by Vickie Gross

Created on: January 07, 2010

One of the best cures for diaper rash relief is cleanliness and cornstarch. There is no better quick-acting combination than these two essentials. Many commercialized products get their foundational ingredient from cornstarch. When it comes to a baby‘s well-being, parents want a cure that works and without all the hype.

Babies who are breastfed often have a stronger nutrient output in their urine and feces as compared to babies who are not breastfed. In many cases, the soiled aroma outputs are much more potent and should not be taken lightly by a parent or caregiver. It is often a very healthy sign. It is also a noticeable sign to cleanse these excreted nutrients from the baby’s skin as quickly as possible before they cause irritation.

The most quick-acting and natural cure for diaper rash is a box of cornstarch:

Bathe the baby daily and simply apply some cornstarch with each diaper changing. The diaper rash should begin to clear up, especially the heat related redness, with the first or second application.

About Commercial Products:

Oils should not be used on a baby’s bottom or midsection where the baby’s skin will come into contact with a plastic covered or non-breathable diaper. A plastic covered diaper holds in body heat more than any other type of diaper. When adding oil to a baby’s skin and covered with an un-breathable plastic, plus the additions of urine or feces, it is a very bad mix with nowhere to be absorbed except into the baby’s skin. The result can lead to blistering or peeling like a bad sunburn. Oils are molecular adhesives and can absorb molecules from the baby’s urine and feces. These now dirtied oil molecules can easily clog a baby’s pores even though the skin surface has been wiped clean and a clean diaper has been put on the baby.

Cornstarch is a natural thickening agent used for making gravy, and as a base-filler in most cooking and body powders. Cornstarch helps to absorb moisture that gets trapped in a baby‘s skin and diaper. Due to the cornstarch’s coagulating properties, it will form solid crumble-pieces in the diaper since it resists the flexibility of a baby’s skin and diaper.

Cornstarch is an excellent drying agent to help heal diaper rash. Lotions, perfumed body powders nor oils should be used on a diaper rash. Not only does oil not help diaper rash, it will combine with the cornstarch and form a paste similar to that of many commercial products. When these two substances are joined, the combination forms a white paste. This paste will cling to a baby’s skin. This paste seals in moisture even more than using oil by itself. If a baby has blistering or peeling skin, then attempting to clean off this oily, glue-like, paste is even more difficult to clean off and can lead to wiping-damage of the baby’s already raw and sensitive skin. The mix of oil with cornstarch will form a paste over the raw skin causing trapped moisture and soiled molecules to stay trapped, even after a bath. This can cause a further delay in the baby’s skin being healed.

Cornstarch is cheap on the pocketbook, found in most all grocery stores, has a very silky-feel, and is one of the most effective cures for diaper rash.

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