One of the most common baby issues that you’ll encounter at one point or another is the infamous diaper rash. Diaper rash appears as a patch of irritated skin on the baby’s butt or genitals that appear red and inflamed. This is often caused when baby’s skin is exposed to a wet or dirty diaper for too long, but plenty of other things can cause it as well. A new formula or food, certain medicines, diarrhea or even a reaction to the diaper itself can also cause diaper rash.

With so many factors and irritants that a baby can be exposed to, a mild diaper rash once in a while is just unavoidable and even the most diligent of parents will find themselves with a fussy baby with a chaffed bottom. That’s where the creams come in.

A common go-to, and one usually included in baby care packages is Desitin. I mean honestly, this is what my parents used and I’ve used as an adult to treat hives. You know it works and it’s pediatrician, and family, recommended.

I was all for using Desitin on our little one, that is until she was born. I was thrown by just how sensitive her skin was and the newborn rashes that kept appearing and disappearing in those first few weeks. So when she had her first diaper rash, as we started supplementing breast milk with formula, I opted for a more natural remedy.

The first one I used was the Honest Company’s diaper rash cream. While it still contains zinc, like Desitin, it is a non-nano zinc, which basically just means it contains less zinc oxide than a nano formula. For example, the Desitin that came in our kit was the maximum strength one so it contains 40% zinc and the Honest Company’s diaper rash cream only contains 14%, plus theirs is combined with 11 other natural ingredients and free of most allergens.

I had heard from a lot of other moms opting for a more natural approach that this was the best one they’d tried, so I was eager to see how it worked. It was okay, but for all the oils that are listed in the ingredients, I have to say I expected the texture to be a little less creamy and a little more smooth. It did relieve her redness but I wasn’t super impressed.

With so many organic options on the market these days, I didn’t know where to begin to find the right diaper rash cream. One with few ingredients and lower levels of zinc oxide. Then a colleague recommended a company called Bathtime Baby and sent me a sample to try out. She was a new mom too and she lived by this brand.

The first time I opened it, I loved it. One of the main ingredients is lavender oil and it’s the first thing you smell. Not only do I love the smell, but lavender oil is great for redness and gentle on baby’s skin. While their Bottom Balm also contains zinc, and the percentage is not listed on their packaging or website, the feel of the creme is much smoother than any of the others I’ve tried. I have to say I also like that it only includes 9 ingredients, all natural, and is free of allergens as well.

Bathtime Baby’s Bottom Balm is hands-down my favorite diaper rash creme and my little one has never had a rash that was anything more than mild or that’s lasted more than a day.