Just about every baby experiences diaper rash at some point, regardless of changing frequency, diaper type, and skin sensitivity.
While you may be able to reduce diaper rash frequency with a gentle, natural diaper, sometimes it’s just inevitable. Enter: diaper rash cream.
These creams form a barrier over your baby's delicate skin, protecting it from wetness and irritation. Most provide soothing relief on contact and many also contain healing ingredients to help speed up recovery.
But not all diaper rash creams are created equal. And if your baby has sensitive skin, you'll need to take extra care in choosing one.
To help you out, we scoured thousands of reviews from parents and preofessionals to round up the best diaper rash cream of the year. All of them are made with gentle, natural ingredients and a bunch of them are great for cloth diapering too.
Need relief for that rash, stat? Jump straight to our super gentle top pick: Earth Mama Baby Organic Diaper Balm
Article Guide
- How to Choose the Best Diaper Rash Creams for Sensitive Skin
- Best Diaper Rash Cream for Sensitive Skin
- #1. Earth Mama Baby Organic Diaper Balm
- #2. Weleda Baby Diaper Rash Cream
- #3. Maty's Organic Baby Diaper Rash Relief
- #4 GroVia All Natural Magic Stick Baby Diaper Balm
- #5 Boudreaux's Butt Paste with Natural Aloe
- #6 Sun Bum Baby Bum Diaper Rash Cream
- #7 Burt's Bees Baby Diaper Rash Ointment
- #8 The Honest Company Diaper Rash Cream
- #9 Babo Botanicals Oatmilk Calendula Soothing Diaper Cream
- #10 California Baby Calming Organic Diaper Rash Ointment
How to Choose the Best Diaper Rash Creams for Sensitive Skin
The very first step to choosing an effective diaper rash cream is to identify the cause. For instance, yeast infections can look a lot like an average diaper rash, but will only clear up with the help of an anti-fungal cream or ointment, like this one.
If your baby is experiencing recurring rashes, you might need to take a closer look at your diapers. If you’re cloth diapering, consider switching to a milder laundry detergent. Using disposables? The same chemicals that help “lock moisture in” could be the culprit.
Trying a different brand can help, but if your baby has particularly sensitive skin, natural disposable diapers might be your best bet.
Read more: The Best Sunscreen for Babies with Sensitive Skin
Assuming you’ve already pinpointed the cause, here’s what you should be looking for when choosing a diaper rash cream for sensitive skin:
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Gentleness
Some diaper rash creams contain nasty chemicals that do more harm than good. Opt for formulas with nourishing, all natural ingredients as far as possible and steer clear of creams that contain potentially harmful additives like fragrance, parabens, BHA, petroleum (aka mineral jelly), and paraffin.
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Consistency
Unless you’re dealing with a serious rash that calls for a thick, sticky paste, we recommend choosing an ointment or cream instead. These tend to be a little easier to spread, so you’re less likely to irritate your baby’s already tender skin during application and removal. That said, your diaper rash cream shouldn’t be too thin either—remember, you want a bit of a barrier between your baby’s skin and whatever’s irritating it.
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Efficacy
User reviews can give you a good idea of what works and what doesn't, but the best place to start is probably the ingredients list. For an effective moisture barrier, turn to zinc oxide, lanolin, or beeswax. Olive oil, coconut oil, and jojoba oil can pull double-duty as a nourishing protective layer and an antimicrobial agent. For an instantly soothing, anti-inflammatory effect, be on the lookout for ingredients like calendula, chamomile, aloe, and lavender.
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Price
Diaper rash creams that are made with premium natural ingredients can cost a bit more, and that's understandable, but you shouldn't pay more than you have to. We compared prices to make sure they're fair.Got a feel for the fundamentals? Good. Check out our favorite baby diaper rash creams for sensitive skin below.
Best Diaper Rash Cream for Sensitive Skin
Looking for a diaper rash cream that's all natural, highly effective, and cloth diaper-safe? That's a pretty tall order, but Earth Mama Baby Organic Diaper Balm manages to get it right with a zinc oxide-free formula that's packed with powerful (but gentle) natural ingredients.
Organic olive oil, Shea butter, beeswax, and Jojoba oil nourish damaged skin and protect against irritation, while lavender, tea tree, and calendula extracts soothe and disinfect.
The oil based formula glides on easily and most users report seeing huge improvements in record time. And it isn't just for diaper rash either—dab a drop onto minor cuts, scrapes, insect bites, or burns for quick relief.
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If you're dealing with super sensitive skin and a serious diaper rash at the same time, Weleda Baby Diaper Rash Cream is the way to go. Yes, it is a little pricey, but it's also super gentle and incredibly effective, even for raw skin and eczema.
With a good dose of organic calendula, it offers fast acting relief from irritation and inflammation. Fair trade beeswax and pharmaceutical grade zinc oxide provide a long-lasting barrier against moisture and chafing, making it a great option for overnight use as well.
While zinc oxide isn't great for cloth diapers, the concentration is relatively low and many parents report using it without causing any serious damage. Try it at your own risk or err on the side of caution and use a liner.
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The mom-made Maty's line makes some amazing natural baby skincare products, and when it comes to diaper rashes, this is one of our all time favorites.
Not only does it have all the key diaper rash players (including calendula, olive oil, coconut oil, aloe, lavender, beeswax, and zinc oxide, among others), but it's also 99% organic and it costs a little less than many similar formulations.
A stellar line up of natural ingredients and a cost effective price tag? Yes, please!
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Hate getting your hands covered with sticky diaper rash cream at every change? GroVia solves one of the most common diaper changing gripes with a no-mess stick applicator.
It's all natural formula is packed with awesome ingredients like grape seed oil, beeswax, lavender, jojoba, shea butter, calendula, and tea tree to protect, condition, soothe sensitive skin.
It's also zinc oxide-free, making it safe to use with cloth diapers.
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Unless you've been living under a rock, you're probably aware of how effective Boudreaux's Original Butt Paste is at clearing up even the nastiest diaper rashes.
This natural version cuts out all the not-so-good crap (namely, mineral oil, petrolatum, and paraffin) and replaces it with awesome natural ingredients like aloe, beeswax, and castor seed oil to protect, soothe, and nourish sensitive skin.
Wondering how it stacks up against the original? Most parents who made the switch say that the natural version is superior in almost every way.
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Sensitive to smells? This near odorless diaper rash cream is easier on the olfactory system than most and super effective at clearing up rashes too.
Just like all BabyBum products, it's made of natural, plant based ingredients that are safe and gentle on tender skin.
Zinc oxide provides a reliable moisture barrier while ingredients like aloe extract, coconut oil, and shea butter calm irritation and nourish the skin. Plus, it's one of the most cost effective options on our list.
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Burt's Bees Diaper Rash Ointment is a firm favorite among ingredient-conscious parents for good reason.
Not only is it made with natural ingredients that are tough on rashes and gentle on tender skin, but it also contains a whopping 40% zinc oxide for heavy-duty irritant protection that won't rub off in a hurry.
It's pediatrician tested, so you can count on it to be safe for sensitive skin and many parents report phenomenal results using it on eczema-prone skin as well.
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With a name that contains words like “Oatmilk Calendula”, it's easy to assume that this diaper rash cream has some amazing butt-soothing properties. And you'd be 100% correct—it's great at reducing discomfort and quelling inflammation.
In fact, Babo Botanicals Diaper Rash Cream is hypoallergenic and specially formulated for sensitive, eczema prone skin. The ingredients are ultra clean and super soothing, and it contains an impressive 25% of zinc oxide to lock out wetness and reduce irritation.
Unfortunately, though, the consistency is rather…well, inconsistent. It seems to flip flop from thick to thin and back again, making it nearly impossible to know if you're getting what works for your baby. Bummer.
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Honestly, this is an awesome diaper rash cream and if your baby is allergy-prone, it's allergy tested formula can give you some added peace of mind.
But that price tag? Oh, mama, it hurts!
If you've got some cash to throw around, California Baby Organic Diaper Rash Ointment offers premium organic ingredients, an allergy tested formula, and just enough zinc oxide to effectively keep moisture off tiny tushies without being super sticky.
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There you go—10 naturally gentle diaper rash creams for sensitive skin (that really work)!
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