We were taking our first plane trip with a baby, trying to be all chill. We'd heard the horror stories of babies screaming in the tiny cabin for entire flights, and we didn't want to be the target of anyone's ire. We had requested a window and middle seat, with the baby on our laps (which I know isn't the safe solution, but our families were footing the bill, and that's what they paid for).

What we hadn't counted on was how full the flight was (the better to hear our screaming baby!) … or the fact that the airplane was grounded with a mechanical problem. For a couple hours.

All was still well, right? We amused, nursed, bounced, dandled — yes, dandled. But then it began. The telltale smell.

There was a younger single woman sitting to our right on the aisle. We were trying to convince her that parenting was fun! hip! fine!

(She mostly avoided eye contact.)

But when the smell began, we knew it was over. We had all been ordered to stay in our seats, with our seat belts fastened. I guess the plane could have zoomed aloft at any moment! Oh, noes!

We calmly tried to begin changing the baby, but it just. kept. oozing. It was a volcanic eruption of poo. A Mount St. Poopin's, if you will.

We usually use cloth diapers but with a diaper service, so for our three-week trip we had to take a break and use disposables. Not being in the know, we had bought the cheapest package we could find. A mistake, as we were quickly realizing!

The puddle turned into a flood. A malodorous one. You know how cabin air is recycled? So everyone from the fancy first-class seats to the back of coach got to enjoy the fascinating new fragrance we had brought on board.

We were frantically digging down at our feet in the crowded confines of the cabin, ripping extra diapers from the carry-on. It felt like being a medic in the Great War, grabbing gauze, shirts, anything to act as a bandage and stanch the flow. The baby would fill one diaper, and we'd cautiously close it up while slipping another under his bum.

I think we eventually went through four diapers, seriously depleting our airtime stash. Our clothing was, miraculously, unharmed. Though I feared that woman next to us would forever be turned off having kids.

Boudreaux's Butt Paste can't stop every diaper disaster from happening … but they can help with a particularly virulent one: diaper rash.

Using disposables for travel was also a great way for us to experience diaper rash for the first time, and — oh! — it's so sad to see your little one's skin broken out in red marks and splotches. Some babies need to be changed more, some need a particular brand of diapers or cloth only, and some just have reactions, no matter what you try.

But Boudreaux's Butt Paste will heal the rash!

I was able to give Butt Paste (man, I love saying that) a try when they sent me a tube of Original Butt Paste along with some fun gifts:

Cute, huh?

Alrik happened to have some red marks from — what else? — traveling. Our recent long car rides, where he was napping and had his crotch all squooshed in a car seat, had left some red marks. (Picture not included, ha ha.)

Perfect opportunity to try the Butt Paste! I squeezed some out of the tube and was immediately struck by how … paste-like it was. That's a good thing. It felt — substantial. I was confident this stuff was going to work.

I smeared it on, and it went on smoothly and thickly. Because it's a sort of light tan color, it was easy enough on Alrik's skin to see where it had gone on. (I can't promise, but I don't think it would match many if any skin tones, which, as I say, is a good thing.)

The active ingredient is zinc oxide at 16%, which is a natural mineral that blocks moisture. It's also what's in use in natural sunscreens, which is why it's got that light tint to it — think stripes down lifeguards' noses. Thinking lifeguards will also help you understand why it's a good choice for a wet environment. It covers and repels outside yuck as it heals the skin underneath.

The next day? No rash. As simple as that.

One application, one night of healing — redness gone. I was much impressed.

There's also an All-Natural Butt Paste, which I really dig. It's formulated with beeswax and other natural ingredients. And there's a Maximum Strength version that's got 40% zinc oxide for truly desperate rash situations. Personally, I would choose one of the others if I could, because with 40% zinc oxide, you're likely to get staining of cloth diapers. But: If you need it, I'm glad it's there, and you can always use a fleece liner or the like to prevent the cream from sticking to your stash.

BUY IT!

You can find Boudreaux's Butt Paste in its various formulations and sizes at drugstores and grocery stores near you or on Amazon. A 2-ounce tube runs approximately $6.

WIN IT!

Got a diaper rash story? Leave a comment below and you will be entered into a sweepstakes to win a $100 gift card!

Visit Boudreaux’s Butt Paste on Facebook to learn more about the ultimate “secret weapon” when it comes to preventing and treating diaper rash. Check out BlogHer.com to find other reviews and more ways you can enter to win!

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