Desitin Maximum Strength Paste
4.850,818 ratings
40% zinc oxide — the strongest you can buy without a prescription — in a paste thick enough to stay put for up to 12 hours. Visibly calms a raw rash overnight.
Diaper rash cream
Aquaphor Baby Healing Ointment
Best overall
A barrier ointment thin enough to use at every single change, which is what actually prevents rash. Also fixes cracked knuckles, dry cheeks and your own hands.
Check price on AmazonOpens Amazon in a new tab, where today's price is always shown. As an Amazon Associate we may earn a commission if you buy — at no extra cost to you, and it never changes our pick.
Best for
Prevention, and the one tube you keep everywhere
Good to know
A petrolatum barrier, not a zinc treatment — once a rash is angry you want zinc on top of it.
Quick specs
- Size
- 7 oz
- Type
- Barrier ointment
- Fragrance
- None
- Also treats
- Dry skin, minor scrapes
More diaper rash cream
Also worth your money — where we'd turn if the top pick is sold out or over budget.
Desitin Daily Defense Cream
4.824,487 ratings
A lighter zinc cream that spreads and wipes off easily, so you'll actually use it at every change instead of only in an emergency.
Elsewhere in the registry edit
- Baby Einstein Neptune's Ocean Jumper — our pick in activity centers & jumpers
- Graco Benton 5-in-1 Convertible Crib — our pick in cribs
- Baby Delight Beside Me Dreamer — our pick in bassinets & bedside sleepers
Free — the planner + these picks
Get the whole list, and the plan to use it.
Tell us your due date and we'll email you the week-by-week pregnancy planner — with these gear picks saved in one place, so you're not starting from forty open tabs. One email a week, unsubscribe any time.
Some links are affiliate links — if you buy through one we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. It never changes our picks or your price.