprotex Ultra Medicated Diaper Rash Ointment Pads
Stay away from Dyprotex Ultra Medicated Diaper Rash Ointment Pads. Fragrance and propylparaben are a couple of good reasons to skip them, despite their effectiveness.
Palmer’s Diaper Rash Cream and Bottom Butter
Boudreaux’s Butt Paste
Boudreaux’s Butt Paste is made almost entirely of petroleum derivatives, including paraffin, petrolatum, and mineral oil.
Sneaky Stuff
Avalon Organics Diaper Balm
Avalon Organics makes a diaper balm that contains retinyl palmitate (linked with cancer and reproductive toxicity).
Weleda Diaper Cream
What a disappointment to those of us who forever trusted Weleda to learn that their Calendula Diaper Care contains a handful of toxic ingredients (like limonene and geraniol, along with lanolin), and is rated a 4 out of 10 (“moderately hazardous”) on Skin Deep.
171 comments
Chloe
It looks like Broudreaux’s Butt paste has changed their formula. It now says Paraben-, preservative- and phthalate-free under each of the three past options. Is this true?
Maia James
Don’t know that one, but will add to list for a future investigation!
Maia James
Quick glance suggests it’s Good Stuff—will do a more thorough investigation when we update this guide!
Rachel
Wondering if you know much about Rocky Mountain Soap Co. products (https://www.rockymountainsoap.com). I’ve been loving their Baby Bum Balm for my little one, and am convinced their Belly Butter saved me from stretch marks during my pregnancy. Would love to know your thoughts on their products!
Jamie
What about Kissaluvs Diaper Lotion Potion Spray and concentrate?
Maia James
Hi there. I’m not a fan of Mustela. There are many other safe brands of diaper rash cream!
Maia James
I haven’t looked into this new line, but thanks for putting it on my radar. Will definitely look into it.
Shalimar
I really enjoyed this, however, I wanted to share that my experience was that cloth diapers do not help with diaper rash.
My niece was set up with cloth diapers before birth, but she was born with extremely sensitive skin. Unfortunately, when wearing cloth diapers she would get a terrible rash that wouldn’t go away, even with copious applications of cream—we tried every kind we could find in stores. We learned that using disposable diapers helped it clear up and mostly prevented the diaper rash. I think it is because of the way that disposable diapers can pull the urine away from the skin, whereas cloth will absorb but continually touch the skin. We only noticed the pattern because we would occasionally use the diapers they give you in the hospital and the others we had received as gifts. It was really sad for me to have to admit that cloth wouldn’t work for her, because I was her nanny and I wanted to make the cloth diapers work so badly. We worked on it for three months, but in the end we couldn’t get the terrible rash to go away with cloth so she got switched to disposables. That was 9 years ago and now I’m having a baby and will not be using disposables. I’m hopeful that things work out better for me, and I’m glad I found this to help me pick out a safe and natural cream for my little one.Nida
Hello, love your website we just discovered it recently. Please tell how the Mustela 1,2,3 diaper rash cream is? Would love to know if its good stuff that we can use on our baby :) thanks a ton!
Maia James
No, I wouldn’t call this Good Stuff.