When my son was five
months old, he began teething. He would get fevers and terrible rashes on
his little tush. It would break my heart to see him tremble when I tried
wiping him during diaper changes. When we realized this rash wasn’t going
away, I told my husband to run to the store and pick up some diaper rash cream.
When he came back he
handed me a tube of a leading diaper rash cream. I went to apply it, but it was
sticky and separated. One part was clear oil and the other was a
mysterious tan paste substance. I had to force it out of the tube,
"mix" it with my fingers, then apply. After getting it on and
all cleaned up, I promptly looked at the ingredients to see what exactly this
tan paste was I had just put on my son. It contained:
- Castor Oil. Check! This was on
my approved list.
- Mineral Oil. Check! This one
was on my “so-so” list.
- Petrolatum. Check! This too was
on my “so-so” list.
- Peruvian Balsam. Hmmmm.
This was on my unknown substance list. I had to investigate.
I have always been very
conscious of the ingredients in the products I buy. I want the things my
family and I use to be safe and not cause any adverse reactions. Since I didn't
know what Peruvian Balsam was, I looked it up. Lo and behold, it was
listed on one website as one of the top FIVE dermatological allergens! Another
site said it may cause dermatitis! And yet another site said that an
infant could be poisoned by it if ingested. Needless to say, after that
one time use, I didn't want to use it again. I thought about what I had
around the house that could help soothe my poor baby? Then it came to me!
Bentonite Clay!
I mixed some of the
bentonite up with water and applied it to his little bottom. It didn't seem to
bother him at all ! At his next diaper change, the rash significantly improved! However the areas where his diaper touched his skin were still rashy and
red. That got me thinking, “I need to add a little staying power to it.”
After a few iterations, I had made the best (in my opinion) diaper rash
cream ever to be used on a baby’s bum.
Cushy
Tush was born.
Below is a brief summary
of how the active ingredients in Cushy Tush can benefit diaper rash prone skin.
Active Ingredients in
Cushy Tush for Diaper Rash Prone Skin
- Sunflower Oil: The version we use is rich in
oleic acid and according to various studies, has anti-inflammatory
properties and helps maintain the skin barrier.
- Bentonite Clay: This clay is becoming increasingly
popular in treating all types of skin and health ailments. Its ability to
draw toxins from the system is no less than a miracle. Some people are
using pure bentonite clay in place of baby powder as it whisks away
moisture and keeps little ones dry. Whenever you are working with
bentonite clay, make sure that it does not come in contact with metal.
Metal will interfere with the clay’s natural “charge” and reduce its
effectiveness.
- Shea Butter: It is known for its protective, skin
strengthening and soothing qualities. This combo makes it the perfect
ingredient for an all-natural diaper rash treatment. Shea butter in its
natural form is much better than using an OTC lotion full of unknown
additives and chemicals. Shea butter is full of enzymes and vitamins A
& E, which work to heal baby’s sensitive skin. It also contains fatty
acids which help to keep skin from drying out.
- Zinc Oxide: This is a leading ingredient in many diaper
rash creams. It can occur naturally as the mineral zincite. Zinc oxide
will make moisture bead off the skin. It is found in most OTC and all
natural diaper rash creams.
- Seaweed: Contains many essential minerals and possesses
anti-inflammatory and detoxifying compounds. Very therapeutic the skin!
- Aloe Vera: This
gel like filled short stemmed plant is nutrient dense, contains vitamins,
minerals, amino acids and antioxidants!
- Rosehip Seed Oil: This oil is extremely soothing to
baby’s skin. 2-3 drops can go a long way and provide immediate relief. In
addition, the bioflavonoids found in rosehip oil help to reduce redness caused by broken capillaries.
Since the reaction to it
has been nothing but positive, cushy tush has lead me into starting my own
company, Nature
Bare, which focuses on body care products formulated for ingredient
conscious minded people. Meaning, people who desire and/or need body care
products that are made from simple, yet effective, all natural, organic and
vegan ingredients in which they can read and understand exactly what would go
on their skin.
Cushy Tush features bentonite clay with added ingredients to better address
redness, baby’s comfort and wetness. This combination of ingredients is
helping to sooth little ones, by clearing up diaper rash naturally and
effectively. We firmly believe that after using Cushy Tush on your little one, you won’t go
back to using anything else! You can purchase your very own jar of cushy tush here!
