7 Best Diaper Rash Creams, According to a Pediatrician
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At some point in your parenting journey, you’ll open up your baby’s diaper and find a red, sore-looking bottom. Diaper rash is a common skin irritation that’s typically triggered by a combination of moisture, air, friction from diapers and irritants caused by enzymes in poop, pee or even the ingredients in diapers or bath products. Sometimes yeast (which loves moisture) is involved, particularly with severe or recurring rashes. And for whatever reason, some little ones have especially sensitive skin and are simply prone to developing diaper rash.
But no matter what the cause, you’re going to want to help relieve your baby’s symptoms — stat. The good news? Diaper rash cream can help.
How we chose the best diaper rash creams
- We referenced guidelines from leading experts, including the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American Academy of Dermatology Association (AAD). We also consulted Gina Posner, M.D., a board-certified pediatrician practicing at MemorialCare Medical Group in Fountain Valley, California and member of the What to Expect Medical Review Board to get additional insights into diaper rash creams. In line with these recommendations, all of the products on this list:
- Contain either zinc oxide and petrolatum, two ingredients that leading experts recommend to effectively heal diaper rash.
- Are free of fragrance, which can be irritating and make diaper rash worse.
- We spoke to four moms on the What to Expect team who have four children between them and have tried several of the products on the list. As a mom of two, I’ve also included my own experience with diaper rash creams.
- We canvassed What to Expect’s community boards to learn which diaper rash creams parents have found to be the most effective. Based on their feedback, we made sure that the products here received positive reviews for:
- Effectiveness: Most importantly, a diaper rash cream needs to work. All of the products featured below had rave reviews from parents, who called out the formula’s ability to quickly heal their child’s diaper rash.
- Ease of application: Although effectiveness is the biggest consideration, some products are easier to apply than others. With diaper rash cream, it’s especially nice if the formula isn’t too difficult to spread.
- Accessibility: Diaper rash can appear suddenly, and the last thing you want is to wait days for baby to get relief. All of the products on this list are easy to purchase at major online retailers such as Amazon or drugstore chains.
Other factors to consider when buying diaper rash cream
- Size: Diaper rash creams range in size from small tubes to large tubs. Although some products may initially appear more expensive, it’s helpful to check the price per ounce (often listed in a smaller font on the retailer website) in addition to the listing price.
- Type: Skin care products that target diaper rash are most commonly creams, ointments, or pastes. Ointments and creams are great for soothing and protecting, and pastes usually contain zinc, an ingredient that’s a little better for soothing but can also help prevent diaper rash from occurring in the first place.
- Ingredients: The AAP and the AAD recommend choosing a diaper rash cream that contains zinc oxide and/or petrolatum as the active ingredient. For this reason, we selected entirely medicated formulas that contain at least one of these recommended ingredients.
- Fragrance: Fragrance-free diaper rash creams are best, the AAP says, since fragrance can aggravate a baby’s already-irritated skin. However, many popular diaper rash creams do contain some fragrance. All of the products we have featured below are fragrance-free.
What is the best cream for diaper rash?
First, consider the type of rash your baby has. If the rash is mild, a petroleum-based product may be sufficient. But if your baby has a moderate to severe rash, zinc oxide-based products will provide a bit more protection from further irritation. It may also help to experiment and try different creams to see which works best for your baby’s bum and type of diaper rash.
If the product you’re using doesn’t seem to be helping, make an appointment with your pediatrician. Some babies, especially those who are taking antibiotics, can develop a fungal infection in the diaper rash area that may require different treatment.
What heals diaper rash the fastest?
Although every baby is different, zinc oxide-based products tend to heal diaper rash the fastest.
In addition, the following strategies can help manage diaper rash:
- Keep baby’s skin dry. Moisture is your enemy, so make sure to dry your baby's skin well at every diaper change (before applying cream).
- Change your baby often. Because moisture from dirty diapers can cause skin to chafe, frequently changing your baby’s diaper can help prevent rash.
- Clean baby’s skin during diaper changes. The AAP recommends a wipe that is free of alcohol and fragrance, or cleansing baby’s skin with water and gentle cleanser. Allow baby’s skin to air-dry before coating it with cream.
Where should you apply diaper rash cream?
You can apply diaper rash cream liberally on your baby’s bottom—in fact, the AAP says that there’s generally no such thing as too much diaper cream. (The exception is if you’re prescribed an antifungal cream for your baby’s diaper rash. In that case, you should apply it according to the pharmacist’s instructions.)
“A lot of parents don’t put enough diaper rash cream on,” says Dr. Posner. “You really need a thick layer, like icing on a cupcake.”
Unless it’s soiled, it’s also not necessary to wipe diaper cream off at every change. You can just wait and remove it at the end of the day, the AAD says. But make sure the area has dried a little before putting a new diaper on your baby. (Remember: moisture breeds bacteria.) After wiping, you can fan the area or wait a minute or two before closing the diaper and getting your baby dressed.
Can you use diaper rash cream on newborns?
Most diaper rash creams are officially recommended for babies 6 months and older. If, however, your newborn has a diaper rash and preventative strategies aren’t helping, Dr. Posner says applying diaper rash cream on the area is likely fine. Always check with your pediatrician to be safe.
When should you call the doctor about your baby’s diaper rash?
Sometimes diaper rash doesn’t respond to home treatment. The AAD recommends reaching out to your child’s doctor if her rash doesn’t go away or worsens, or if your little one develops any signs of infection. That can include a fever, pus draining from the rash, blisters or if your baby is especially difficult to console.
“If the skin is super red, cracking, fluffing off or the cream’s not working, definitely talk to your pediatrician,” says Dr. Posner.
Luckily, though, home treatments can resolve diaper rash most of the time. Read on for our top picks for the best diaper rash creams.
Why Trust Us?
What to Expect is the world’s most trusted pregnancy and parenting brand for a reason. Our product recommendations are based on expert parent insight, advice from medical professionals and feedback from the millions of parents and parents-to-be in our community. Our editors adhere to the highest research and reporting standards and our team of vetted OB/GYNs, pediatricians and other health professionals ensure our recommended products are safe and effective for you and your baby.
Best Overall Diaper Rash Cream
Triple Paste
- Parents report that the formula is powerful and fast-acting
- Expensive
Among parents in the What to Expect community, few diaper rash products received as much praise as Triple Cream, with countless parents calling out the formula’s ability to quickly heal their child’s diaper rash. It’s also Dr. Posner’s top pick: “Triple Paste is my go-to,” she says. “It seems to be protective and tends to heal diaper rash.”
The active ingredient in this cream is 12.8 percent non-nano zinc oxide. Other ingredients include oat extract and beeswax to moisturize and soothe irritated skin. While not the highest percentage of zinc oxide on the market — some formulas have 40 percent zinc oxide — parents say that it still works incredibly well to heal moderate to severe diaper rash.
This is a very thick ointment, which parents say helps it form a protective barrier on skin. It’s fragrance-free and doesn’t contain parabens, dyes, preservatives, phthalates, alcohol or talc.
Olivia DeLong, What to Expect’s Senior Editor, says her daughter’s nurses provided Triple Paste in the hospital and she ended up buying it for her home changing station. “It was thick so it felt like it was really working to heal and prevent rashes, but not too thick to manage," Olivia says. “Honestly, it seemed to work instantaneously.”
At $40, Triple Paste isn’t the cheapest diaper rash cream we’ve featured here. But the packaging is large — it comes in 16-oz. tub, which is quite a bit bigger than average — and the price per ounce ($1.87) is reasonable. Reviewers say that it will last you a long time, even when you’re applying it liberally.
Size: 16 oz.
Type: Ointment
Active Ingredient: 12.8 percent non-nano zinc oxide
Recommended Age: 6 months to 3 years
Best Everyday Diaper Rash Cream
Aquaphor Baby Healing Ointment
- Excellent at preventing diaper rash before it develops
- Doesn’t contain zinc oxide
There are a few different types of Aquaphor geared towards infants, but parents in the What to Expect community overwhelmingly swear by “plain” Aquaphor to prevent diaper rash. Made with 41 percent petrolatum along with mineral oil and lanolin, this is a great everyday product to keep baby’s bottom moisturized and soft.
“Aquaphor was definitely easy to apply and it healed a really severe, bleeding diaper rash that [my son] got after an allergic reaction to formula,” says Sarah Darby, What to Expect’s Senior SEO Strategist. Despite it’s ability to heal extreme rashes, Sarah says the ointment is super gentle on her son’s sensitive skin.
Parents rave about the texture of this ointment, which glides beautifully onto skin despite being very thick. It creates a heavy, protective barrier that effectively prevents chafing and helps ensure diaper rash doesn’t develop in the first place. It also works well to clear up mild- to- moderate diaper rash, although for severe cases, you’ll likely want to look for a zinc oxide product.
Melissa Bycofsky, What to Expect’s Executive Editor, first tried Aquaphor’s ointment because it was a brand she already trusted. She continued using it when she realized it was “great at preventing diaper rash” and “OK to use off of my son’s tush, too.”
Like Vaseline, Aquaphor is incredibly versatile, and works equally well as a lip balm or ointment to soothe skin irritations. At $1.14 per ounce, this is also one of the best value diaper rash creams on our list, and reviewers say this large 14-oz. tub will last a long time. (Melissa highly recommends buying the Aquaphor healing ointment stick to keep in your diaper bag for easy, on-the-go diaper changes.)
Note that Aquaphor contains lanolin, which some parents prefer to avoid because some little ones can be allergic to it. If this or any other cream causes your baby to develop sores or redness, reach out to your pediatrician.
Size: 14 oz.
Type: Ointment
Active Ingredient: 41 percentpetrolatum
Recommended Age: Not specified
Best Affordable Diaper Rash Cream
Destin Daily Defense
- Hypoallergenic
- affordable and available in lots of sizes
- Doesn’t have the highest concentration of zinc oxide
At just $.93 per ounce, Destin Daily Defense is the most affordable diaper rash cream on our list. But you definitely won’t be sacrificing quality here: Destin is a classic brand known for its ability to effectively clear up rash symptoms.
The healing diaper rash cream is gentle enough to be used daily as a preventative treatment, and will provide ample protection for mild to moderate cases of diaper rash. While some versions of this product do contain fragrance, Daily Defense is notably fragrance-free with a 13 percent zinc oxide formulation. It’s also paraben-, phthalate- and dye-free, and received positive reviews from parents of babies with sensitive skin.
Texture-wise, this is a cream. Although it’s thick enough to form a protective barrier, the formula does feel a little bit lighter than some of the ointments and pastes on this list, so if you prefer that kind of texture, this is a good pick. It comes in a 16-ounce tub, so it'll likely last for quite a while, too. But don’t worry: If this cream secures a spot as your favorite, it comes in more portable sizes — like a 4-ounce tube.
Size: 16 oz.
Type: Cream
Active Ingredient: 13 percent zinc oxide
Recommended Age: Not specified
Best Diaper Rash Cream for Sensitive Skin and Eczema
CeraVe Diaper Rash Cream
- Incredibly healing
- works well for a variety of skin irritations
- Does not contain zinc oxide
For an effective diaper rash product that won’t irritate the most sensitive skin types, look no further than CeraVe Diaper Rash Cream. The brand is trusted for their full line of eczema-safe skin care, and this diaper rash cream — which is recognized by the National Eczema Association — is no exception.
In addition to 46.5 percent petrolatum, it has hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid and vitamin E. It’s free of fragrance, parabens, sulfates, lanolin, phthalates, dyes and gluten. In other words, it’s very unlikely to react at all badly with your little one’s skin.
The clear ointment is wonderfully moisturizing and healing, parents say, and some compare the consistency to Aquaphor. Also like Aquaphor, it can be used to address any number of skin issues for the whole family (cracked or dry skin, skin irritation, chapped lips). Reviewers say the texture of this CeraVe ointment is particularly good — instead of sitting on top of skin, it melts down and absorbs nicely.
Just keep in mind that this ointment does not contain zinc oxide. The petrolatum and hydrating ingredients make it a good option for regular use to keep baby’s bottom moisturized and healthy, and it might be effective against mild- to- moderate diaper rash. But for severe diaper rash, a zinc oxide formula might work faster.
Size: 3 oz.
Type: Ointment
Active Ingredient: 46.5 percent petrolatum
Recommended Age: Not specified
Most Versatile Diaper Rash Cream
Vaseline Original Petroleum Jelly
- It’s effective
- affordable
- accessible
- and has countless uses
- May not treat an active rash as quickly as some other products on this list
Affordable, available basically everywhere and made with a single ingredient — white petrolatum, one of the two ingredients the AAP recommends — Vaseline is about as easy to stock as it comes. And parents say it works very well at healing minor- to- moderate diaper rash as well as preventing it from developing in the first place.
Although I’ve tried countless diaper rash creams and ointments, Vaseline has been the most consistent product we’ve used, in part because of its versatility. From chapped lips and noses to minor skin irritations, Vaseline truly does have an infinite number of household uses. Plus, I love that it’s affordable and easy to get your hands on at pretty much all major retailers.
As many parents in the What to Expect community have confirmed, Vaseline is an excellent preventative product. Regular use can keep baby’s skin protected against moisture, which may reduce how often they develop diaper rash at all. But for stubborn cases of diaper rash, you may need a zinc oxide-based product (in addition to consulting your pediatrician to make sure your baby doesn’t have a fungal infection).
Size: 50ml
Type: Ointment
Active Ingredient: 100 percent white petrolatum
Recommended Age: Not specified
Best Fast-Acting Diaper Rash Cream
Boudreaux's Butt Paste for Sensitive Skin Diaper Rash Cream
- Contains two expert-approved active ingredients
- Texture is thicker than other products
Boudreaux's Butt Paste has somewhat of a cult following among parents in the What to Expect community, who swear by its ability to quickly resolve stubborn cases of diaper rash. Although the original Boudreaux's formula contains fragrance, the brand’s sensitive skin cream is fragrance-free.
“My daughter had quite a few diaper rashes in her first year, and Boudreaux's Butt Paste quickly became our go-to treatment,” says Leah Rocketto, What to Expect’s Associate Commerce Director. “We tried a few creams, but this was the only one to significantly reduce redness in the first 24 hours.”
Leah also found the paste felt cool, which she believes gave her daughter some much-needed relief when skin was particularly irritated.
The ingredient list is extremely short, containing just five ingredients. In addition to zinc oxide, it has petrolatum, making it one of the few diaper creams on our list to boast both of the AAP and AAD’s recommended ingredients. It’s free of dyes, parabens, preservatives and talc, and has also been recognized by the National Eczema Association.
One thing parents aren’t quite in agreement about is the texture of this product. It’s a thick paste, which some reviewers dislike, saying they find it tricky to spread. Others, however, say if you warm the formula up in your hands a little first it becomes creamier and applies more easily. And many parents like how thick it is, saying the paste stays put on baby’s skin (in other words, it doesn’t rub off on the diaper) and that the thickness helps prevent chafing.
“I liked that the cream was thick, because it provided more of a barrier between her butt and the diaper,” Leah says. “The downside to that is that the cream is a pain to wash off. After my daughter’s first few rashes, I invested in a diaper cream applicator to make things less messy in the future.”
Ultimately, this probably comes down to preference — if you’re partial to a very smooth, creamy formula, you might skip this one.
Size: 4 oz.
Type: Paste
Active Ingredient: 16 percent zinc oxide
Recommended Age: Not specified
Best Natural Diaper Rash Cream
Pipette Diaper Rash Cream
- This is an all-natural cream that still contains zinc oxide and is fragrance-free
- Some parents would prefer a thicker texture
While there are plenty of natural diaper rash creams on the market, many of them don’t contain zinc oxide or petrolatum, which the AAP and the AAD recommend to treat and prevent diaper rash. Natural diaper rash products are also often lightly scented, even if they’re free of artificial fragrances. All to say that the Pipette Diaper Rash Cream really stands out:Although the formula is natural, it contains zinc oxide and is fragrance-free, making it a real unicorn in the world of diaper rash creams.
Parents say the formula, which also contains soothing ingredients like squalane and shea butter, does a great job at both preventing and treating diaper rash, and is also very gentle and moisturizing. Some diaper rash creams can be thick and sticky, but reviewers call out how easy the Pipette formula is to spread, saying it glides onto skin.
It has the longest list of accolades of any diaper rash cream on our list. It’s paraben-, phthalate- and cruelty-free.It’s also hypoallergenic, vegan and EWG (Environmental Working Group) Verified, if that’s something that’s important to you. Some parents prefer to avoid lanolin and petrolatum products, and this Pipette cream is free of both.
Although there’s little to criticize about the Pipette diaper rash cream, some reviewers aren’t a fan of the texture. While it does apply very easily, some find it to be on the lighter and watery side and would prefer a thicker paste.
Size: 2 oz.
Type: Cream
Active Ingredient: 14 percent zinc oxide
Recommended Age: Not specified
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best cream for diaper rash?
First, consider the type of rash your baby has. If the rash is mild, a petroleum-based product may be sufficient. But if your baby has a moderate to severe rash, zinc oxide-based products will provide a bit more protection from further irritation.
What heals diaper rash fastest?
To heal a diaper rash quickly, use diaper rash cream. Moisture is your enemy, so make sure to dry your baby's skin well at every diaper change (before applying cream). And don't forget to change baby often.
What's better for diaper rash — ointment or cream?
Thicker creams and pastes are best for soothing existing or severe rashes, while ointments are ideal for preventing diaper rash from occurring in the first place.
What's good for severe diaper rash?
Thicker creams and pastes are best for soothing existing or severe rashes.
WhatToExpect.com, Diaper Rash in Babies, March 2021.
American Academy of Pediatrics, Common Diaper Rashes & Treatments, January 2020.
American Academy of Dermatology Association, How to Treat Diaper Rash, 2023.
Mayo Clinic, Diaper Rash, 2021.
Michele Green, M.D., Dermatologist, New York, NY.
Gina Posner, M.D., a board-certified pediatrician practicing at MemorialCare Medical Group in Fountain Valley, California and member of the What to Expect Medical Review Board.
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