How to treat a (nasty) nappy rash
I found my self sharing my knowledge with a few mums lately and just the other night as I was treating a minor nappy rash on Charlie I thought I would share my knowledge with you.
Sadly we have had our share of very nasty nappy rashes over the past couple of years. Most children don’t have it as bad as Charlie but most kids would benefit from what we have learned.
So between the fatty formula (Pepti Junior) and the fat additives to it (Liquigen), fast metabolism due to his liver condition and then post transplant (and many liver mums would be nodding their heads now) Magnesium supplements, Charlie has spent many days with a red raw bottom. Sometimes even bloody from the skin cracking.
I tried a million creams and potions, nothing worked. Then I found out about two great products one of which isn’t even an intended baby product but it CHANGED OUR LIFE.
Orabase Cream & Pinetersole Solution
You can buy both products from any Pharmacy in Australia over the counter. Orabase retails for $10 for a small 15g tube and Pinetersole Solution for about $19 for a 500Ml bottle.
Both are super economical one bottle of Pinetarsol has lasted me 1.5 yeas so far any I have used less then half of it. Orabase the same one tube 1.5 years I only just bought the second and only cos I gave the other one away to another mum to try.
So here is my version of how to treat a nasty nappy rash:
When you take the nappy off DO NOT WIPE with baby wipes no matter how ‘gentle’ the packaging said they are. If it is a soiled nappy rinse the bottom off with some warm water until the skin is clean. If the rash is really bad, i.e. there is broken skin then do not wash but go to step two immediately
Mix 1 cup of water with 2 drops of the Pinetersole Solution. This solution is very strong so you won’t need more then that and one cup of the mixture will last you a very long time. When finished the mixture should look like a light camomile tea.
Take some clean cotton wool and dip it into the mixture, one bud at a time. You want to now wipe the bottom and any skin area that is read with this solution. Wipe once and throw away the cotton bud. Use a new one every time you wipe. Especially important if your babies bottom is too raw to wash with warm water. You will effectively need to wipe all the poo this way. The Pinetersole Solution helps to reduce redness and relieve itching while gently cleansing the skin. Your baby may cry when you apply the solution but please be aware that that is not due to any pain the solution is causing, but actually simply the pain of broken skin due to the nappy rash. The solution in fact soothes that pain. You will notice quick improvement in babies mood once the solution is applied to the skin.
Once you wipe the bottom with the solution DO NOT rinse off. Leave the bottom exposed so it dries naturally.
When dry take a small pea sized amount of the Orabase cream and dab it onto the effected area. Ie. broken skin or especially red areas. You will need to do this step as many times as there are wounds or red spots. Always only DAB the skin do not try to smear as the consistence of the cream will flake and not stick to the skin. If you feel the whole bottom is red and there is too much broken skin then dab all over the bottom until the whole area is covered. The Cream is designed to create a protective seal around the broken skin. It is designed to be used for mouth ulcers where the area is very wet. Also note that you do not require a thick coating, a little bit will go a long way. The thicker the application the harder it is to remove if you have to change the nappy frequently.
For the last step take some Sudocrem (any Zinc Oxide cream) and put on other areas you’d like to stay dry that are red but don’t have broken skin.
It’s important to note that if the nappy rash is due to frequency of poo, every time you change the nappy wipe off the poo gently with the Pinetersole Solution.
Do not rub the area or attempt to rub off the Orabase if it's still covering broken skin. Simply wipe and re-apply. You will notice that Orabase will stick on the skin for at least a couple of nappy changes.
That’s what it’s supposed to do, keep the skin covered for as long as possible to give it time to heal.
Needless to say, this has changed our lives but most importantly any nappy rash is fixed within one to two nappy changes.
I hope this helps your little one stay comfortable and you stay sane ;)