Looking for a natural homemade diaper rash cream that you can make yourself? This tutorial will help you make the best diaper rash cream out there!
The Best Homemade Diaper Rash Cream
Have you been making Homemade Lotion, Homemade Vaseline, Homemade Lip Balm, Homemade Shaving Cream, and other natural health and beauty products for yourself? I’ve been enjoying all my homemade goodies ever since we started making/using them. But what about natural products for baby?
He deserves the best too and if you are already making them for yourself, you will have most of the ingredients needed to make this best diaper rash cream for your little!
This recipe is cloth diaper approved (even for cheap cloth diapers!). It shouldn’t build up and if you are having problems with it you can run your diapers in a vinegar and baking soda wash to clean them up.
Ok, so a note…most recipes I’ve found for homemade diaper rash cream use zinc oxide. This is supposed to have antibacterial properties. I’m personally not 100% convinced on the safety of zinc oxide since it will be absorbed by the skin (and especially on my baby!) but I encourage you to do your own research on zinc oxide before you make a decision. If you do decide to add it to this recipe you will add 1 tablespoon per batch. The coconut oil in this recipe has antibacterial properties, either way you decide to go.
If you like this recipe you may also enjoy my book, Little House Living: The Make Your Own Guide to a Frugal, Simple, Self Sufficient Life that is filled with over 130 similar recipes!
Ingredients in Homemade Diaper Rash Cream
Shea Butter (Where to Buy)
Shea butter contains Vitamin A and Vitamin E. It also has proven anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties. The healing qualities of Shea butter are due to the presence of several fatty acids and plant sterols, namely oleic, stearic, palmitic and linolenic acids. These oil-soluble components are nonsaponifiable, meaning they do not undergo saponification or convert to soap when introduced to an alkali. Shea butter possesses a significantly greater nonsaponifiable fraction than most other nut oils and fats, which lends the substance greater healing potential for the skin –InterBeautee
–Find more Uses for Shea Butter and try my Homemade Shea Butter Lotion.
Coconut Oil (Where to Buy)
I’ve posted about the benefits to Coconut Oil on my Coconut Oil Lotion post.
Beeswax (Where to Buy)
Beeswax has been proven to have anti-inflammatory effects, and also locks in moisture and helps to treat skin conditions such as rashes and eczema.
Vegetable Glycerin (Where to Buy)
Glycerin may help relieve minor skin problems, such as diaper rash, itching and skin burns, with its anti-irritant and anti-inflammatory properties. – Dr. Mercola
Put all of these things together and you have one powerful homemade diaper rash cream!
So with that note out of way, here is my recipe for the best homemade diaper rash cream.
The Best Homemade Diaper Rash Cream
What You Need:
- 1/2 cup Shea Butter (Where to Buy)
- 1/4 cup Coconut Oil (Where to Buy)
- 1 tbsp. Beeswax (Where to Buy)
- 2 tbsp. Vegetable Glycerin (Where to Buy)
In a saucepan, melt the shea butter, coconut oil, and beeswax together. No need to boil, just need to get everything melted together.
Remove from heat. Add in the vegetable glycerin.
With an electric mixer of some kind, beat until the mixture gets creamy.
Pour into a jar or container and let cool. The diaper rash cream will firm up a little more as it cools.
Tips and Tricks for Using Homemade Diaper Rash Cream
- The final product will be very thick, you only need to use a little bit at a time.
- I use a special saucepan that I got at a thrift store to make all my homemade lotions and creams just like this one. The beeswax is very difficult to scrub off so I don’t like to use my regular cooking pots and pans.
- You may not need to use some each time you are changing a diaper unless you have to use wipes.
- As I mentioned above, this recipe is cloth diaper safe.
- This homemade diaper rash cream can also be used as an all-purpose rash cream, it works great for healing many skin conditions!
Be completely frugal with baby by learning all about Cheap Cloth Diapers and How to Make Your Own Baby Wipes. And don’t forget to first read about Budgeting for a New Baby and Simple Living with Baby.
Of course, make sure you check out all the DIY and Make Your Own recipes on Little House Living!
Looking for more fun DIY projects that you can make quickly and easily? My book, Little House Living: The Make Your Own Guide to a Frugal, Simple, and Self Sufficient Life has over 130 recipes just like this one!
And that’s how you make the best homemade diaper rash cream! Are you going to try it? Read the comments below to see how awesome this cream really is!
This blog post on Homemade Diaper Rash Cream was originally posted on Little House Living in 2013. It has been updated as of December 2018.
Oh wow – this sounds fantastic! I always ended up making homemade diaper cream but with processed products. This sounds so natural and I’m sure great for baby’s skin! Thanks for sharing! xo, Kimberly
Is it cloth diaper safe?
It should be as long as you don’t over-use it. Also make sure you get the ivory shea butter instead of the gold.
Hi! Sorry to write this on a reply to your comment, I could not find where to start a comment.
Can I infuse the oil with herbs? If so, at what point? and for how long (to not change the consistency too much)
Thank you!
Yes, you should be able to. You would want to do that before you add the oil to the mixture. I’m not sure that timing would matter for consistency but it’s possible that some herbs may just not react well with other ingredients causing separation.
May I know how long the cream lasting?
Very cool! Does this product need to be refrigerated or is it shelf stable?
It’s shelf stable!
I wish I would have know about this when my daughter was a baby. She had issues with anything that was purchased over the counter!
If you are short on time, organic cold-pressed extra virgin coconut oil works great on its own. My daughter is prone to yeast rashes and it even works well on those. 🙂
For yeast rash, dilute ACV (apple cider vinegar), apply with cotton ball and let air dry. Repeat a couple times. Will clear in a day or so.
Use the oil after it clears up 🙂
THANK YOU LADIES! Years later, you’re still helping Mamas
I’ve found there is little out there that plain old coconut oil – put on diligently -won’t cure. Plus it’s 100% cloth diaper safe! I’ve yet to come across a rash it wouldn’t fix. However – if I do, I’m saving this, haha!
I’m going right home and try this after babysitting. Now, I’m wondering though, could I add zinc oxide powder and how much do you think would be appropriate?
You would add 1 tablespoon to a batch.
great idea! I always spent a ton of money buying the organic diaper cream. This is such a smarter alternative! Love that it’s only four ingredients!
At what speed and how long do you run the mixer for I’ve been blending for about 5 minutes and it isn’t thick
Oh, thank you Marissa! I loved desitin with it’s zinc, but this would be so much better. LOL, I thought I was buying a little bit of zinc oxide powder and it turned out to be a great big bag. Now I can use it. I’m working on a more natural sun screen. (I’m a fair skinned redhead!) Oh, and can I say that I absolutely love your newsletter. Your advice is timely, your recipes are no fail. My grandbabies are getting bread pudding after church tonight! It made the house smell heavenly! Thank you soooo much!
The easist and best I have found is to infuse calendual petals in olive oil for a couple weeks on a shelf or 3 hrs. on low in a double boiler. Strain and add 1 part beeswax to 4 parts. infused oil. Put in bably food jar or I use recycled yeast jars as they are dark. My daughter saw it used on a baby’s bum that only got changed twice a day, if lucky, and it almost healed the rash in 24 hrs. Not her baby. It is great and easy to grow and dry the petals yourself naturally. Also called pot marigold. Deb
Is there a recipe to make this with another oil? I have severe coconut allergies
I’m not sure hat you could use that would still harden up like coconut oil does. You could try an almond or jojoba but they for sure won’t have the same consistency.
You could use olive, almond, or grapesed oil in place of the coconut oil. Coconut oil is only in a solid stste at temps under 75 degrees. The beeswax is the main component to keeping it thick.
I just use Shea butter melted with organic extra virgin olive oil to soften it a bit, melted on low and whipped. Same method pretty much, I’ve also added jojoba but the Shea/olive mixture has been bomb proof for my daughter. When she started teething & eating solids we started seeing rashes, but his has cleared them up within 12-24 hours. My only mistake was putting huge layer on each time and getting major buildup on her diapers and the golden is shea is worse for buildup. I think letting the rashes air out and also her bottom each time I change her has helped. She thinks having her butt fanned dry is funny:)
Is this cloth diaper safe?
Merissa,
I wanted to make a comment about using Zinc Oxide. Skin cannot absorb(and get into our bodies or blood steam) if the particles are larger than 30 nm. So as long as the zinc you use is larger than 30 nm, it is perfectly safe to use it in your products. Also, make sure to only use a cosmetic grade or USP grade(medical/food grade) zinc otherwise, you have no idea if zinc has been purified to remove naturally occurring(but hazardous) heavy metals. Zinc is a great barrier for moisture(ie urine and feces) and will help to protect your babies healthy skin. Also, I would suggest buying it from a reputable soap or bath/body supply company so you will know for sure(by looking at the MSDS sheets) the particle size and the grade. If you buy from someone on Ebay, Amazon, etc, you risk getting industrial grade zinc which is not skin safe.
Ok thank you for sharing for those that might be wondering!
This is great! I was out of shea butter, so we used cocoa butter instead. Feels great!
When I make large batches of any kind of salve I whip it in the food processor. It is easier to remove when I am ready to put it in small jars.
I am having trouble locating vegetable glycerin in my town and wanted to ask if it is essential to this recipe, what is its purpose and could I leave it out or replace it?
Julianna, it really thickens this recipe up and helps it to stick to where you put it. I do think this could be made without it but it might not have quite the same effect. You can also order it from Amazon if you are having trouble finding it in your town. I order it from my co-op.
Thanks Merissa! I definitely want it to stay put 🙂 I did see several sources online so I will be ordering that today! I need to try to locate a co-op in my area too. I’m looking forward to trying it out. Thanks again!
Good luck!
This actually looks pretty similar to the lemon curd I just made! I love using homemade products whenever possible. Thanks for the recipe!
Your blog is so cute! I’m stopping by from the Totally Tasty Tuesdays. I hope you will come over to my party and share some great recipes on http://rediscovermom.blogspot.com/2013/03/tried-and-true-recipe-party-3.html
This is a great concept and I love that it’s homemade! I’m going to feature it today! Thanks so much for sharing at Mix it up Monday 🙂
http://www.flourmewithlove.com/2013/03/featuring-you_13.html
I’ll be sharing this one! Thanks so much for linking it up to Monday Funday!
This is great – would love for you to link it up at the Friday Baby Shower a new linky party for all things pregnancy and new baby – Alice http://mumsmakelists.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/The%20Friday%20Baby%20Shower
Hi Merissa,
I am sure passing this along to a couple of friends who need it now for the little ones, this is great! Have a great St. Patrick’s Day and thank you so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday!
Come Back Soon,
Miz Helen
Thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much for the awesome recipe! My sister made some of this for my 1yr. old and our baby due in three weeks. It works amazingly well, within 24hrs. I am not only using it on his bum, but his chin gets really broke out from teething. This makes a huge difference! I love that I know exactly what I am putting onto his tender skin. Now I’m off to check out all the other gems on your site.
I’m so glad it worked for you!
why doesn’t it get creamy an d thick when I beat it ?
Did you add all the amounts of ingredients correctly? Also…it takes a few minutes of beating with the mixer to get creamy so make sure you give it a little time! 🙂
Guess I am the only one that made this Diaper Rash cream and it didn’t thicken. I used my mixer for about 12 minutes. I used all the right ingredients with one tablespoon of Beeswax which possibly I needed two? I just heated all the ingredients so I am thinking it wasn’t hot enough? Any ideas? Guess I can’t start over with same batch and heat again since it has the Glycerin already?
The mixture should thicken after it cools. The whipping is just to make it creamy. 🙂
It didn’t thicken for me either and turns oily when applied. Is that normal?
Same here. Mine is runnny and oily. Beat it for about 12 minutes but it doesn’t thicken up or turn creamy.
I have made diaper cream before but was looking for a recipe for moral support because I can’t seem to find the recipe I used before. I’m so glad google brought me here. 🙂
To the lady that doesn’t want to use coconut, how about cocoa butter? That would thicken up the way coconut oil does and if you use an unrefined kind, it would smell delicious, too.
I’ve never tried beating the cream into submission… the recipe I used was like a thick, hard salve. I had to scrape a bit off with my finger and it melted as it was applied. This recipe looks like a much nicer and easier to apply consistency. Can’t wait to try it!
I hope you enjoy it Nannette! It definitely is a good consistency, very similar to a thick salve although this melts somewhat as you put it on thanks to the coconut oil.
Hi! I am so excited about this!! What size jar did this make and how long does it last for? I found 3 of the ingredients on Amazon and the coconut oil on the website you listed has the best deal on it. I just want to make sure I am getting my best ‘bang for my buck’. It’s going to cost us $50ish for everything. I know that’s an upfront cost. I need this info to convince my husband that we will actually be saving by going this route, lol.
Right now we buy diaper cream that is $23 for 16 oz.
This recipe make just less than 8 ounces and for us it lasts a looong time but we don’t use it that often. If you are going through Tropical Traditions to buy the coconut oil you will love it! It’s for sure the best brand I’ve used. And once you purchase all the ingredients you will have enough to make many batches.
I am SO trying this! For further anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties do you think it would be okay to add a couple of drops of thyme essential oil to this?
Thank you so much!
As long as it doesn’t irritate your little one I think it’s ok!
Thanks soooo much for the recipe! My son (2 weeks) has had a nasty never ending diaper rash. Yes, we use disposables… yes I make my own wipes with processed chemicals… however NO diaper rash creams were helping. We even used a prescription cream only for it to continue to get worst with every thing we tried. We even used desiten (sp?), no luck there either. Tried this recipe, (without zinc) and in less than 24 hours it’s almost completely gone!!! What a relief, I’m in love. When I put it on I actually feel like I am doing something GOOD for his skin, not just fighting a diaper rash.
I am not a person that has to have stuff all natural, or organic… however when it works as well or better and is cheaper than the other stuff I am all for it. So if someone is reading this and is wondering if they should try it… YES!
I divided mine up into 3 containers, one for his bed room, one for our downstairs changing area, and one for the diaper bag. Just a suggestion. 🙂
thanks so much!!
Awesome! I’m so glad it worked so well for you!
Hi, this is my first time to your site. I am really interested in the diaper rash cream. Can you please tell me if the unrefined shea butter is what you would suggest? I have found it at amazon in the white shea butter. Thank you so much. Can’t wait to make this up and use it on my grandson, who has high acid content in his body and he doesn’t get changed at home as much as he should be.
I’ve used either shea butter and they both work the same, in this case I’m not sure what the benefit would be one over the other. Although if you are using it with cloth diapers over an extended period of time you might want to go with the white shea butter just for less chance of staining. I hope that helps!
This is a wonderful recipe. I am cloth diapering and my LO tends to get diaper rash ever now and then. I have bookmarked your DIY page and will be making more of your recipes soon. Can’t wait to do the shaving cream. I am trying to get as many chemicals out of my house as possible. I have 3 explorers that like to get into everything even if it is out of reach or under lock and key. I will definitely let you know what I think of every recipe I try. Thanks for this one.
I’d love to know what you think, make sure you comment! 🙂
I’m new to making stuff myself, so basic question. Will this go bad after awhile? What would be an estimated shelf life?
We haven’t kept it around long enough to find out but yes, since it’s all natural it will go bad sooner than store versions. I would say you have at least 6 months though before that happens.
Im concerned with not having a preservative and keeping it so long. since it has vegetable glycerin (water based) the chance of mold/fungus/bacteria after even a week without refridgeration would be great..
I’ve stored it for several months without refrigeration and it’s been just fine for us, no mold growth or anything like that. If you don’t think you would use it before if would go bad you may want to start with a half a batch or even 1/4 (it’s very thick and you don’t need much).
hi merissa. what amanda said is correct. anything with a water-containing ingredient like glycerin will spoil very quickly. the thing is your product spoils long before you can actually see that it has gone bad. this is because we are dealing with microorganisms (bacteria, yeast, mold, etc) which are microscopic (unable to be seen by the human eye). by the time we actually see the spoilage the product has long gone bad.
a good rule of thumb is to consider homemade products like you would food. we wouldn’t leave food that contains water on the counter for weeks or months and then eat it. we know it’d be spoiled. same with homemade body products. a week or two in the refrigerator is probably all that you can safely count on.
eliminating the glycerin from the recipe easily takes care of this so you don’t have an ingredient with water in it. then it is safe to use as long as the shortest life of the oil or butter you use. in this case a year or two.
awesome idea!! Thank you Merissa
I was wondering if you can also use this cream for normal baby body moisturizing
I don’t see why not! It is slightly greasy though so you might want to bump up the amount of beeswax if you want to use it for a lotion.
I made this diaper cream and since I’ve been using this he has never had a burned bottom again from teething diapers. I’ts an excellent barrier cream, I use it on my lips and hands and on his face. At first it seems oily, after 3mins it simply disappears as the skin “drinks” it!
I found shea butter in a 2oz jar at a store in town here and am wondering if this recipe would still work if you cut everything in half of the original? Or would the amounts listed above be the best bet and preferred?
It will work fine if you cut it in half 🙂
On average, how long do you need to mix it with the mixer? My mixture never got really creamy. I mean, it did, but didn’t thicken very much. I did put it into another bowl to mix it after I removed it from the heat.
Probably about 8-10 minutes. It should aslo thick up quite a bit more after you whip it and let it cool down a bit.
Can you use this baby rash cream for anything else like a lotion or something?
You could but it would be a pretty thick, sticky lotion. I’m not sure I would like the feel of it.
Hi there,
Looking for something I can use on a daily basis as a preventative. Would I be able to use this recipe for that or is it only to be used once the baby clearly has rash?
Thanks so much!
In addition – I do use cloth diapers so want to prevent having to strip on a frequent basis. Thank you 😉
You should be ok there as long as you don’t use a huge amount each time you change baby. I don’t have any trouble with it on my cloth diapers but I only apply the rash cream about once a day since it’s so thick. (I do before bedtime).
You can use it for both purposes. 🙂
Thank you!!
This looks absolutely wonderful for babies and also for adults who want to pamper their skin…and i personally get rashed in the peri-area at times myself….so im gonna try this too!……Sounds so nice n creamy ….. Thank You!!!~
What’s the shelf life of this recipe? I know this probably sounds crazy but I’m not due till April of next year but I know it’s gonna get crazy really quick since I already have a 9YOB. I didn’t go all natural with him but the father of this child is very health and nature oriented – very supportive. I’m even going to attempt 🙂 to make homemade baby food.
It lasts a few months, I’m not sure exactly because we go through it quickly. I would wait a little bit yet to make it and also add some Vitamin E oil when you do to help preserve it.
Thank you – I figured I would do this during the ‘nesting phase’. I have this pinned on my Pinterest board!
Do you need to add the glycerin? You have other products on here made with beeswax, shea butter, and coconut oil. I know glycerin helps mix the products, but is it necessary? Just wondering if another trip is due… thanks for posting these and where did you get Your ideas from? I get mine from you! lol
The glycerin helps “seal” the moisture in and also to make it really nice and creamy and lotion like. You could leave it out but it’s going to change it a little.
I just made this today for my little one who has had a stomach virus for 3 days. Within a couple of hours his red bottom looks so much better! Thank u for the great recipe!
I’m so glad it worked for you! I hope your little one feels better soon!
Which one of the shea butters on Amazon do you find to be the most economical? There are so many on that link you provided. Just wondered which one you use.
I generally just buy whatever is the best deal at the time. Around $7-$8 a pound is what I look for.
Hi Merissa
we’ve talked before and my babys 5 months now and am hooked this is the best cream!
Just wanted to see if you ever heard from others that after a week or two the mixture gets a little gritty. Need to rub between fingers to dissolve the gritty texture ??
I’ve noticed that sometimes things with coconut oil can get this way if they get to a certain temp.