I've been using cloth for 8 weeks, DD has developed very dry skin. Any advice?

[daisyandbabybootoo]

title says it all. It is worse on her vulva and down onto her thighs.

I use about 1/2 a cap of ecover for a full load of nappies (is this enough?), and put a few drops of lavender or tea tree oil in the fabric conditioner drawer.

I had been using fairy but bought ecover when it ran out and have been using the ecover for four weeks or so.

We generally use cotton or bamboo shaped nappies for day and hemp/cotton mix at night, but always use a fleece lined nappy or a separate fleece liner.

It isn't bothering her overly much, but must be getting uncomfortable. I've put her in disposables today to see if it clears up a bit, but am not happy about that at all.

Any advice?

TIA

It may be the tea tree oil causing the problem. Essential oils can irritate sensitive skin, you could try using a slug of white vinegar conditioner drawer to combat odours.

1/2 cap ecover should be fine unless you have a really large capacity washing machine.

Also, are you using a cream on your dd? I find the lavera diaper cream is brilliant if you want an organic one, but is not always easy to get hold of. Otherwise I use bepanthen.

What wipes/wipe solution are you using, could that be a factor? There are quite a few mild moisturising creams about, lots of people have recommended this one to me. I also stopped using baby bath and just wash dd in plain water which seems to help.

A friend of mine suggested olive oil for when my baby gets here as she's found that's been the best thing for her babies when they get dry skin. DH has very dry skin at times and I suggested that he try the olive oil and it's worked well for him.

I guess if you're doing washable nappies you're using washable wipes (ie cheap flannels) and plain water? If not tis def worth a try - even Simple babywipes irritated dd.

Agree the conditioner drawer is not the place for oils - maybe use a few drops in the nappy bucket so they're washed out before the nappies get near dd.

I've been using ordinary baby wipes without problems from when she was 6 weeks, but this week have been using plain water and flannels. I think it may be the oils as that is a recent thing I've been trying. Flannels washed with nappies though, so probably not helping.

I've been using e45 lotion on her, but it doesn't seem to be making a difference.

Will stop the oils, and get a nice cream and see how it goes. I've just washed and dried a whole load of nappies as well . I'll wash them through again without any washing liquid.

Thanks

Stop using the liners. If they are drawing too much moisture awy from the skin they will dry the skin out.

Right, after a good few days back in disposables, DDs dry skin cleared up completely. I have since washed all my nappies several times without any detergent at all, and have used vinegar in the pre-wash to get rid of any lasting wee residue.

Been back in cloth since yesterday morning, and her skin has flared up again . It's more like an exzema type rash than nappy rash.

I changed her every two hours yesterday so she wasn't in the nappies very long at all.

Could it be the night one that's causing the problem?

I really really don't want to give up using cloth.

anyone....flame? nappy-ladies?

did you use a fleece lined nappy?

at night I use bumhuggers which are fleece lined, during the day terries with a fleece liner.

thanks for your reply!

Would you be prepared to try doing without the fleece? Just as an experiment? None of my babies could tolerate fleece liners or fleece lined nappies so now I just use either plain cotton tery or cotton flannelette- they can't wear bamboo on their skin either.
It might be worth a try?

I'll give it a try lkb.

I'm just a bit perplexed as we had been using cloth for nearly eight weeks without mishap and this only started towards the end of last week.

I have recently changed to ecover washing liquid as well....I'll go back to fairy and see if that makes a difference.

Any chance your lo is teething? That wont help much. And I would suggest a proper washing powder / liquid
good luck!

what do you mean a proper washing powder/liquid?

I was using fairy non-bio, am now using ecover. All the advice I've had is that those are the best ones.

And, yes she is teething. Does that make a difference?

I meant a normal washing powder rather than an eco one, sorry that sounds bad I know. I struggled along with non bios for ages till Annie at puddlepants suggested changing to a bio powder because of the hard water in our area and I have never had such clean and fresh washing.
I use ariel bio.

Teething can make wee potent, not sure how but after having 5 babies and all of them teething at one point or other it seems to be a common thing that they do get a rash around teeth breaking time. I give extra fluids to weaken the wee and use a sudocrem at the first sign of any redness which can help to ward off bad rashes.

I am sorry for the washing powder bit

no, i was just tired and thought that you thought i was using washing up liquid, LOL.

like i said...baby brain

I thought bio was a no-no where little babies and nappies are concerned.

Ecover does a bio laundry powder as well which work well as well as being gentler on sensitive skin.

pg- that's very useful to know thank you
they don't as far as I know have non bio abroad so use bio as it's all they do have, (I think lol), and my DS has used bio since he was born and been fine. Though I'm not a dermatologist I hasten to add.

chuckle at the baby brain- they said it would go away after birth but 5 babies later it's still well and truly here

Hi from FLYing thread - disposables = despicables

I agree, teething can make a BIG difference, but I?d try:

1. Stripping your nappies (wash them as hot as poss with no detergent, no nothing. Do this two or even three times to get rid of any build up of detergent. No need to dry them in between.)
2. Then when you wash your nappies do a full cold wash or rinse cycle every time before the main hot wash because warm water can lock in odors.
3. Go back to fairy non-bio
4. Avoid the oils totally
5. Go without fleece, it leaves a stay dry layer against the skin, which is, of course, drying.
6. Carry on using plain water and flannels (they are ok to wash with your nappies)
7. I like Body Shop hemp cream (it?s for really dry hands, and cost £9 a tube, but works excellently on my eczema and on DS nappy rash, when he gets it)

I know a lot of people have said these things already. Let us know how you get on.

I had this trouble a while ago, and the cold wash before a full wash really helps us!

thanks SAHMof1 (every time I see your name I think 7of9 from Star Trek!)

I will do the stripping thing, have gone back to fairy, and will avoid oils at all costs. I usually do a prewash before the main wash, but not sure if it's a cold wash or not

I was SAHMof1, but have now changed nickname, but your comment about 7of9 made me LOL lots. If only I had Seven?s figure (mind you they used to take two hours to get her into that suit. Imagine needing a wee!)

Hope you find a solution to your nappy woes!

And re the bumhuggers, I?d leave them for now, until rash clears up, but that?s IMO. What night nappy do you use, ?cause they?re in them the longest!

I'm sure with all the added extra bits of metal there was some kind of wee ejection system involved

I was using the bumhuggers at night as they are super absorbant (I just bought 5 new ones as well )

I've got her in the despicables till it clears up and my nappies are all being washed for about the third time....and there is still soap suds coming out of them

I think I've maybe been overdoing the amount I've been using.

It seems odd though that we were fine for eight weeks and them bam, rash. The change to ecover and the essential oils was made at the same time, so back to fairy only and we'll see what happens.

would paper liners cause any problems? i hate to think of wee soaked terry against her skin.

I'm feeling really guilty at the use of the disposables at the moment....and all this washing....my environmental halo is slipping

Keep washing them until no soap suds appear at all!

Pampers and the like perpetuate the myth that wetness causes nappy rash. It doesn?t - it is bacteria in poo reacting with ammonia that causes it.

So honestly, wee soaked terry is not a problem. It?s warm after-all, so not uncomfortable. So long as they are changed regularly, and always after a poo it shouldn?t be an issue.

It is only an issue if there is something in the nappies to react with the skin or ammonia, such as too much detergent, essential oils etc.

Cloth itself is fine, and wee is sterile. Think of that friends episode when one of them is stung by a jelly fish, I forget which one.

And paper liners don?t really create a stay-dry barrier. They are only really designed to be poo catchers.

I think the detergent kind of builds up over time so you don't notice and then one day you suddenly have stale smelly build up nappies-it happened to us too and poor dd has scarring on her bum