It is a universal truth that babies are born with naturally sensitive skin, and there are some with skin problems that require even more care, such as eczema, psoriasis and allergy rashes. It doesn’t matter if your baby has some kind of skin condition or not, putting disposable diapers on them could cause a reaction.
For years, people —including myself— have been putting disposable diapers on their beloved babies, not knowing what’s really inside those diapers. Unless you’re a chemistry major, which I’m not and you probably aren’t either, reading a list of the chemicals inside a disposable diaper won’t have an impact on you because you don’t know what those things are. But disposable diapers have many ingredients that can harm your baby’s skin, sensitive or not.
Before my child was born, I began to read all the benefits of cloth diapering. I immediately got hooked, but, honestly, disposable diapers are so convenient to use! As a new mom, I felt so tired all the time, being with a baby 24/7, changing diapers, cleaning vomit, milk all over the place, trying to stay sane; I definitely didn’t feel like washing poopy diapers. We had purchased a few cloth diapers, but not enough to cloth diaper full time, so my baby was mostly on disposables.
No more balms, creams or meds, we just needed more cloth diapers!
My little one has never had a serious skin condition, but since he was born, perfumes caused a light skin reaction on him. If someone wearing perfume held him, he’d get red marks all over his tiny body. Now imagine putting a diaper full of chemicals on the most sensitive part of his body! For the first few weeks, it was okay: every other day, he would have a few red spots, but nothing aggressive. However, as time passed by, he started getting a diaper rash that no cream could get rid off. Later, he got a yeast infection that was also impossible to treat, no matter how many diapers creams and prescriptions the doctors gave him. At every diaper change, you could see me begging the diaper gods to heal my son! Disposable wipes also caused a skin reaction so I thought “maybe it’s because all of the chemicals”. We decided to try cloth diapers, and, believe it or not, by the second diaper we put on him, his bum was progressing towards healing.
We have been cloth diapering for over a year now.. There is so much variety in the cloth diaper world, and we have used many brands, and some did still cause a light reaction on my child’s skin. But since you’re reading this, I’ll bet you can guess the one that has been best for his bum: of course, LKC! Not only do they offer great absorbency, but they are soft and gentle on baby skin! Whenever my baby’s bum is a bit sensitive due to acidic poo, LKC diapers save the day!
Sposies vs. Cloth
LKC’s diaper cover (or shell) is made out of TPU, that means your babe's bum can breathe- even during the hottest days- and the diaper won’t cause a heat rash. Common disposable diapers are made of plastic. Imagine wrapping yourself in plastic during the summer. You’d probably past out. That’s what a baby’s bottom feels like with sposies!
LKC inserts offer two sides, a stay-dry side and a natural fiber side, which is something that made me fall in love with the brand! The first cloth diapers we tried only offered a stay-dry option, which was made of a synthetic fabric. On a good day, it wouldn’t cause trouble, but on the bad days, we had no option. LKC diapers have both sides so you can choose what’s best for you child. If your kid has sensitive skin, you might stick to the natural fibers, as they are more gentle and less likely to cause a skin reaction. Again, when we are having skin issues, we just grab our LKC diaper, fold the insert with the natural fibers up and voilà! Cute, soft cheeks in a change.
Your little one will not only help the environment, but he’ll look super cute and you’ll save money, all while keeping their bum be protected from nasty stuff. Those soft cheeks will thank you (massive stinky poops mean thank you, in case you didn’t know).
Final Notes
In order to keep your baby rash-free when cloth diapering, be sure to follow a good washing routine. Remember: you’re dealing with lots of pees and poos and if your diapers are not being correctly washed, your baby’s skin will show it.
Protect the world, protect your baby’s bum, buy all the diapers!
Eunice M. is a stay at home mom from Mexico. She is married to Israel, momma to Set, and loves baking and Disney movies. When she’s not talking about cloth diapers, you can find her online shopping.
