Many families choose cloth diapers to ensure their little one’s bum stays rash-free (and it is true, that cloth diapers do indeed reduce diaper rash occurrences!) – but what do you do if despite your best efforts your baby develops a diaper rash? Can you use any old diaper cream to treat it if you’re cloth diapering?
After years of running a cloth diaper service and formulating our own skincare line, we've learned exactly what works, what doesn't, and why. In this blog post, we will explore all you need to know about cloth-diaper-friendly skincare; diving into the various products, tips, and strategies to keep your baby’s skin soft, healthy, and happy -- and your diapers performing at their best.
Whether you’re a new parent or a seasoned one looking for fresh insights, we’ve got your baby’s back(side) covered!
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Esembly was founded by 3 moms who spent 12 years running a cloth diaper service in NYC where they laundered over 15,000 diapers every single week! They used that massive amount of real-world experience to engineer the Esembly system and formulate their Washing Powder, the only detergent ever awarded a patent specifically for cleaning cloth diapers.
What Does "Cloth Friendly" or "Cloth Safe" Mean?
Knowing which diaper creams are safe to use with cloth — and which ones to avoid — is one of the most important things you'll learn on your cloth diapering journey.
Simply put, "cloth friendly" means the diaper cream will wash out of your diapers cleanly, without leaving behind staining or buildup. Sounds simple enough!
Sadly, most creams and balms on the market contain ingredients that will wreak havoc on your diapers -- including many products marketed as "natural". Diaper balms that are not cloth-friendly will can lock discoloration deep into the fabric, leaving stubborn stains that won't budge. Even worse, the water-insoluble oils and waxes in these creams build up on the fibers over time — eventually making them moisture-repellent. That means instead of absorbing liquid like they're supposed to, your diapers start repelling it. Pee beads right up and rolls off. Definitely not what you're going for. 😅
While petroleum is the biggest “red flag” to look out for when choosing skincare products to use with your cloth diapers (so no Vaseline, Aquaphor, Buttpaste, etc), there are other ingredients that should be avoided as well.
Here is a simplified list of what ingredients we’d suggest avoiding while cloth diapering, based on years of research and testing:
- Petroleum (and byproducts thereof)
- Mineral oil
- Cod-liver oil
- Lanolin
- Tallow
- Heavy wax
- or products with high concentrations of zinc oxide (over 14%)
Products with these ingredients often do not rinse cleanly and easily from your diapers, resulting in staining, build-up, AND sometimes even bacterial growth – which can trigger a rash if left undetected.
We wish it were as simple as just avoiding those listed ingredients, but sadly in all of our years running a diaper service and formulating Esembly products we have found many more ingredients and combinations of ingredients* that can cause issues as well. Our advice? Choose only tested and proven cloth-friendly diaper creams. If you REALLY want to use a product that you are not sure is 100% cloth friendly, start small. Test the product with a few designated diapers to ensure things are washing out completely.
*We discovered that sometimes ingredients will be safe on their own but when combined with other safe ingredients they become problematic.
How Do You Prevent Diaper Rash with Cloth Diapers?
We spent years testing diaper creams with cloth diapers and different wash routines to pinpoint exactly which ingredients are safe and in what percentage and combinations they remain safe for cloth diapers.
For daily nourishing and rash prevention, consider using pure organic coconut oil or our Everyday Balm, both of which help moisturize and balance your baby’s delicate skin.
We are lovers of coconut oil, for its notable healing and protective qualities. However, coconut oil can be a tad challenging due to its liquid state when warm and solid state when cold, making it, on its own, not so user-friendly at the changing table. So when formulating our Everyday Balm, we mixed organic coconut oil with beeswax and other organic liquid stable oils, like organic shea nut and olive, to ensure our Everyday Balm maintains an ointment-like consistency across all temperatures.
Instructions for use: Apply coconut oil or Everyday Balm to clean, DRY skin at every diaper change.
Pro Tip: it’s important to really work what cream or balm you choose into the skin (almost like you would a lotion) so you get the maximum benefit from the healing ingredients. Leaving gobs of cream on the surface of the skin can not only cause excessive product on your diapers, but you’re also just wasting product since so much of it gets absorbed by the fabric of the diaper and not the skin.
What Diaper Cream Is Safe for Cloth Diapers When Treating a Rash?
When prevention isn't enough and redness appears, it's time to bring in a zinc oxide diaper rash cream. The catch: most zinc oxide creams are not cloth-diaper safe. Zinc has to be used at the right concentration and paired with the right supporting ingredients — otherwise it will build up in your diapers and cause lasting damage.
What is zinc oxide, and why does it work?
Zinc oxide (ZnO) is a mineral compound widely used in dermatology for its ability to create a physical barrier on the skin. This barrier keeps moisture away from irritated tissue, while zinc's natural anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties help calm redness and prevent secondary infection. It treats the rash and protects healing skin at the same time.
Finding a zinc-based formula that is both effective and cloth-safe is genuinely hard. We spent nearly two years testing concentrations and ingredient combinations before landing on our Rash Relief Cream — and fun fact, it was the very first Esembly product we ever made, sold through our diaper service for almost five years before we launched the brand.
Our Rash Relief Cream is formulated with non-nano zinc oxide, organic coconut oil, organic shea nut oil, and organic olive oil. It's guaranteed to wash fully out of your cloth diapers and does an exceptional job treating active rash with clean, organic ingredients.
How to use a zinc-based cream to treat diaper rash
Zinc oxide creams are for active rashes only — you don't need them for daily prevention. Here's how to use one effectively:
- At every diaper change, apply a generous layer of cloth-safe zinc oxide cream to your baby's clean, dry diaper area.
- Work the cream into the skin as you would a lotion. Leaving thick globs on the surface means less absorption into the skin and more product transferred to your diapers.
- Continue applying at every change until the irritation is fully healed.
- Once the rash clears, use the cream for one additional day to give skin extra recovery time, then transition back to your daily balm for ongoing protection.
If the rash persists after a few days, you might want to check in with your pediatrician to rule out a yeast infection. If an antifungal is needed, both Lotrimin and Nystatin Cream (cream, not ointment) are safe to use with Esembly Inners.
A note on fragrance: all Esembly skincare and laundry products are fragrance-free by design. Baby skin is sensitive and still developing — we believe less is more, and we've kept our formulas as simple and clean as possible.
Please note: There is no mandate when cloth diapering with Esembly. You do not HAVE to use our skincare (we just think you’ll want to😉) You’re welcome to use any products you like that are cloth-friendly! Look for products rich in natural oils like coconut, shea nut, and olive oil, to name a few.
Why Does My Baby Still Have Diaper Rash with Cloth Diapers?
If you've ruled out yeast with your pediatrician and you're only using cloth-safe skincare, a persistent rash often points to something in your wash routine. Common culprits include:
- Wash Routine, if your washing routine is not getting your diapers 100% clean in the wash, the left behind soil will irritate delicate skin
- Hard water, which affects how well diapers clean and rinse
- Diapers that need stripping, especially if they've had cream buildup over time (but be sure to check out this blog post before trying any stripping regimens: What Is Cloth Diaper Stripping and Do I Need to Do It?)
Need helping troubleshooting a persistent rash? Check out this blog post for all the most common culprits and how to address them.
And if you want to go ahead make sure your washing routine is in tip-top shape (this is a very common culprit for persistent diaper rash!), be sure to check out our detailed instructions on how to go about washing your cloth diapers here: www.esemblybaby.com/laundry
Or here in this blog post: The Complete Guide to Washing Your Cloth Diapers at Home
Cloth Diapering 101
Our co-founders host a free, virtual, Cloth Diapering 101 class every month to help cloth-curious parents get all the tools and information they need!
You'll leave with the confidence to Live Less Disposably and a 20% discount code to use on your first order. 🥳 We hope to see you there!
