Melaleuca: Not Your Average Diaper Rash

Melaleuca: Not Your Average Diaper Rash

We have never really dealt with diaper rashes before. One of my daughters did develop an allergic reaction to a particular brand of disposable diaper, but she quickly outgrew it. We cloth diaper about 80% of the time so that doesn't usually leave much time for any kind of rash to flare up. That's why I was so shocked that, OUT OF NOWHERE, this horribly inflamed itchy red rash covered my poor little's hind end. Not knowing too much about diaper rash from lack of experience (praise the Lord!) I did some digging through all of my trusty Essential Oil, Herb, & Home Remedies Books and came up with the following:

Calendula, Chamomile, Lavender, & Virgin Coconut Oil

We have used all of these for a long time for a variety of different issues, but to my dismay, they weren't working for this! We were coming up on Day 4 of this terrible mess, thankfully my 17 month old wasn't too bothered by it. However, I was getting increasingly irritated that after all my efforts it seemed to only be getting worse. That's when I realized:

THIS IS NOT A DIAPER RASH!!!

What we were dealing with here was Candida!

Basically, candida is form of yeast that is normally found in the digestive tract and on the skin. Yeast feeds on excess sugars in the body, and if symptoms of candida are overlooked, the results can be disastrous...even life-threatening! Common symptoms of candida overgrowth are:

Skin and nail infections, fatigue, digestive issues, autoimmune disease, difficulty concentrating or memory loss, skin conditions (such as eczema, psoriasis, hives, or rashes), irritability, anxiety, depression, vaginal infections, UTI's, severe seasonal allergies, strong sugar or refined carb cravings, etc.

SO....how can you tell the difference???

What are the differences between a regular diaper rash and a candida (yeast) infection?

Rash:

Caused by sensitive skin to acidity of baby's urine or stools.

Candida:

Caused by yeast overgrowth inside the gut.

Rash:

Usually clears up within 2 days without much treatment. 

Candida:

Symptoms only get worse without treatment.

Rash:

Mild to moderate itching, redness, and slightly raised bumps. It doesn't spread.

Candida:

Moderate to severe itching, soreness, redness, inflammation, and spreading (can spread between mom and baby through breastfeeding).

Rash:

Usually doesn't appear with any other symptoms.

Candida:

Other symptoms can include fever, visible infection on other parts of the body (around or inside the mouth, under arms, on hands, or between fingers and toes), extreme irritability and fatigue. 

With all of that in mind the first thing I began implementing (and the ONLY thing) was my trusty Melaleuca!

Here are some amazing studies out there concerning Melaleuca and Yeast OBLITERATION!

1. Eleven different types of Candida (yes there are more than one) were found to be inhibited by Melaleuca (aka Tea Tree Oil by the way).

2. Melaleuca oil at a concentration of .16% was found to inhibit the transformation of C. albicans from single-cell yeast to the pathogenic mycelial (multi-cellular strands) form.

3. Melaleuca oil was found to alter the membrane properties and functions of C. albicans cells, leading to cell inhibition or death.

4. Terpinen-4-ol, a constituent of Melaleuca oil, and Melaleuca oil itself were found to be effective against several forms of vaginal Candida infections in rats including azole-resistant forms. 

5. Melaleuca oil inhibited several Candida species in vitro.***

Within less than 24 hours (and just 3 applications) here's the difference that applying Melaleuca oil (neat) made.

There are many preventative methods out there for diaper rashes and Candida alike. Personally, Essential Oils are by far my FAVORITE!

To learn more about Melaleuca and it's many medicinal benefits click here!

***All informational studies were cited from the book Modern Essentials: A Contemporary Guide to the Therapeutic Use of Essential Oils available here!