The Best Non-Toxic Baby Diaper Rash Cream Guide 2024

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Your baby’s delicate skin and sensitive bottom skin deserve the best! Let’s Check out the Best non-toxic Diaper Rash creams!

One of the things I used to feel so guilty about as a new mom was when I did a diaper change and the dreaded diaper rash had taken over. I felt horrible wiping the diaper area with my baby screaming, and sometimes the rash would be so bad there would be little open cuts from the irritation. The good news is, that I learned a lot about diaper rash creams over 7 years and want to share the best non-toxic diaper creams with you in this blog post.

Unfortunately, most conventional diaper rash creams on the market are not only not good for our baby’s skin, but they also contain ingredients that harm the environment and aquatic life. Ingredients such as mineral oil, petrolatum, and paraffin are all ingredients that are made from by-products of petroleum and gasoline. These ingredients are not only very toxic to our bodies, but they do not biodegrade in nature, leaving them to accumulate and harm the environment. I used to use coconut oil as an alternative “back in the day” (only 7 years ago) as there wasn’t much out there in the non-toxic diaper cream world!

Thankfully, these days mamas can find so many better options for non-toxic diaper creams that work great on baby’s bottom and are budget-friendly as well.

*Taylor(The Clean Living Nurse) is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

Best Non-Toxic Diaper Creams with natural ingredients

I am going to share the best non-toxic diaper creams and will break down cost comparison as well. The best diaper creams can be broken down into non-nano zinc oxide-based creams and non-zinc-based creams. You will see zinc used in many diaper creams because it is a great barrier protector against wetness protection and can reduce mild dermatitis from adhesion and penetration from microorganisms.

According to Suntribesunscreen.com, non-nano zinc:

“is larger than 100nm and therefore won’t penetrate your skin. Besides it being the safest option of UV filter to use for human health, it has also been shown to be the safest option for marine life and coral reefs, since Zinc Oxide in its Non-Nano form has been shown not to harm marine wildlife. “

Sounds like it is great to put on a baby’s bum!

**All of these brands do not contain any petrolatum(petroleum) talc, parabens, phthalates, fragrances, or dyes which is super important in a baby cream!

Best Overall Non-Toxic Diaper Cream

La Petite Creme

This diaper creme rash ointment is insane! It is a non-zinc-based natural diaper cream. When you open it up it feels like a luxury facial moisturizer you will want to slather all over your face! (and you could too) This product is EWG certified meaning it is the best of the best ingredients, with no toxicants or endocrine disruptors. It has very minimal and pure ingredients which I love. Unfortunately, a lot of non-toxic diaper creams still have a long list of ingredients to help it stay shelf stable, etc. Here are the ingredients:

• Organic olive oil
• Water
• Organic beeswax
• Vitamin E
• Calcium Hydroxide

I love that it is USDA organic meaning that it meets the highest standards of ingredients-no pesticides or GMO ingredients allowed! It is creamy, and smooth, goes on easily, and leaves a layer of protection after applying.

It can also be used for other issues such as cradle cap, skin irritation, dry skin, or a facial moisturizer. This brand is seriously the definition of luxury! I honestly use it as a hand moisturizer in the winter as my hands get so dry!

This diaper creme works great in all diaper types cloth diapers or disposable diapers. This is a great alternative to Aquaphor.

Cost: $11.99 for 1 oz or $20.69 for 4 oz

Better non-toxic diaper cream options!

Hyland’s Naturals Diaper Rash Cream

 This was a newer brand to me but I am glad I found it! It is a zinc-based diaper cream made with organic ingredients which is awesome!

This brand is owned now by Hello Bello, a non-toxic disposable diaper company I love! They are truly the best diapers! Check out my post here all about Hello Bello diapers! I love the simple ingredients! 

• Zinc Oxide
• Organic Aloe leaf extract
• Organic Beeswax
• Organic Calendula
• Organic Castor seed oil
• Organic matricarina flower extract
• tocopherol(vitamin E)
• Organic sunflower seed oil

What I like about this cream, is that it is zinc-based but it is only 10% zinc oxide so it is not super heavy on the zinc. I have nothing against zinc, I just hate the way it feels, it’s a texture thing for me! Zinc is amazing for diaper rashes though, it makes the rash go away so fast! 

This cream goes on like a zinc-based cream but immediately rubs in very well without the leftover white zinc residue. It rubs in clear and is very moisturizing.

Cost: $9.70 for 3 oz.

Botao Diaper Rash Cream

This is another zinc-based diaper rash cream. This brand has a little higher zinc content than Hyland’s at 12% zinc oxide. The ingredients are not organic, but they are enriched with aloa vera, calendula, and chamomile. It is dermatologist-tested as well. 

This brand applies very easily (you know that feeling when you are using a butt paste type diaper cream and it is almost so thick it’s hard to apply?) yes, this brand applies very easily! This brand leaves a little bit more of a zinc residue than the Hyland’s brand but nothing super heavy.

Cost: $8.91 for 2.50 oz.

Active Skin Repair

This is not your standard diaper cream, but hear me out! Active Skin Repair is this amazing brand that I found that uses HOCL (hypochlorous acid) which is actually used in wound care and is used in hospitals as an EPA-registered disinfectant. 

I know what you are thinking, “If it’s used in hospitals I don’t want that anywhere near my baby’s skin!” hear me out though, because HOCL is produced by our bodies! It occurs as a precursor to free radical damage in the body. In other words, when there is evidence of injury whether that be tissue damage, inflammation to the skin, etc. HOCL is released by our body to start the repair process. (source)

Active skincare comes in sprays and gels they have sprays for adults, kids, and babies. The baby spray is made for all the things: diaper rashes, cuts, baby acne, eczema, cuts scrapes, skin irritations, ALL THE THINGS!

Active skin repair is the perfect item to keep in a first aid kit. Think of non-toxic neosporin on steroids. It is pediatrician-recommended and does not sting or burn when applied. It contains no harsh chemicals, is completely non-toxic. 

Cost: $29.99 for 3 oz. bottle

Babo Botanicals

This is a great brand of plant-based products for the whole family! They have all the things from sunscreens, skin care, shampoo conditioner, and baby products. They are EWG certified so they are top of the line in quality ingredients. This baby cream has the highest Zinc Oxide amount of all the prior creams. This cream has 25% zinc oxide. I was surprised though, because it almost felt the same consistency as the Batao diaper cream.

This diaper cream is also pediatrician-tested, and great for those with the most sensitive of skin. If your baby struggles with rashes from wetness being the problem this is the best barrier cream.

Cost: $12.50 for 3 oz. 

Primally Pure Baby Balm

I love this baby cream for its pure, clean ingredients. It uses beef tallow from grass-fed cows as its main ingredient as the name suggests “Primally Pure” It also uses extra virgin olive oil, pure Emu oil, Beeswax, Calendula Flower, and marshmallow root. That’s it!

It works so great on healing rashes, irritated/inflamed skin, eczema, and psoriasis. It’s also great to use on those growing bellies during pregnancy to help prevent stretch marks!

I have also been known to use this as a face cream!

Cost: $18.00 for 1 oz.

Is Honest Diaper Cream Non-toxic?

I actually really like the Honest Brand diaper cream, I would definitely consider it my round-up of non-toxic Diaper cream! It just wasn’t a top performer for me. I think there are better products out there. It does contain organic jojoba oil and shea butter which are great ingredients.

Conclusion of best non-toxic baby diaper rash creams

I think it honestly depends what type of rash your baby is dealing with. If your baby needs protection from wetness, I think a zinc-based cream is going to be your best bet, as it adds that barrier protection. 

If your baby is dealing with just redness from teething and all the things, I can’t highly recommend enough the Active Skin Repair and either the La Petite Creme or Primally Pure balms enough. 

All moms should have Active Skin Repair in their arsenal no matter what the ages of their kiddos. 

What to avoid in Baby diaper rash creams

We have covered what to get in a diaper rash cream, but what should moms look to avoid in diaper rash creams?

Petroleum Based Products

This can look like anything from “petrolatum” “mineral oil” “liquid paraffin” and “vaseline.” These ingredients want to be avoided for obvious reasons as they are petroleum and fossil fuel by-products. We definitely don’t want petroleum and by-products absorbed into our baby’s skin.

Fragrance

All my blog posts seem to land on this ingredient ALL THE TIME. Avoid synthetic fragrances at all costs. I know we all love that “baby smell” that is synthetic and fake. Really, the only smell a baby should smell like is milk or poop. No joke. Synthetic fragrance is a slew of unregulated chemicals we don’t want absorbing into our skin. I am normally a fan of plant-based fragrances made from essential oils, but I think babies are so sensitive they don’t need anything with fragrance. Stick to baby products and diaper ointment that is unscented.

Parabens and Preservatives

The most common of these found in baby products are Methylparaben Propylparaben Butylparaben and ethyparaben. These all can cause endocrine disruption.

Phenoxyethanol or “glycol ether” is a common preservative that is a known carcinogen. Sodium Benzoate is also another harmful preservative that should be avoided.

Formaldehyde

Yes, you read that correctly. The ingredient used to embalm bodies. It definitely most likely won’t be written out in the ingredients as “formaldehyde” no, no, these companies are tricky. You will most likely see “DMDM Hydantoin” or “Bronopol.” These are used to extend shelf like and prevent bacterial growth. Gross.

How to Prevent Diaper Rash

I wish there was a magical answer that would fit for all babies! Unfortunately, there is not a one-size-fits-all approach. The best thing you can do as a mom to prevent diaper rash is to make sure your baby’s diaper is getting changed often. Wet diapers aren’t always the culprit though, food allergies, teething and other irritants like the diaper being used could be the cause. Always check with your doctor for concerns.

There’s a Better Way

The non-toxic baby cream industry has come a long way even since I had my first born 7 years ago! There are so many good products out there thankfully as better options. Always do your research mamas!

I hope this blog post on the best non-toxic baby diaper rash creams was helpful! If you try any let me know how you like them!