What causes a nappy rash?

I still remember the day when my daughter got her first nappy rash… It left me confused. I could not figure out where I went wrong.

I bought all the recommended products. I changed her nappy the way I was supposed to, but she still ended up with it… After doing some research, I realized that there was something that I did wrong – something that may have caused the severe nappy rash…

I did not give her skin an opportunity to breathe…

Many first-time moms have no clue as to the best way to take care of baby’s nappy area. I don’t blame them because apparently it supposed to be quite obvious but is it?

I don’t think so!

There’s a lot that we need to understand about baby’s skin, the products we use on our babies and how the ingredients could cause a reaction.

Yes, ingredients… The fine print on the packaging that we almost never read.

I recently attended a panel discussion hosted by Johnson’s with Professor Carol Hlela who is a Consultant Dermatologist (Head of Unit, Department of Dermatology Paediatrics Red Cross Children’s Hospital, UCT) and I must say that I have learnt a lot about the nappy area that I didn’t know before – even though I have 3 kids.

Using the right barrier cream is extremely important but it isn’t enough.

Baby’s skin is 30% thinner than adults. This means that the skin is more vulnerable to bacteria and germs.

A Nappy rash can be caused by various different factors, you can read more about it here. I also included my favourite barrier creams to use!

The key to make sure the nappy area is cleaned properly is to invest in a good cleanser.

The convenient option for moms in today’s world is wet wipes.

The reason that I say invest in a good cleanser is because there are so many available on the market – some are actually made up with ingredients that can harm your baby’s skin instead of protecting it. I did not realise that there were so many ‘active’ ingredients in wet wipes. It bore looking closely into the different brands, so when it came to Johnson’s – a household name and one of most moms go to baby brand – it was easy to see why many moms in South Africa prefer Johnson’s Baby Wipes.

• Johnson’s wipes are as mild as water, the wipes also help maintain the skin barrier and reduce irritation which is what is needed for baby’s skin.
• Johnson’s baby wipes pH level is at 5.5, which is the safest and the closest to the natural pH level of your baby’s skin.

Remember high pH levels can be harmful and damaging to baby’s skin. 

• Johnson’s wipes are gentle and their extra Sensitive Wipes (my favourite from the range) are completely fragrance-free and is great for the babies that have a sensitive skin.
• Johnson’s gentle all over wipes contain their proven safe, allergen-free fragrance included only in an appropriate low dose suitable for Newborn skin. 90% of the ingredients in their products are of natural origin.

And the best part is that Johnson’s baby wipes offer the best value for money.

I normally stock up when there’s a big sale happening because wipes go extremely fast in my house. We use it for almost everything wet wipes can be used for… And some uses that I didn’t realise existed. 😉