Finding the perfect nappy cream is an essential for all new parents. Nappy rash is an extremely common (and extremely uncomfortable) problem for many babies and having an excellent product to hand when you need it makes all the difference.
It’s always important to consider what we are putting onto our skin and into our bodies and even more so for babies and young children. Many non-natural products can even exacerbate existing problems on very sensitive skin and prevent your baby’s body from healing itself and restoring natural function and balance. The same really applies to any kind of skin care, for babies and adults alike!
We love the Weleda nappy cream the most (as do many midwives), because its kind, gentle ingredients really stand up to the test. Lanolin and zinc oxide provide a protective barrier against excessive moisture while organic calendula and chamomile extracts gently smooth and soften the skin. It not only seems to prevent irritation from arising, but it also works absolute wonders on healing sore bottoms fast.
When looking for the ideal nappy cream for your little one, remember that price isn’t everything (as Weleda has shown us). Flip straight over to the ingredients list and look for a good blend of hydrating carrier oils, healing botanicals, water repelling zinc oxide and natural, breathable waxes. Being certified organic is always a plus too. Steer clear of synthetic fragrance, parabens and generally research anything that looks suspect!
Unlike most other nappy creams and balms, this contains no water so you get all the goodness of the ingredients without any thinning out at all. It’s packed with oils (sunflower, sweet almond and hemp to name a few) for intense skin hydration but that means it can stain if it gets onto clothes.
It uses beeswax instead of zinc oxide or lanolin to create a moisture barrier, which works well for a while but does need to be reapplied quite regularly to keep in place. It’s so mild and soothing, though, that sore bottoms seem to benefit from frequent use.
It’s very much scent-free, not just in terms of no added fragrance but also in that the other ingredients don’t emit much smell either. It’s also a multi-tasker and a favourite with breastfeeding mums for soothing sore nipples too!
We were really impressed with this all-natural nappy cream which helped to heal up even the worst case of nappy rash we tried it on. The barrier it created to keep moisture out was fantastic too, thanks to the addition of both zinc oxide and lanolin.
It is very bright white, however, and although it does absorb well over time while still keeping that protection in place, it lies quick thick on the skin to begin with. Our baby testers didn’t seem to mind this at all, in fact, it seemed offer quite cooling respite from hot nappy rash, but it can easily get onto clothes and leave a white mark.
It’s fragrance-free and loaded with calendula which has been used for centuries to reduce inflammation and heal wounds naturally. And it certainly seems to do the job here. Some of our mum testers have said the results are nothing short of miraculous!
The organic aloe vera on the ingredients list really caught our eye with this one – a wonderfully soothing and healing inclusion which can really help ease the painful, burning sensation of nappy rash. And sure enough, as soon as this went on our baby testers seemed happier!
Despite being an oil-based balm this product is very thick, but once applied it absorbs incredibly quickly so that almost no trace of it is left behind, just a slightly powdery yet hydrated finish. However, it didn’t seem to create that much of a barrier for ongoing protection.
All-in-all this was one of our favourites for moisturising as we loved how hydrated bottoms were left without any sort of residue, but it fell short when it came to keeping excess moisture at bay.
The first thing we found we had to do with this product was give it a good shake! As oil separation did occur, but this is something that is to be expected from many natural products. It’s not a big deal, just worth knowing about so you can get the most out of the balm!
Once we got that out of the way, we found this soothing all-purpose balm to deliver quick relief and it definitely seemed to speed up healing too. This might be down to the inclusion of tamanu oil, which you don’t often see in nappy creams but that is thought to accelerate wound healing. Although fragrance free, the smell from this particular oil comes through above the other ingredients which although some people seem to hate, we found to be a fairly mild, nutty scent.
The fact that this product is free from essential oils makes a welcome change to other natural offerings, as some babies bottoms just don’t agree with these ingredients. It’s a pretty great all-round product and we tried it on cradle cap too, which it really helped with! And as all new parents know – the more multi-purpose the better.
This rich cream sinks in surprisingly well considering how thick it is and as a result, it leaves bottoms well moisturised – fast – without being oily. You only need to apply a thin layer for it to do its job too, which means this small tube will last a decent amount of time.
Protection against excess moisture was pretty good and lasted well, while hydrating and soothing the skin. But it wasn’t the most healing balm we tried for particularly bad nappy rashes.
It was possible to use this on sore skin, as the ingredients (for the most part) were very gentle but if your child has allergies it’s worth noting the inclusion of top 8 allergen soyabean oil and alcohol too.
