This stuff is the best diaper rash cream on the planet. The bentonite clay aids in quick healing, and the zinc oxide creates a moisture barrier for baby’s skin.
I recently shared my favorite cloth diaper covers and my cloth diaper washing routine. Seemed only fitting to me that I stick to the topic of baby bums, and talk about my favorite cloth diaper cream.
I like to make my own diaper rash cream to avoid the harmful chemicals found in conventional brands.
The ingredients in this super simple cream are all natural and effective.
Our skin is our body’s largest organ, and chemicals that go on it actually make their way in.
Think about nicotine patches, and progesterone cream. They work, because the active, medicinal ingredients absorb into the body.
I think sometimes we like to assume that lotion, shampoo, and cosmetic products are benign. We tell ourselves that, yes, they have bad stuff in them, but they just sit on top of the skin.
If only it were true.
The last thing I want to do is slather a chemical laden cream all over my baby’s rash-y bottom. This cream solves that problem.
But…does it actually work?
Yes, my friend, it most certainly does!
How is Bentonite clay healing for a diaper rash?
Bentonite clay has amazing healing and detoxifying benefits. It absorbs moisture and removes toxins and impurities. It also fights bacteria.
Basically, its the bees knees for healing a diaper rash.
Why add zinc oxide to this homemade diaper rash cream?
Zinc oxide is great for adding a barrier between the wet diaper and the skin. This gives the body a chance to heal on its own, without moisture and other not-so-pleasant things interfering with the process.
I wrote more about zinc oxide in my post on How to Make All Natural Sunscreen. Just like it provides a moisture barrier, it also creates a barrier between the sun and skin.
Shea butter, coconut oil, and essential oils
The shea butter and coconut oil give this diaper cream a nice consistency, akin to the store bought creams you may be used to.
Lavender and Roman Chamomile essential oils are commonly used for their skin-healing properties.
Is this diaper rash cream safe for cloth diapers?
The answer to this question depends on who you ask.
Some people say zinc oxide is totally safe for cloth diapering. Personally, I would rather leave it out. I’m afraid it would put a moisture barrier on the diaper.
The bentonite clay is sufficient to heal rashes. If your baby has a really bad rash, it may be best to bust out the big guns and put him/her in a disposable diaper for a few days.
We hardly ever have to deal with rashes, so I prefer to make the cream with all the ingredients, and use it sparingly.
*If your little one ever has a diaper rash that will not ago away for several days, you are most likely dealing with yeast. In this case, stop all other creams and fight the infection with anti-fungal cream and essential oils.
Diaper Rash Cream Ingredients
1/2 cup shea butter
4 tablespoons coconut oil
4 tablespoons zinc oxide
4 tablespoons bentonite clay
5 drops lavender and/or Roman Chamomile, essential oil
Diaper Rash Cream Process
- Add the shea butter and coconut oil to a double boiler. Heat until melted.
- Stir in the zinc oxide.
- Stir in the bentonite clay.
- Add the essential oil and stir.
- Pour in a lidded mason jar.
It will keep for one year.
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The Best Diaper Rash Cream
This recipe for all natural diaper cream is simple and effective. With just five basic ingredients, shea butter, coconut oil, bentonite clay, zinc oxide and essential oils, it comes together in a flash.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup shea butter
- 4 tbsp coconut oil
- 4 tbsp zinc oxide
- 4 tbsp bentonite clay
- 5 drops lavender or chamomile essential oil, optional
Instructions
- Add the shea butter and coconut oil to a double boiler. Heat until melted.
- Stir in the zinc oxide.
- Stir in the bentonite clay.
- Add the essential oil.
- Store in a lidded mason jar, for up to one year.
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Amanda says
SOSOSOSO happy to have found you! I am 12 wks pregnant, and gathering all of the recipes I will need to keep my home happy, natural, and easy! You have been a god send! Thank you for all you do, and what you offer this world. Thanks a million!!!!!
Bronwyn Morrison says
I was wondering have you ever done this using weigh measurements. I really prefer using a scale, I’d love to see your recipes with this format added in.
Lisa says
I haven’t. That may be something to consider for future recipes. Thanks!
Jeri A Buchanan says
Is it suppose to harden? Mine is still liquidy.
Anonymous says
It will usually harden or get to a really thick consistency. If it’s stored where warm it may be more liquid like.
deborah says
if you let the coconut oil and shea cool then whip it will make a way better cream, also calendula oil is great for babies, i add it to all my diy creams.
Emily says
Hi!
I was wondering if you’ve ever played around with anything other than coconut oil? (Or have any suggestions for doing so.)
Thanks!
Tonya says
Thank you
Anastasia says
Hi Lisa, thank you for the recipe. Could you tell how often do you use diaper cream? Do you use it every change as a preventive measure or only when there is diaper rash? I am 28 wks pregnant and plan to use cloth diapers but know little about it. Your videos are very helpful!
DAWN CORDES says
I noticed a typo on one of your headings (SHE instead of SHEA). Sorry don’t mean to be picky, its just that I used to proofread for a living. I used this recipe for my great niece’s baby who had a really bad case of red rash and within a week it was all gone. I did however add vitamin E and aloe to it and it worked like a charm! Thanks for the recipe!
Lisa says
Thanks so much! Just corrected. 🙂 Was the misplessing the reason for the 4-star review? Looks like you loved it otherwise. I only ask because reviews are crucial for how these recipes do on Pinterest.
Star says
What can I do to if I don’t have a double boiler?
Also your opinion about zinc oxide and cloth diapers wasn’t really clear to me. Could you please elaborate?
Looking fwd to trying this recipe!
Lisa says
Just put a glass bowl over a pot of boiling water. That’s what I do. Zinc oxide isn’t good to use with cloth diapers, so omit that ingredient if you want this to be cloth diaper safe. I usually just use disposables for a few days if we have a rash. It happens few and far between.
Winnie says
Microwave it in bursts if 30 seconds
Angela says
Mine didn’t harden up, is it supposed to?
Gail says
What would you say the cost is to make one jar (how many ounces??) so that I can compare the cost to Desitin, or Butt Paste, etc?
I am interested in making this not for a baby, but for a bedridden client/friend who essentially also has diaper rash. The cream that is covered by Medicare is very good as a barrier cream but only lasts about two to four days and replacing it is too expensive.
I appreciate you!
Thank you.
Carolyn says
Gail, I don’t know about the costs. But I’ve a couple ideas. Whatever you use should be organic. I am elderly, have allergies & psoriasis, so must be careful what I use. Aveeno, CeraVe, & Maty’s Baby Ointment are good. Maty’s is Very good – read ingredients. Many docs say use petroleum jelly. It’s cheap but terrible, a byproduct of oil refining. If you find pure anhydrous lanolin, it’s very healing, a little can be mixed into other ingr. Comes from sheep. Don’t add scents to anything you use, can cause allergic reactions. Extra creams etc. can be refrigerated to last longer, never freeze.Hope this is helpful.
lauren says
The contents of mine separated when hardening. How can I fix this?
Brittany says
Keep mixing until the mixture starts to cool then pour. It sounds like the mixture was still too hot.
Kate says
HI! DO you know how much you’re recipe yields? Also, is The chamomile oil necessary?
Brittany says
I infused my coconut oil with camomile and calendula flowers rather than using essential oils, and it worked beautifully! 🙂
elaine says
Is this supposed to harden…Mine did not.
Brittany says
Thank you so much for this recipe! I infused 1/4 cup each of chamomile and calendula to 1 cup of coconut oil, used that as the recommended coconut oil, and omitted the essential oils. It works beautifully. 🙂
Stephanie says
Hi Lisa, I love your recipes and videos! I want to try it out on baby but was wondering if this recipe is cloth diaper friendly?
Jenna hutton says
How long does it take to solidify?! Thank you for the recipe
Sue says
For those of you that had issues with it being runny, I had same problem, I read another blog and it said to put in fridge to cool for 5 min, then use a blender to mix, I used a hand held blender and it whipped right up really nice, I mixed after adding all ingredients and it sat for about hour, so will still work if not done right away
Srijana says
I will be trying this on my 2 weeks infants. How often should i use it (daily/weekly/after every diaper change) and do i wash it off after certain hours or wipe it off?
Karen says
I am unable to get the information on where to get the bentonite clay
Chantel says
Can this be used for eczema??
ryan walters says
A few other people have asked with no response: Can this be safely used daily as a preventative measure, or only temporarily when an actual rash is present? And does it absorb entirely on its own or is there residue that needs to be washed or wiped off later?
Please include these details in the blog post!!!
Thanks
Deb Even says
You can use this daily if you want for preventative measures.
Anonymous says
Personally, I would only use diaper rash cream when a diaper rash is present
Angie Mercado says
How long does this diaper rash cream last for? I’m not due for another 6 weeks but I was hoping to mix some up ahead of time. Just not sure of how quickly it needs to be used after it’s made.
Anonymous says
A year
Sarah says
What is the life span of this cream since it does not have any preservatives? Or are no preservatives needed?
kim sparks says
Do you use liquid or solid coconut oil, and is the zinc oxide powdered?
Lisa says
I use melted, so it makes a nice consistency when it hardens up. Yes, the zinc oxide is powdered.
Holly says
This is just what I was like for!! So excited to make up some if this for my 4week old! I’m excited to try it with the Bentonite clay, I’ve heard great things about it and needed a reason to get some. We go through diaper rash cream like crazy with our toddler (preventative measures go a long way) but I wanted something simpler for the newborn. Thank you!
Beth says
Just curious — is the essential oil helpful to the curing and prevention of the diaper rash or is it just for a nice scent? Could you make it without? Excited to try it! Thanks!
DV says
My son had a horrific diaper rash and nothing worked. Then another mom told me to use just water for wiping and blow a fan on his bum every diaper change. It mostly cleared up within a week, but I realized how harsh everything labeled “sensitive” was on his skin. I’ve been looking for a natural diaper cream for future use. So glad you shared!
Kristin says
How long is the shelf-life?
Ale says
Is this safe for everyday use? I’d like to add the clay to my current diaper cream.
Jessie says
So, I’m still relatively new to the natural world. I went vegan last year, and then got into making my own personal products. My toddler has a diaper rash that will NOT go away, hence how I ended up here. And I didn’t know that zinc oxide was anything other than Desitin. So I’ve been trying to squeeze everything out of this tube for 20 minutes before it suddenly dawned on me that nobody said anything about Desitin or Butt Paste. And I’m reading the ingredients like “HOW IS THIS NATURAL?!” So I clicked on the ingredient link for zinc oxide, and now my husband can’t breathe. Fortunately, a spoonful of arrowroot starch fixed it right up. So even though it’s not natural, it’s still rocking the bentonite clay. But I’m gonna order and get it right next time.
Jessica says
Is the diaper rash cream supposed to be runny? I can’t get it to thicken.
Lauryn says
It was not very shelf stable so we added beeswax to get that creamy less runny texture. Besides that issue we had no problems! Thanks for sharing your adaptation!
Anonymous says
A year
David says
The bentonite link is dead.
deborah says
hello
love your cream i was thinking if i add bees wax i could turn it into a diaper rash balm, do you think it would work
thank you
deborah
Tracy says
Hi
Did u use unrefined or fractionated coconut oil
Tracy
Tracy says
Could someone please advise me,
Is this done with fractionated or unrefined coconut oil?
Zoe says
Hi, will this recipe work without using the zinc oxide?
Bridget says
Just finished making this! I will just add that I cooled the mixture in the fridge for 2 hours after making it, so that it would harden, and then used an immersion blender to whip it up a bit. After doing this, The consistency is perfect! Can’t wait to try it 🙂
Lisa says
Thank you for sharing!
DaVonya Hanson says
What if I don’t have a double broiler Is there another way I could do it?
Lisa says
You can create a doubler boiler with a pot with a few inches of water at the bottom and a heat safe glass or metal bowl that sits on top.
Kelly Pulver says
Hi, mine did not set up at all. Granted I didn’t add the zinc, would that be why?
Lisa says
My guess is it is because the zinc adds thickness.
Angela says
Thank you for sharing all that you do on the internet. I am a new young wife, and finding you has helped me better make our home so much. I share the same values you do, and every question I have; you have an answer! You are a wealth of knowledge. The Randolph home thanks you 🙂 May God bless you abundantly!
In Corde Mariae,
Angela
Lisa says
Thank you for your kind words!
Michelle says
Hi Lisa,I’m getting confused on the zinc oxide. I made Laura’s sunscreen with “non-nano zinc oxide” very specific to be used. Your recipe for the rash cream only states “zinc oxide”. I need confirmation that I can use the non nano that I already have? I am seeing the words non Nano on both packages so I’m assuming they are both the same?
Lisa says
Yes, you want to use non-nano zinc oxide.
Kate says
I have been using this rash cream on my son since he was an infant (he’s five now). I originally made some for a recurrent diaper rash he had around the one year mark.
I’ve found over the years that this cream is really an all-purpose rash cream. I’ve used it on so many different skin conditions that have popped up, such as mild eczema, allergic reactions to adhesives on bandaids, etc. Most recently I have used it on a bacterial rash he had on his stomach that wouldn’t go away after months of conventional topical medicine. I then decided to make a new batch of this (I think I included some tea tree oil this time) and voila! It has finally cleared up with a 50% reduction after the first application.
Lisa says
Wow! That is so amazing to hear. Glad it works so well for you.
Kate says
Thanks Lisa! Will be trying this soon! How long can it keep for at room temp in the jar?
Lisa says
Around 3 months.
Connie Hanold says
Hello Lisa
My cream came out gritty.
What do you think I did wrong. I would not want to put it on a babies skin.
Thanks
Lisa says
Sometimes the bentonite clay makes it a little gritty.