Cloth Questions: Rashes and Rash Cream

I would like to welcome everyone to our first week of answering your cloth diaper questions.  Today's questions comes from Kristi on our facebook page.  She writes: "My baby has a really red bottom today after two dirty diapers in a row. Is there any diaper cream that I can use with my cloth diapers or am I stuck using from my disposable stash because I have several tubes of Boudreax ButtPaste and Desitin that were gifts. And why does this happen more with dirty diapers than the wet ones?"

I am going to break her question down into different parts.  First "Is there any diaper cream that I can use with my cloth diapers".    Yes!!  There are plenty of great cloth friendly diaper rash creams.  We carry three different cloth friendly creams.  One of my personal favorites is Earth Mama Angel Baby's Bottom Balm.  It is allergy tested, vegan, and made with organic olive oil.  It is infused with a blend of antibacterial and antifungal herbs that promote healing.

We also carry Eco Sprout Bottom Balm.  It comes in a 2oz twist up tube (think glue stick).  It is made with all natural ingredients and essential oils.  The twist up tube design makes it great for a hands free, mess free application to baby's bottom.  They also recommend it for any dry skin area on your or baby.

Our third cloth friendly rash cream is Grandma El's Diaper Rash Remedy and Prevention.  It creates a breathable barrier and promotes healing.

There are also many other brands available.  CJs BUTTer, Motherlove, and California Baby are the first that come to mind.  Organic coconut oil is also very popular in the cloth diapering community, and another personal favorite of mine.

You can also use those non-cloth friendly rash creams that were gifts as well!  The key is protecting your diapers from these creams.  Creams like ButtPaste and Desitin use different oils that do not wash out like the creams mentioned above.  They will stay on your diapers and repel urine and cause leaks.  The simple answer is to use a liner.  We sell a disposable liner made by Eco Sprout that lays nicely into the diaper and will protect the surface.  You can also cut up scraps of fabric or old blankets to make a liner.  Fleece is often the most popular choice of fabric because it provides a stay dry surface as well.  This is also what you would need to do if you ever need a prescription rash cream and still wish to use your cloth diapers. 


Now for the second part of Kristi's question:  "why does this happen more with dirty diapers than the wet ones?"

First, let's talk about urine.  When your baby first pees, their urine is sterile.   Exposure to sterile urine will not cause a rash.  But as baby sits in that diaper, the urine mingles with naturally existing bacteria and that causes a change in pH which can lead to rashes. This is not immediate, which is why we don't see as many rashes caused from just wet diapers.

One other thing to note.  There are certain foods which will change the pH of urine.  Highly acidic food (citrus, tomatoes) can cause a pH change, making urine irritating to the skin during the initial pee.  If you are in the process of introducing new foods to your baby, keep an eye out for foods that irritate baby's skin.

Now onto the poop. 

Poop naturally contains more skin irritating substances which can cause rashes quickly.  Especially in back to back dirty diapers where the skin hasn't had a chance to heal from the first poop.  Poop is also affected by the food we eating for changes in pH too.  Mandarin oranges were never kind to my son's bottom.

If you have a frequent pooper like my son, or just a baby with a red bottom, there are a few things you can do to heal up that redness fast.   Getting exposure to air will help the skin heal faster than putting a diaper immediately back on baby.  When  my son was younger I used to spread out old bath towels on the floor and let him have his tummy time naked on the towels.  If he peed, it didn't both me and I'd just toss them in the wash.  When he was older we had to be more creative to give him his naked time. 

Another solution to expose baby to more air if naked time isn't feasible, is to choose a more breathable diaper.  You can choose a fitted diaper or prefolds.  These diapers are great if you are at home.  You can let baby go around the house without a cover and just monitor for when the diaper becomes too wet.  You can also use a fleece or a wool cover for added protection. 

One final note about rashes.  If you use disposable wipes, you may want to consider switching to cloth wipes and plain water.  Most disposable wipes contain some alcohol or other additives which can potentially aggravate the already sensitive skin.  If baby seems really sore, just splash water on their skin and avoid using wipes altogether. 

Does anyone else have any additional tips??

Email Leslie to participate in our weekly cloth diaper question post!

Weekly Cloth Questions

I would like to make this blog more than just new products and sales.  I want to help answer your questions.  I am emailed frequently individual customer questions, but I bet that there are many out there with the same question. 

So - please email me your questions about cloth diapering!   Anything goes!  Send your email to Leslie at    leslie@carolinacloth.com and I will pick a question to answer once a week!

Thanks!  I look forward to answering your questions
--Leslie

BumGenius Freetime AIO - Buy 5 Get 1 Free

This sale is for solid colors only (sorry folks, I know Albert and Lovelace are crowd favorites, but I must play by their rules)

This is a great offer if you love their trim design all-in-one.

There is no set end date to the sale, but bumGenius can end it any time without warning.

Click HERE to take advantage of this sale today!

One Year Anniversary!

I can't believe that we have been in business for one year!  This little idea of teaching people to use cloth diapers that popped into my head last summer, became a reality and has lasted a full year.  

I have met some wonderful parents during my classes and home consultations.  It has been a great experience for me personally and for promoting the use of cloth diapers. 

To thank all of you who have made my business and dream possible, I am offering a 15% off sale for the next two days.  Just use the coupon code = YEAR15 = to save 15% off of your entire order.  Thank you all so much!

GoGreen Champ 3.0 vs 2.0

I would like to introduce all of you to our newest product, the GoGreen Champ 3.0.  This post is going to be a picture comparison of the Champ 2.0 and the new and improved Champ 3.0.  It is not a secret that the GoGreen Champ 2.0 is one of my favorite pocket diapers.  I am happy to report that they have kept my favorite features in the new 3.0 version. 

Below you will find a white GoGreen 2.0 (left) and the new Crasily Paisley print for the 3.0 (right). 

GoGreen has kept one of my favorite features - the rainbow snaps!  These snaps are a very daddy friendly addition in my household.  Notice that the 2.0 seems to be larger than the 3.0.  I'll explain my theory behind that with the help of a future picture. 

White 2.0 left   :   Paisley 3.0 right

Sorry for the fuzzy picture for the inside shot.  You can see that the most drastic difference is the look of the gusset (I have another better picture of this!)  You can also notice that the gusset on the 3.0 gives more puckering around the legs compared to the 2.0.  I believe this is why in the previous picture the 3.0 looks deceptively smaller than the 2.0.  I think they are really the same size, just with tighter elastic on the 3.0. 

2.0 Gusset

Here is a close up of the 2.0 gusset.  The gusset is sewn as part of the pocket fabric.

3.0 Gusset

Whereas the gusset of the 3.0 is a completely separate piece of fabric.  There is one piece of fabric that constitutes the pocket of the diaper, and each side has its own separate gusset.  This creates a 'bowl' look to the diaper.  I would imagine that these gussets will catch anything and everything from your baby.

3.0 Gusset

You can see in this picture that the gusset goes almost the entire length of the diaper and is separate from the pocket fabric.

2.0 left   :   3.0 right

Something else I noticed is that the insert for the 3.0 has an added snap.  They are both the same length, but the 3.0 can snap down to allow parents some ease in stuffing the insert into the diaper when it is set to its smallest snap setting. 

I am really excited about the new gusset on the 3.0.  Now I just need a baby in diapers to try it out!

I do have a few disappointments with the new Champ 3.0 though.  I love the 2.0 fuzzy prints.  It would have been so much fun to have that zebra print in a fuzzy diaper!  But all of the prints on the new 3.0 are smooth, just like the solid colors.  I am also sad to see the price increase.  The Champ 2.0s were a very popular seller for me because they were less expensive than the other major brands.  With the price increase, it is sad to see that they still only come with one microfiber insert, where as similarly priced diapers all come with two inserts. 

But those are just small disappointments.  I think the performance of the Champ 3.0 will prove itself to be a great pocket diaper!

The Champ 3.0 will be released on 8/7/12 - but for now you can take a peek at the listing :)

International Breastfeeding Week (Aug 1-7)

We are having a 10% off sale on all of our breastfeeding products during International Breastfeeding Week (August 1st- 7th)

Click below to see our breastfeeding related products

Earth Mama Angel Baby Booby Tubes


Earth Mama Angel Baby Nipple Butter

Earth Mama Angel Baby Milk Maid Tea

Fuzzibunz Reusable breastpads

Thanks and happy shopping!!


How are you celebrating International Breastfeeding Week?  How long have you breastfed your baby?

New Product: Knickernappies One Size Diaper

New Product!  Knickernappies One Size Diaper is now part of the Carolina Cloth one size diaper line up!

The Knickernappies One Size Diaper is the first of its kind: a side-snapping, onesize diaper that comes with TWO inserts made in the USA! (Yes, even the inserts are USA-made!) 
Now it's also an award-winning diaper!  Winner of a Best Products Award from iParenting Media!




Knickernappies OneSize Diapers have some great features:

• Four size adjustments to fit your baby best -- Small, Medium Short, Medium, and Large
• Tested to fit babies from about 8 lbs to 40 lbs
• Two inserts with every diaper, sizes small & large, and the inserts are Made in the USA!
• A scooped tummy panel & topstitching for best fit under chubby baby bellies
• Buttery-soft, non-pill fleece inner to keep your baby dry and comfortable
• Elastic on both sides of the pocket opening to hold the insert in place
• Very gentle Lastin elastic in the leg and waist - no red marks!
• Lastin elastic is long lasting and can't "go out" like regular elastic
• Two Year Guarantee on elastic and lifetime guarantee on snaps.

Instructions for use: Adjust the rise snaps so the diaper fits near your baby's belly button.  Slide an insert into the pocket (small insert for smaller rise settings, large insert for the medium & large rise settings).  Make sure the insert is flat, then fasten the diaper around your baby.  Adjust the waist snaps and hip snaps accordingly for a custom fit.  When soiled, remove the diaper from your baby, remove the insert, and place both insert and pocket diaper into the diaper pail.

Contents:
Outer - laminated polyester (PUL)
Inner - polyester non-pill fleece

Diaper made in the USA.
Inserts made in the USA.

Check out our Knickernappies diaper today!