Suede shoes and reusable nappies. Yes, we've found a link between them!
When I was in my teens, I worked at a shoe shop in Manchester and we were tasked with up-selling the protector sprays. You may be wondering what this has to do with reusable nappies, but bear with me and all will be revealed!
We had a demo station with a suede shoe on display that was treated with the protector spray, and we would pour water on it. You could clearly see the effect the spray had as the water would simply run straight off the shoe.
Applying the same logic to a reusable nappy, when certain barrier creams are used on the skin, they rub off onto the nappy and prevent wee passing through the first layer of fabric into the absorbent pads within the pocket. The wee just runs off and you will end up with leaks for sure.
So what can I use?
The good news is that you rarely need a barrier cream with reusable nappies, as the soft material next to baby's bottom is far less likely to cause a rash than a disposable. And if you do find you need one, as I did when my baby was teething and her poos really irritated her skin, use a cream that is water soluble. This wont create a repellent layer and will wash out perfectly.