Cornstarch is a natural, safe, and effective alternative to baby powder that helps prevent diaper rashes that are triggered by a combination of too much moisture, too little air, friction, and irritants like your baby’s bath products, the contents of your choice of diapers or the cleansers in the baby’s wipes.
It is common knowledge that many parents are now using cornstarch to remove rashes associated with the baby’s diaper, and it is not surprising due to the medicinal properties that make it an antidote to most skin problems associated with rashes.
However, other parents have taken exception to use cornstarch as their way of treating baby skin problems.
What is cornstarch?
Cornstarch is a popular kind of food obtained from maize. It can be modified into various forms either as an adhesive, in the manufacturing industry, and for medical uses.
Cornstarch is one of the food substances that can be changed to produce effects in other areas, one of which is healing.
Is cornstarch bath a solution for diaper rash?
Yes. Medically, it has been proven that cornstarch can be a cure for diaper rash. This is because compared to numerous other medications, cornstarch is safe, quick, and effective. And based on the fact that you cannot stop your little ones from soiling their diapers, it is almost impossible to avoid rashes on their skin.
The most important thing to note is that diaper rash can be handled in many different ways depending on the severity of the rash and the medical condition of your young one.
But, regardless of whatever issue that may arise, a cornstarch bath is still the safest way by which you can effectively treat diaper rashes on your baby at home.
Other reasons why cornstarch bath is a preferred recommended solution by experts in the field of child health instead of other products for the treatment of diaper rash include:
- The application of cornstarch on your baby’s diaper rash spot stops the redness of the skin as well as the irritation from the sweat in your baby’s diaper. Usually, any form of talcum powder is the first point of call, however, it can lead to severe respiratory problems but this is not the case with cornstarch as it is a safe solution.
- Cornstarch solution cures your baby’s rash by reducing friction on the skin which is the main reason the rash came in the first place. It does this by ensuring that the skin is kept dry all through which helps to prevent irritation on the skin of your baby. It is preferred over baby powder because the baby powder can combine with atmospheric oxygen and go into the internal mechanism of your baby.
- Cornstarch bath for babies is also preferred because the application of the cornstarch solution on your baby’s skin promotes immediate relief from the pain that is associated with diaper rash. It also reduces the rash’s severity and stops it from spreading to other parts of your child’s body.
Effects of cornstarch bath on diaper rashes
Since it has been proven that cornstarch has numerous health-related benefits, it is pertinent to examine and understand the positive and negative effects of cornstarch bath on babies’ diaper rashes, some of which are caused as a result of allergies or problems with the immune system.
Positive effects of cornstarch bath on diaper rash
Some of the positive effects of cornstarch bath on diaper rash on your baby’s skin include
- Since one of the physical manifestations of diaper rash is rough skin, cornstarch can get rid of the roughness and restore the smoothness by ensuring consistent dryness on your baby’s skin. It keeps the skin smooth by keeping it dry.
- It provides a smooth surface on babies’ skin by stopping friction on the affected skin thereby fighting against irritation.
- The solution treats allergies and other kinds of infections on the skin.
- It removes oily spots. Cornstarch comes in the form of pure white powder that is easily dissolved in water and other kinds of solvents making it capable of absorbing fluids and moisture on the baby’s body.
- It is nonflammable and as such, it can soothe diaper rashes, any skin rashes as well as other skin infections.
- Cornstarch abrasiveness makes it able to cleanse the face and skin in general.
Negative effects of cornstarch bath on diaper rash
Below is a summary of the negative effects of cornstarch bath on diaper rash
- With a cornstarch bath solution, there’s an increased tendency of reacting to allergies based on the fact that it is a powder obtained from food.
- Just like too much of everything can be very bad, too much cornstarch on the skin can make the skin excessively dry, thereby worsening the rashness of the skin.
- Applying cornstarch on the diaper rash while the skin is sweating can be dangerous because cornstarch attracts bacteria which can damage the skin.
- Cornstarch doesn’t possess the ability to create lipid covering over the skin which is important in killing rashes making it an ineffective treatment for certain types of rashes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will cornstarch damage diapers?
Cornstarch isn’t water-soluble, and that means that even during washing, it won’t find its way deep inside your baby’s diaper where it can cause trouble and that your detergent can easily grab the cornstarch particles and wash them away. All that to say, cornstarch is perfectly safe to use with your baby’s cloth diapers, even without liners.
Will cornstarch flare up a yeast diaper rash?
According to studies, yeast growth was not made any worse by cornstarch. Rather, cornstarch can help protect the affected skin area from getting injured by friction, keeping in mind that yeast-infected skin is usually red and sore.
Take away
Due to its inert nature, cornstarch can be used constantly to cure repeated cases of diaper rash in babies.
It is often seen as a preferred solution compared to creams and powders due to its natural state.
