The Benefits Of Zinc-Free Diaper Rash Paste

Did you know that Zinc Oxide is a controversial ingredient? Present in many cosmetics, it is not without danger for the body.

Laboratoires Druide® have always made it a point of honor to guarantee quality and safe products, so we have sorted out the real from the fake for you and thus help you choose the best for your little ones, especially in terms of diaper rash treatment.

What is diaper rash?

Whether you have a baby or not, you’ve probably heard of diaper rash. This condition affects about 8 out of 10 children and is one of the leading causes of pediatric consultations. It is a dermatological condition characterized by redness, itching and pain. These lesions can spread to the thighs, in the folds and up to the lumbar fossa.

What causes diaper rash?

• Moisture: causes maceration and prevents the skin barrier from playing its primary role, which is to protect the skin against aggression and maintain hydration.
• Physical and chemical irritants: repeated friction during cleaning, contact with diapers or the use of unsuitable and aggressive cleaning products are sources of irritation for baby’s skin.
• Stool and urine: the mixing of stool and urine in the diaper allows the bacteria in the stool to transform urea into ammonia, which causes an increase in pH and permeability of the skin barrier and reactivates digestive enzymes that then attack the skin.

How to prevent diaper rash?

In order to prevent diaper rash, here are some tips:

• Change the diaper as soon as it is soiled
• Clean the skin properly with gentle, non-irritating products and pay special attention to drying!
• Choose diapers that are tolerated by your baby (ultra-absorbent disposable, organic, washable), for this, nothing is better than testing them. However, reusable diapers are not recommended because of their low absorption power.
• And above all, protect and moisturize! Many blogs, websites or other magazines will recommend the use of Vaseline. Be aware that Vaseline is a product derived from petroleum, decried because of its carcinogenic potential, its polluting manufacturing process as well as its slow and non-total degradation. Beware also of allergenic substances such as lanolin, stearyl alcohol and perfumes for example.

It is preferable to use pastes with or without zinc containing numerous vegetable oils (sweet almond, avocado, jojoba, olive, etc.) with nourishing, emollient and protective properties.

What is Zinc Oxide?

Zinc oxide (formula ZnO) is an inert white powder extracted from pure zinc ore. It is widely used in cosmetics, particularly for its properties:

• Soothing: calms irritated or delicate skin in creams or lotions
• Antibacterial: fights against the proliferation of bacteria on acne-prone skin
• Anti-odour: neutralizes the production of acids, it is ideal in the formulation of deodorants
• Matifying: white matte pigment, it is used in make-up in powders and foundations
• Anti-UV protective: used in sunscreens for adults and children, it forms a protective film on the surface of the skin and reflects UV rays (see another article on sunscreens)

The debate: WITH or WITHOUT Zinc

After listing the many benefits of zinc, you will say, but why is there any debate, it is a revolutionary ingredient!

Unfortunately, it’s not that simple… Scientific studies are still lacking on this subject, and many researchers contradict each other, but one thing is certain, zinc oxide is the talk of the town!

Zinc oxide can be used in microparticulate form (between 1 and 100 micrometers) or even smaller, in nanoparticulate form (between 1 and 100 nanometers). The micro form is safe, but the nano form, although easier to spread, is accused of penetrating the skin barrier and accumulating in the body. This makes zinc oxide potentially carcinogenic!

If the European Commission has decided to warn consumers by requiring the mention [nano] in square brackets next to “Zinc Oxide” in the INCI list, Health Canada does not require manufacturers to disclose the presence of nanoparticles in their products. So you won’t know if your product contains potentially toxic nanoparticles or not…

Finally, the question of their application on injured skin, which is the case for diaper rash, arises and would not be recommended given the inconclusive results and lack of information on this subject.

To guarantee effectiveness, quality and transparency to consumers and thus remove any doubt and limit exposure to allergens and other controversial substances, Laboratoires Druide® have developed a zinc-free diaper rash paste formula that is safe for your baby.

Enriched with nourishing shea butter, soothing calendula oil and softening plant waxes, this balm relieves redness and itching while protecting against chapping, roughness and cracking caused by dry skin from diaper use. Rest easy and protect baby’s bottom with our No Zinc Paste for Diaper Rash already adopted by thousands of households!

Other uses

Although this balm is perfect for infants, it is also perfect for adults who have to wear incontinence pants due to mobility problems, for example. Finally, it will also suit the sensitive skin of children and adults to treat dryness, itching, redness or eczema.

What about you?

We hope that this article has helped you learn more about diaper rash, sort out the truth about the use of zinc oxide and, above all, convince you of the benefits of our No Zinc Paste for Diaper Rash, which has already been used by thousands of babies.

If you wish to complete your baby’s care routine, the BioLove Baby Care Collection offers a wide range of certified organic and hypoallergenic cleansing and moisturizing products, perfectly formulated for the most sensitive skin.