When it comes to hygiene, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Let’s look at the common tools for cleanliness and healthy skin.

Cleaning

To keep yourself clean, baby wipes are where it’s at. If you wear often enough that you have multiple changes between baths, experienced diaper wearers agree that you should wipe thoroughly between each change or risk smelly skin and a higher risk of a painful rash.  Some wipes are better than others so read about the different kinds of Baby Wipes.

Protecting

Baby Powder feels and smells great. Some people swear by it for keeping diaper rash away while others just use it for fun.

Baby Lotion has a mixed reputation.  It feels great and protects your skin but you have to be careful about using lotion with cloth diapers or plastic pants. With disposable diapers, it’s no problem. Slather away! You can sprinkle baby powder on top if you want to go all out.

Healing

If you feel your skin getting irritated or if you get a rash, there are many ointments that help it go away faster. If you don’t have ointment, the best thing you can do is stop wearing diapers for a while and let your skin dry out. Some ointments are medicated while others contain soothing oils that protect your skin while you wait for it to heal. You can also use ointment instead of baby lotion with every change if you want to be extra careful. If you have a rash and it gets worse despite home treatment, see a doctor. Some people are prone to skin conditions or infections that require medical help.

My favorite protective ointment is Boudreaux’s Butt Paste. I love the silly name. But more importantly, it works well at protecting damaged skin and it smells so good, I don’t shy away from putting it on. The ingredients are simple and reliably coat the skin and the included zinc helps clear away rashes.

The most popular diaper rash cream among both parents and ABDLs is Desitin. It doesn’t smell very good but it contains additional medications to speed up healing.