Your baby’s skin is so delicate, and you want to do everything you can to make them feel better.
A lot of people wonder if coconut oil is good for diaper rash. Some say it works wonders, while others think it just makes the rash worse. So what’s the truth?
We’ve done the research so you don’t have to. Coconut oil has been shown to be an effective treatment for diaper rash in some cases, but it’s not a cure-all remedy.
Is Coconut Oil a safe and effective treatment for Diaper Rash?
Coconut oil has been shown to be an effective treatment for diaper rash. It helps to soothe the irritated skin, and it also has antibacterial properties that can help fight off any infection. It has anti-inflammatory properties and provides a protective layer in the diaper area.
Coconut oil can not only soothe the pain and inflammation of a diaper rash but also speed the healing process by providing relief from dryness.
Regular application will moisturize your baby’s skin and protect it from further damage caused by wet diapers. It coats the skin, forming a protective barrier that keeps out irritants.
Coconut Oil is helpful in treating and preventing diaper rash, as well as other kinds of rashes because it has antibacterial properties and is easily absorbed into the skin without clogging pores.
This means that it can help to prevent infections; including fungal infections like athlete’s foot.
Coconut oil has also been found to contain anti-oxidant properties. This means that it can help reduce inflammation in the skin, which is useful for treating conditions like eczema.
Other kinds of lotions or creams may cause a baby’s sensitive skin to become even more irritated, but coconut oil is gentle enough for babies with very sensitive skin.
Coconut oil is an excellent alternative to store-bought rash creams if you are looking for a more natural diaper cream that will not irritate your baby’s skin or cause yeast infections, as it has antibacterial properties that can help to prevent infections in the diaper area.
Simply slather your baby’s bottom with a liberal amount of lube and let it soak into your baby’s skin.
Is coconut oil safe on baby skin?
Coconut oil is often recommended as a natural baby skincare product, but is it really safe?
It’s hard to know what’s safe to use on your baby’s delicate skin, especially since there are so many conflicting opinions out there. Like use tea tree oil, don’t use essential oils…
Coconut oil is a great natural remedy for diaper rash. It helps to soothe the skin and reduce inflammation.
Is coconut oil better than diaper cream?
Wondering what to use on your little one’s diaper rash? Coconut oil might be a great option to treat diaper rash!
Coconut oil has many benefits for skin health. Its antimicrobial properties help fight bacteria and yeast, so it makes an excellent barrier for baby’s skin. This can be especially helpful to stop the spread of yeast in the diaper area, which often leads to painful rashes that are difficult to treat effectively. Coconut oil is also an excellent source of vitamin E, making it great for your baby’s skin.
Coconut oil is a wonderful thing to use on any skin irritation, from cradle cap and diaper rash to dry skin issues. It’s also safe for topical use with your little one. As a diaper rash treatment, it can be used alone or in addition to other creams. Just remember, oil does not have the same astringent properties as cream, so you could get some extra moisture thereafter using oils.
The only real downside to coconut oil is that it’s pretty oily, so if your little one has a rash between the thighs or buttocks, it can be hard to use without getting some on whatever clothes they are wearing at the time. It’s also harder to rinse out than cream, so you may want to consider using cream when your little one is in cloth diapers or during daytime changes.
Buy a reputable version of coconut oil
Buy coconut oil that is pure, organic and unrefined. Most organic coconut oils will be unrefined too, so look for labels that say “unrefined” or “virgin.” If the label says the oil has been treated with hexane, it’s most likely not pure. Virgin coconut oil is the best to use on a baby’s bum.
Coconut oil is available in many forms including solid (fractionated), liquid (often expeller-pressed) and soft (melt and pour). Cold-pressed coconut oil s made by using a cold process and is considered the best form of coconut oil for topical use.
Read labels and choose oils that come from fresh coconuts, not dried coconut. ‘Expeller-pressed’ or ‘refined’ oil is extracted by using chemical solvents which changes the molecular structure of the oil.
Liquid oils are the easiest to keep around your house, as they don’t require refrigeration. They can be used for cooking or applied directly to the skin for diaper rashes. Soft coconut oil is great for use in recipes like these . Solid (fractionated) coconut oil has had most of the long-chain fatty acids removed, leaving it as a mostly medium-chain oil. It’s very shelf-stable and solid at room temperature.
All types of coconut oil can be purchased online or from most natural food stores. Look for coconut oils that are USDA certified organic to ensure authenticity and purity is maintained through its processing when using coconut oil treatment on a baby’s diaper but do ensure it is virgin coconut oil.
How soon after the first application can you expect to see results?
You can see results on a baby’s diaper rash with the oil in just a few days!
Typically, I recommend you apply the oil twice per day until your little one is feeling better. After that, drop back to once per day for another week or so.
This will help keep the skin healthy and ready to fight off any future diaper rashes. This is especially important if your little one tends towards yeast, which can occur from antibiotic use or from a diet that’s high in carbohydrates. That doesn’t mean you’ll never get a yeast rash again, but at least it won’t be as severe and can be treated much more quickly.
For treating diaper rash for the first time, I would start by applying coconut oil and then after a few hours, apply a thin layer of zinc oxide cream over the area, just as you normally would do if your little one had a yeast rash.
How long should I use coconut oil on my baby’s skin?
In order to help moisturize dry skin, I would recommend using coconut oil as a preventative measure. In other words, after your baby is completely dried off from a bath, rather than applying regular lotion all over their body, applying coconut oil will aid in preventing rashes and or eczema.
That being said, if your baby already has skin issues, using coconut oil regularly will help treat current skin irritations.
Why use coconut oil to treat diaper rash?
Coconut oil is very effective in preventing diaper rash since it helps keep the baby’s bum moisturized. The use of coconut oil for diaper rash also creates a protective coating on the baby’s bottom that prevents further moisture loss. It is an excellent choice for infants who tend to develop diaper rashes frequently due to certain food sensitivities or dietary restrictions.
At the same time, coconut oil for diaper rash is a safe alternative and a natural treatment to other commercial creams and ointments which can contain harsh chemicals that may be too potent for your baby’s delicate skin. More importantly, it is all-natural and organic so you know exactly what goes on your baby’s bottom!
Is coconut oil good for yeast rashes?
Before we answer this question, it is very important to know what yeast rashes are? Yeast infections like Candidiasis happen when the healthy balance of bacteria in your body gets disrupted. Read our full guide to yeast infections here. The overgrowth of fungus can cause annoying symptoms like itching, redness and soreness. It happens due to an overproduction of yeast cells in the body.
Pathogens like bacteria, viruses and fungi cause infection in the body. Coconut oil has antifungal properties which make it very effective in killing yeast cells like Candida albicans. This fungus causes vaginal yeast infections as well as diaper rashes.
It maintains a healthy pH level of the vagina to prevent yeast infections. Coconut oil is also anti-inflammatory and antiseptic in nature. It helps to reduce inflammation caused by the infection of yeast cells on the skin.
Take some amount of virgin cold-pressed coconut oil. Apply it on the affected area until fully absorbed into your skin. You can also use extra virgin coconut oil which has been filtered. It is totally odorless and tasteless.
In order to clear the skin rashes caused due to yeast infection, you can use homemade remedies with coconut oil. Coconut oil has the ability to penetrate the skin easily thus allowing other ingredients to get absorbed faster. You can also combine extra virgin olive oil or grapeseed oil with coconut oil.
Keep your skin clean and dry by using a mild soap. In case of severe itching, you can use an over-the-counter antihistamine which is easily available in the market.
How to Use Coconut Oil for Diaper Rash?
- At diaper change, apply coconut oil directly on the diaper rash using your fingers or you can apply it using the reusable cloth wipes too! Just take a washable cloth wipe, wet it with water and then add some coconut oil to it. Wipe your baby clean with this wipe. Repeat this for a few days until the rash subsides.
- You can also take some coconut oil and gently massage it into your baby’s bottom and then put on a clean diaper. Reapply whenever needed. The best time to use coconut oil is just after changing diapers as that is when your baby will be most prone to getting a rash. You don’t even have to apply it every time, just use it twice or thrice a day.
- To cleanse your baby’s bottom while treating the diaper rash, you can wipe with warm water and then apply the coconut oil on dry skin rather than wet skin as that might further irritate your baby’s bottom.
- If you are using disposable diapers, add a few drops of coconut oil to the diaper before putting it on your baby’s bottom so that the moisture is absorbed. Otherwise, when your baby pees in his/her diaper, the wetness will irritate and worsen the rash. Remember changing diapers frequently is key to helping clear up diaper rash and ensuring the baby wipes you use are also natural and not scented baby wipes that worsen rash.
- Give your baby a warm bath with some coconut oil mixed in the water. You can add in some essential oils but this not essential. This will cleanse and moisturize your baby’s skin like nothing else! Another great option is to drop in some epsom salts to clear diaper rash, or even oats to clear diaper rash.
Go on, give it a go!
