How to Treat Diaper Rash in 3 Easy Steps

Treating diaper rash in 3 easy steps

If your baby has diaper rash, you want to make him/her feel better fast. With DESITIN^® products and some tender loving care, you can help your baby feel better and help heal and prevent diaper rash from recurring. In fact, 88% of moms agree: Nothing works faster than DESITIN^® ointment.

Three important steps can help bring diaper rash under control—gentle cleansing, ensuring the skin is dry, and protecting the skin from further irritation.

1. Clean your baby’s skin

Always keep your baby’s skin as clean and dry as possible. That means changing wet or soiled diapers right away. Since you may not always know when your baby needs a change, check the diaper at least every two hours. In newborns or babies with diaper rash and/or diarrhea, you will need to check even more frequently.

If you use wipes during diaper changes, make sure you choose ones that are mild, gentle, and designed for your baby’s special needs. Your best choices are wipes that have been clinically tested or proven mild to the skin.

You may prefer to use a soft, wet washcloth to gently clean the diaper area. Warm water should do the job; use a gentle baby cleanser only if the stool does not come off easily.

Whether you use wipes or a washcloth, it’s important to avoid further irritating damaged skin. Use your wipe or washcloth to gently pat skin, being careful not to rub.

If you have already applied a diaper rash treatment at the previous diaper change, don’t worry about removing any leftover ointment. Clean the soiled, outer layer and leave the ointment on the skin to avoid damaging delicate skin as it heals.

2. Allow diaper area to dry

One key step to healing diaper rash is keeping the area clean and dry. Once you have finished cleaning your baby’s bottom, pat it dry (no rubbing!) before applying a thick barrier of protection. Better yet, allow your baby to go without a diaper for a little while to let her bottom air-dry and then apply a thick barrier of protection when you do re-diaper.

3. Apply a DESITIN^® diaper rash treatment to protect baby’s tender skin

Applying a barrier ointment or paste protects the skin from further injury while creating a more optimal environment to allow the skin to heal. It will also help prevent friction from the diaper. Apply a thick layer of a zinc oxide diaper rash treatment, such as DESITIN^® Maximum Strength Original Paste or DESITIN^® Rapid Relief Cream, at each diaper change to soothe and protect your baby’s irritated skin.

The rich, thick formula of DESITIN^® Maximum Strength Original Paste is the only leading brand with the maximum level of zinc oxide. There’s no stronger treatment available without a prescription.

DESITIN^® Rapid Relief Cream glides on easily to instantly form a protective layer on your baby’s skin to soothe and relieve rash discomfort. In fact, 88% of moms agreed that nothing works faster.