I’ve come to realize that parents quickly become experts on a wide variety of subjects. Baby is a horrible sleeper? You have read every sleep book ever written and can spout off the pros and cons of co-sleeping vs. cry it out. Baby has reflux? You know every alternative formula option out there, the exact cost of each, and every pro/con imaginable.

As parents, we of course do this both out of unwavering love for our little ones and the need to maintain our sanity. I’m pretty sure we should all be eligible for honorary degrees in children behavior and health by the time we’re ready to enroll our kids in school.

In the Hopscotch household, our primary area of expertise is… diaper rash and the corresponding creams, pastes, lotions, and steroids used to treat these rashes, along with how these various treatments work (or don’t work!) with cloth diapers. Exciting, huh?

So how exactly did we get to this point? Up until Miss H was 8 or 9 months old, we did not have any diaper rash issues. She’d occasionally get a little rash and we’d be able to clear it up with a little Angel Baby Bottom Balm, which smells like lavendar and can be used with our cloth diapers. Super easy. Then, at about 10 months old, she got a little red round spot in her diaper area, about the size of a dime. After not being able to clear it up on our own (with the Bottom Balm, Boudreaux’s Butt Paste, Motherlove Diaper Rash & Butt Salve), we made an appointment with our pediatrician.

The pediatrician immediately diagnosed it as “something fungal” and sent us on our way with a prescription for Nystatin (commonly used to clear up yeast and other fungal rashes). It started to look a little better and then flared again. Since we’d been dealing with this for weeks and weeks we decided to make an appointment with a dermatologist, as our pediatrician wasn’t terribly helpful.

I am SO grateful we did this! The dermatologist told us that it was a mix of dermatitis and nummular eczema. Long story short, she prescribed us a steroid called Desonide and a magical ointment called Vusion; the steroid would deal with the skin issues and the Vusion would provide a protective layer over the skin (with or without the steroid), and both would help moisturize the skin.

What had plagued us for probably 2 months at this point cleared up within a week after starting this new regime! It was amazing.

Since that point, we’ve recently been dealing with another rash that’s taking its sweet old time going away. Fortunately we had a follow up appointment with the dermatologist who was able to diagnose it as more dermatitis and sent us on our way with more steroid and Vusion.

During all of this crazinesss we’ve been using a combination of disposable diapers and cloth diapers. Any time we use a cream/remedy that’s not cloth diaper friendly (most of the time this is the case), we either have to use a disposable or we place a flannel wipe over the area to act as a barrier between the cream and the diaper.

Here’s a run down of what we have next to Miss H’s changing table:

1. Motherlove Diaper Rash & Thrush Salve – This was recommended to me by many moms. It’s a great natural product and cloth diaper friendly. Unfortunately it only works for us on minor rash situations.

2. Boudreaux’s Butt Paste – This is a staple for us when Miss H has a nasty rash from that seems caused by a a more food-based irritation (vs. dry/exzema skin). This is NOT cloth diaper friendly.

3. Aquaphor Healing Ointment – We use this on Miss H’s diaper area when she doesn’t have a rash to keep the skin from getting dry/irritated. It’s techinically not cloth diaper friendly but we haven’t had any problems with it having contact with her diapers.

4. California Baby Diaper Wash – We use this during diaper changes with cloth wipes if her skin seems a little irritated. Otherwise we use plain old water.

5. Vusion – This was prescribed by our dermatologist and it acts as a great barrier to protect her skin. It’s expensive (even after using our insurance) and our pharmacy doesn’t always have it in stock, but it is very helpful. It is NOT cloth diaper friendly.

6. Desonide Ointment (steroid) – This was prescribed by our dermatologist to battle eczema and dermatitis. It’s pretty powerful stuff. We use it twice a day if she has a tough rash and it’s always covered by the Vusion.

7. Angel Baby Bottom Balm – Up until we started having issues with rashes, this was our go-to to clear up any rash. It smells lovely, is cloth diaper friendly, and worked for minor rashes.

I have to say that we’re very fortunate that Miss H has never had a rash or skin irritation that has caused any pain or itching. She has no clue that anything is amiss other than the 18 different creams we seem to always be applying to her skin! But trying to get everything on her skin perfectly, while trying to keep the creams/ointments from touching the cloth diaper, while dealing with a baby that wants to wiggle and squirm all over can be quite a challenge! I feel like I should be the Queen of Extreme Diaper Changes.

And, we’re lucky to have found a wonderful dermatologist who is a mother of small children, so she knows our plight firsthand and understands how difficult it can be to deal with a skin irritation in an area that is always covered with a diaper!

I do, however, wish that instead of researching the issues ourselves we had looped in medical help earlier on. If our first appointment with our pediatrician had been sooner, our trip to the dermatolgist probably would have been sooner. But, it was difficult at first to see the need/urgency of the situation as it wasn’t spreading or hurting Miss H. Lesson learned.

On the upside, we have standing prescriptions for some great treatments when probablys arise, a great doctor to consult with on issues, and an extensive supply of creams, lotions, and ointments! And, we can now talk about diaper rashes for hours on end. Not that we do, of course. That would be weird.

Do you feel like you have become an ”expert” on a specific topic since becoming a parent? If so, what could you talk my ear off about?

Our baby daughter started suffering from either dermatitis or eczema a year ago – just a red bumpy rash – and unscented Dove and Cetaphil cream were recommended by the pediatrician, pediatric dermatologist, and an allergist. Unfortunately, they didn’t know that Dove had changed the product formula and that Cetaphil contained sweet almond oil. We really wish they had – it would have saved her a year of terrible itching and rashes.

As background, our daughter was diagnosed with a milk allergy after we switched her to Alimentum and within a day or two her skin cleared up significantly. With consistent use of Dove in warm daily baths, hydrocortisone 1% cream on spots and Cetaphil cream, she soon had mild eczema. However, even though her skin was clearer, some red bumps and frantic itching continued, to the point that she was scratching areas so feverishly she was digging into the skin and bleeding. Nothing helped – not even antihistamines. Dairy had been eliminated so there had to be a secondary cause.

Quite by accident, I used her Dove soap two weeks ago. And I too started itching like crazy, even though I had used it without problems years ago. And it turns out I wasn’t alone – even unscented Dove’s own website addresses this issue. After some research, it turns out that in 2007 Unilever quietly changed its formulation, combining unscented Dove (recommended for years by allergists and dermatologists) and Dove for sensitive skin, into one product, unscented Dove for Sensitive skin. They changed the surfactant base and the ingredients for the whole line. In other words, the product that doctors have been recommending for years for eczema is no longer the same.

Another interesting thing is that Dove uses tallow – an animal byproduct that is often derived from cattle. This may cause a reaction in people with milk allergies.

Taking this one step further, a recent study suggests that children with milk allergies may have a higher risk of peanut sensitivity (my daughter does). Whether this can translate into a true peanut allergy is not known yet, it will take several years of research with children to find this out. One step further – some people with peanut allergies are also allergic to tree nuts. The milk -peanut – tree nut sensitivities (and sometimes allergies) can coexist.

What does all this mean? That the very mix of products recommended by three doctors – Dove and Cetaphil – may have been a trigger for her second bout with eczema. This is the multi-step process that finally worked to clear it up:

#1 – Eczema is often triggered by a milk allergy. Avoid all dairy, cheese and yogurt. Also, avoid milk byproducts such as whey (in white bread for example) or foods that might contain milk proteins such as chocolate. We saw huge improvement with Similac Expert Care Alimentum Hypoallergenic Nutrition Formula, Powder, With Iron, 1-Pound (454 g) (Pack of 6) and insurance may cover it.

#2 – If you’re using Dove soap for eczema and itching continues, try another product. We are having success with Johnson’s Baby Natural Head-to-toe baby wash for both hair and body; other moms like California baby. Our daughter’s frantic itching stopped completely overnight after we stopped using Dove.

#3 – If you’re using Cetaphil cream as a moisturizer, take note of the ingredients, especially if there’s a chance of allergies to tree nuts. It contains sweet almond oil and we found that this was causing small red non-itchy bumps in both our twins. We are now using Aveeno Baby Eczema Therapy Moisturizing Cream and it’s lightweight and not greasy. Aquaphor Baby Healing Ointment is also a good barrier moisturizer.

#4 – Change detergents. Even Dreft has fragrance. Several mom friends have found that All Free and Clear makes their babies itchy. I didn’t notice a change in my daughter’s itching but have switched to Tide Free & Gentle. I did notice a change in my own hands, for the better (they used to get red and cracked doing laundry).

#5 – always have a layer of 100% cotton next to the skin, especially with fleece clothing.

#6 – change crib sheets and vacuum once a week as dust could be a trigger (it wasn’t for us).

#7 – Hydrocortizone 1% (OTC) on spots plus a thin layer of moisturizer right after a warm daily bath still remains the best treatment. On tougher spots, apply twice a day.

With the above suggestions our daughters’ skin has cleared up almost completely. We are truly astonished as the ingredients in the very products recommended by her three doctors – Dove and Cetaphil cream – by all appearances were causing her rash and itching during the last year. She’s like a new baby, her skin is glowing and she’s finally smiling and peaceful.

Formulated specifically for chronic dry, sensitive skin

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A creamy formula ideal for dry, sensitive areas. For dry, sensitive skin, Cetaphil® Moisturizing Cream is a non-greasy cream formula that is excellent for the hands, feet, elbows and knees – anywhere that requires intensive moisturization. It is cosmetically appealing for facial use as well. It is also fragrance-free and non-comedogenic.

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