Comparing bum pastes, salves and ointments
Petroleum Jelly (aka Vaseline or soft paraffin, mineral oil) is claimed to be the baby essential. It's been trusted by moms for well over a hundred years. They've used it from diaper rashes to sticky eyes to cradle cap and even teething pain. Vaseline claims that it “protects chafed skin due to diaper rash, seals out wetness, treats and prevents diaper rash.” Sure, this is what marketing claims, but... considering it is a petroleum derivative, is it really safe? I've read a few researches in the last month or so on the subject and here are my findings. (Take this with what it is... a bored mom researching over the INTERNET.)
Mineral Oil blocks pores and forms a waterproof film on the skin's surface. It prevents the ability to perspire and expel toxins.Vaseline says that their product ensures a 100 percent barrier! Mineral oil seals pores to prevent germs and moisture from getting into the skin irritation. On the flip side, it doesn't allow any soothing anti-inflammatory to enter either. Taking this into consideration,... Vaseline doesn’t hurt, but it doesn’t heal either. Mineral oil is considered nontoxic because it doesn't get absorbed by the skin.
Dating back to a study in 2008, mineral paraffin was found to be one of the largest contaminants in our body. Mineral oil paraffin can be found in human body fat and milk. (Concin N, Hofstetter G et al. Food and Chemical Toxicology. 2008 Feb; 46(2):544-52.)
Paraffin most commonly enters our body through food - but babies are formula and/or breast fed - they ingest 1% of mineral oils from moms through milk, or balms and salves used to ease nipple chaffing. Babies have been known to swallow up to 1.5 g of petroleum jelly a day. This said, no studies have determined the safe-level of petroleum jelly in children. I say that until we know - I'll use a greener method - plant oil–based creams.
Based on this, here are a few products I've tried in the last few months.
Remember, there is a difference between a salve, cream, paste (safe fir everyday use) - and then there's the ointment which should only be used when there's an actual presence of a diaper rash since these can be a little harsher.
Patatras! Crème by Pissenlit et CoccinellesRetails: $11.99 CAD (30ml)
Calendula and white argyle based cream. Use very sparingly as a little goes a LONG way. Creates a protective barrier on baby's bum. No preservatives, no chemical additives that risk being absorbed by the skin. You get a big bang for your buck on this one...
Smell: 2.5 out of 5 - I'm not a fan of the smell but dad doesn't mind it.
Messiness: your hands stay greasy unless you do a thorough soap and water hand wash. On the plus side... my nails looked way healthier when I'd rub it into my fingers.
Ease of use: you need to work the cream between your fingers first, it doesn't feel too waxy, but it is a little thick.
CD Friendly?: Yes
Price: Most bang for your buck
Main Ingredients: Olea europaea (huile d'olive), Butyrospermum parkii (karaté), Calendula officinalis
Bum Balm by Dimpleskins NaturalsRetails: $12.00 CAD
Marketing Pitch: Zinc-Free and Cloth Diaper Friendly! Apply to diaper area at each diaper change. A must in every diaper bag and an excellent choice for cloth diapers. Learn the reason why we do not use zinc oxide! Pure, unbleached, Canadian beeswax provides a nice barrier on the skin, helping to keep moisture away, while organic Calendula oil provides natural healing properties for rashes.
Review: I find this a little waxy, but it gets the job done. I found this creme at a ridiculously cheap price - $7.99 at PharmaPlus Drugstores. Seriously folks... if saving money is the most important thing to you... just stick with this stuff. A little goes a long way. The smell well,... jury's out on it. It doesn't stink, but i wouldn't bathe in it either.
Smell: 3 out of 5
Messiness: needs a good hand scrubbing
Ease of use: feels waxy, really need to work it between your fingers first
CD Friendly?: Yes
Price: CHEAP!!
Ingredients: Coconut Oil, pure unbleached Beeswax, organic Jojoba Oil, Apricot Kernel Oil, Organic Calendula Oil (infused in Sunflower Oil), Cocoabutter, Vitamin e Oil (derived from pure Soybean oil), pure Lavender essential oil.
Bottom Balm by Earth Mama Angel Baby
Retails: $17.99 (60ml)
Marketing Pitch: Your new angel's skin – is anything softer? Is anything sweeter? Hey! What's that crud, and that rash, and those scrapes? Being a baby is a hard business, from diaper rash to tiny fingernail scratches, and then bangs and scrapes galore as they begin to explore. Clinically tested Angel Baby® Bottom Balm has got her back, his bottom, mama's dry skin, papa's razor burn and gazillions of other owies that come your family's way.
Our #1 best selling salve is clinically tested, safe for cloth diapers, and safely battles existing diaper rash and protects against flare ups. The only balm made with organic olive oil infused with a proprietary blend of naturally antibacterial and anti-fungal organic herbs, Shea butter and pure essential oils, soothes itchy bug bites, scrapes, chicken pox, minor rashes, and burns.
Allergy tested, non-irritating Angel Baby® Bottom Balm is vegan (no beeswax!) and works great for all your diapering needs, and especially well with all kinds of cloth diapers.
Review: This is by far my favourite, yet it is also the MOST expensive. I've used this product for more than baby's bottom - after giving birth, I used it on myself. It helped with that "not so fresh" feeling.
Smell: 4.5 out of 5
Messiness: easy to clean off your hands
Ease of use: feels like lotion. not waxy at all.
CD Friendly?: Yes
Price: I didn't give it a 5 out of 5 because it is pretty expensive for my taste...
Ingredients: Olea europaea (organic olive) oil, Calendula officinalis (organic calendula) extract, Hypericum perforatum (organic St. John's wort) extract, Stellaria media (organic chickweed) extract, Plantago major (organic plantain extract), Butyrospermum parkii (shea) butter, Euphorbia antisyphilitica (candelilla), Simmondsia chinensis (organic jojoba) oil, proprietary blend of Lavandula angustifolia (organic lavender) oil, Melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree) oil and Commiphora myrrha (myrrh) oil
Magic Stick Diaper Ointment
by The Natural Baby Company (makers of GroVia) and
Magic Stick by GroVia This product goes by 2 different names.
Retails: $16.25 CAD
Marketing Pitch: Clean. Simple. Organic. All Natural Diaper Ointment. Now keep your hands clean when applying diaper balm. Easy to use Magic Stick goes on smooth and keeps baby’s delicate area protected and comfortable. We love this diaper ointment! It lasts forever and works wonders! Magic Stick®’s all natural and organic ingredients and petroleum-free formula is safe to use with cloth or disposable diapers. Keep Your Hands Clean and Baby Happy.
Features
- Safe to use with cloth and disposables
- Use a light layer to protect from wetness
- Helps clear up minor rashes
- Hate greasy, messy hands? Great NO MESS packaging makes application a cinch. Just the right amount will be left on baby's skin and NONE on yours!
- Safe to use on minor skin irritations....chapped skin, stretch marks, most anywhere you need extra moisture
- Made with natural and organic ingredients
Use as needed with diaper changes and at night before bed. Apply to clean, dry skin. Use only one stick per child.
Review: SUPER easy to use, smells okay, but this one is an OINTMENT! Ointments are typically used for the treatment of rashes. It claims you can use it all the time, however a main ingredient is Grapeseed Oil which is a pretty harsh oil... I'd use this one if things look a little red - not for everyday use. (Seriously, try to take a Grapeseed Oil pill,... you'll understand what I mean afterward.)
Smell: 4 out of 5
Messiness: your hands never come into contact with it.
Ease of use: can barely tell that you're putting some on baby's bum.
CD Friendly?: Yes
Price: higher than average.
Ingredients
Vitis vinifera (Grapeseed) Oil, Apis mellifera (Beeswax), Limmnanthes alba (Meadowfoam) Oil, Simmondsia chinensis (Organic Jojoba) Oil, Butyrospermun parkii (Shea) Oil, Rosa mosqueta (Organic Rosehip) and a proprietary blend of essential oils.
Diaper Rash Remedy and Preventionby Grandma El's
Retails: $18.99 CAD
Marketing Pitch: Grandma El's Diaper Rash Remedy & Prevention is a Patented, Pediatrician recommended, healing ointment. Used with each and every diaper change it will help to protect, prevent, and heal diaper rash.
This pleasant fragrance-free ointment soothes baby's most sensitive skin while keeping it protected. It is absolutely the most effective diaper rash treatment product available today. Grandma El's Diaper Rash Remedy and Prevention reduces the redness, pain, itching & irritation caused by diaper rash. This ointment creates a patented breathable, softening, protective barrier which prevents wetness from coming in contact with the skin, therefore keeping your baby comfortable. An application of Grandma El's will heal & protect, helping your precious little one to be more comfortable while sleeping, playing & exploring. Use Grandma El's with your next diaper change.
Three children & four grandchildren later, Grandma El has decided to share her patented secret with you. Grandma El's Diaper Rash Remedy & Prevention was discovered & developed in 1974, by Grandma El's husband, Bob, who has been a staple in the skin care industry for many years.
Most diaper rash is caused by wetness coming into contact with baby's sensitive skin. Anhydrous Lanolin & Yellow Petrolatum USP are combined to form a barrier preventing wetness from coming in contact with the skin. Vitamin E & Salicylic Acid USP are also included in this product to encourage healing. The unique combination of all the ingredients in Grandma El's is simply miraculous.
Review: Strong and unpleasant smell. Overpriced. Contains salicylic acid and petrolatum. If you search it online, it seems to get 5 stars all around... I don't understand why really,... lack of knowledge about other salves out there maybe? Better marketing? Who knows. Not my fave.
Smell: 2 out of 5
Messiness: easy cleanup
Ease of use: like using a thick lotion
CD Friendly?: Yes
Price: Too expensive for my taste...
Ingredients:
- Anti-oxidant Natural Vitamin E, derived from Wheat Germ Oil (D alpha tocopherol acetate)
- Natural active derivatives of the plant Balsam of Peru, a known healing agent
- Salicylic Acid, derived from Willow bark and Wintergreen; this ingredient acting with Vitamin E can promote the growth of new skin
- Yellow Petrolatum, derived from naturally occurring mineral oil
- Insecticide-free Anhydrous Lanolin, a naturally occurring, allergy-free protecting and healing agent
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There are still several more balms I'd like to try and 29 Diapers is having a Giveaway a Zoe Organics Baby Balm click here!
I'd also like to try try:
Thirsties Booty Luster spray (8 oz)
Retails: $11.00 CAD
Marketing Pitch:
Thirsties Booty Luster is blended by hand in small batches, using flowers, plants, resins, and high quality organic ingredients. Each component of our wipes solution has been carefully selected to not only clean your baby's diaper area, but to soothe and moisturize, as well. And perhaps most importantly, the properties of Thirsties Booty Luster actually help to restore the natural barrier your baby needs to protect him/herself from harmful, rash-inducing bacteria. Use Thirsties Booty Luster at every diaper change to clean thoroughly--yet gently, to moisturize, and to help protect your baby from diaper rash.
Features:
- A completely non-toxic, non-irritating solution
- Custom formulated by a chemist especially for use in cleaning your baby’s diaper area
- Designed to help loosen waste, thoroughly cleanse, and gently moisturize your baby’s skin
- Restores skin’s natural barrier against bacteria
- Soothes skin and helps prevent diaper rash
- Dries completely clean; will not leave residue
- Made in the USA
Thirsties Booty Luster is free of petroleum, alcohols, animal products, parabens,
NOTE: I did not receive any compensation for this review. I have purchased all of these products on my own.
I'll have to update the post - I just got the Happy Heiny's Spray (available through Ottawa Cloth Diapers, or at Posh Kids in Orleans) LOVE IT!!! Thanks for the recommendation!
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