Some skincare trends make you stop scrolling.

And then there are the ones that make you think:

“Wait… are people really doing that?”

Recently, an unexpected skincare trend has been taking over social media. What was once reserved for a baby’s bum area is now making its way into adults’ evening routines: nappy rash cream on the face, followed by gently brushing the cream upwards with a soft toothbrush.

What can one expect from doing this?

Well… you wake up with skin that feels incredibly soft and moisturised the next morning.

At first glance, it sounds a little strange.

But once you look at the ingredients behind the trend, the popularity starts to make a lot more sense.

The toothbrush, however?

That's where we need to get a few facts straight.

Why Is Nappy Rash Cream Being Used On The Face?

So, let's start with the part that actually makes sense.

Nappy rash creams are actually designed to protect vulnerable skin from moisture, friction and irritants. Many of these formulations contain zinc oxide, often alongside occlusive or emollient ingredients that create a protective layer over the skin.

Research on nappy rash, aka diaper dermatitis, supports the use of barrier preparations containing ingredients such as zinc oxide to help protect the skin from moisture and irritants while the barrier recovers. So when someone applies a zinc oxide-rich cream to their face overnight and wakes up feeling like their skin is softer, they aren’t imagining it.

They're essentially giving their skin a protective, occlusive treatment.

The protective film created by the overall formulation is ultimately what leaves the skin feeling soft and healthy.

Now, what are the less obvious skincare lessons hidden inside this trend?

The Benefits of Formulating With Zinc Oxide

Most people know zinc oxide as a mineral UV filter used in sunscreens. But its role in skincare goes beyond UV protection. It also has skin barrier-protecting properties, which help shield the skin from external irritants while reducing the impact of moisture and friction.

This doesn't mean zinc oxide is a miracle facial ingredient.

It means it's doing something we would expect from a good barrier ingredient:

It helps create a protective physical layer between your skin and the outside world.

When your skin feels dry, irritated or compromised, reducing water loss and limiting exposure to potential irritants can make a noticeable difference in how your skin feels.

And that may be part of the reason behind the “baby soft skin” experience.

But there is an important distinction.

A product being useful for nappy rash doesn't automatically make it the ideal facial product for everyone.

Nappy rash creams are formulated for a specific environment and purpose. Their textures, occlusiveness, preservatives, fragrances and other ingredients can vary considerably.

So while borrowing the formulation principle makes sense, simply putting any nappy cream on your face isn't necessarily the best approach. Rather, consider the individual ingredients and what they are designed to do, such as zinc oxide, then formulate a product that delivers the barrier support your skin needs.

But What About The Toothbrush?

Now, the idea of a toothbrush on your face? That’s the part that gives me the heebie jeebies, especially as someone trained to understand the skin’s structure and anatomy.

This trend makes the use of a toothbrush seem simple and innocent. It suggests that you apply the cream, then use a soft toothbrush with upward strokes to massage or “brush” the product into the skin.

It may feel satisfying.

It may even temporarily make the skin feel smoother.

But there is a difference between making skin feel smoother and supporting healthy skin.

Your skin is already an incredibly sophisticated barrier.

You don't need to scrub it into submission.

Repeated physical friction can increase irritation, particularly when the skin is already sensitive or compromised. For sensitive or compromised skin, dermatological guidance generally favours gentle cleansing and minimising unnecessary friction.

And this matters even more if you're prone to acne, redness or rosacea.

When the skin barrier is already struggling, adding unnecessary friction can work against the very thing you're trying to achieve.

So even if your toothbrush has the softest bristles imaginable, my question would be:

Why introduce mechanical abrasion when the cream can simply sit on the skin and do its job?

You don't need to brush your face to get the benefits of a barrier cream. 

And can we please talk about where all those dead skin cells are going? They’re sitting there between the bristles - an oversimplification, I know. But ultimately, unless that toothbrush is being thoroughly cleaned and dried between uses, it’s introducing another hygiene variable your skincare routine simply doesn’t need.

Do I Need to Scrub My Face For Softer Skin?

You really do not need to scrub your face for softer skin. 

Healthy skin is simply about finding the right balance between exfoliation, hydration, barrier support and protection. 

Remember, your skin is unique, so finding the right balance for you is what matters.

If your goal is smoother, softer skin, a carefully formulated exfoliating product can make considerably more sense than physically brushing the surface of your face.

Where Chemical Exfoliation Comes In

Alpha hydroxy acids, including lactic acid and mandelic acid, are commonly used as chemical exfoliating agents.

Rather than relying on physical friction, these acids work through controlled chemical exfoliation.

Lactic acid is an alpha hydroxy acid that has been studied extensively in dermatological peeling and exfoliation applications. Mandelic acid is another commonly used exfoliating acid, and research suggests it can provide gradual exfoliating action over time (NB: If you use an AHA exfoliant, follow the product directions and use appropriate sun protection during the day, as AHAs can increase the skin’s sensitivity to the sun.)

That doesn't mean everyone needs an exfoliating acid.

And more is certainly not better.

The concentration, pH, contact time and frequency all influence how an exfoliating product behaves on the skin.

If your skin is irritated, compromised or particularly reactive, exfoliation may not be appropriate until the barrier has recovered.

But for someone looking to incorporate gentle exfoliation into an otherwise healthy skincare routine, a properly formulated exfoliating serum/treatment gives you considerably more control than attacking your skin with a toothbrush.

What Does The Nappy Rash Skincare Trend Teach Us?

You need to think of your skincare routine in a holistic manner. This includes your skin type, current sensitivity, hydration needs, barrier support and, where appropriate, exfoliation.

This is where I started thinking:

What if we took the useful part of the nappy rash cream trend, left the toothbrush behind, explored different exfoliation options, and formulated our own gentle barrier and redness-calming cream?

And that's exactly what I came up with.

Gentle Barrier & Calming Cream

This formulation combines zinc oxide with humectants, emollients, soothing ingredients and barrier-supportive oils to create a rich protective cream.

Ingredients:

Phase A 

66.5% Distilled Water, or a suitable facial hydrosol (aqueous base; provides hydration and carries water-soluble ingredients)

2% Betaine Genecare OSMS BA (humectant and osmolyte; attracts moisture and helps support comfortable, hydrated skin)

1% Floraesters K-20W Jojoba (water-soluble jojoba derivative; conditions and forms a light moisture-retaining film)

0.5% Allantoin (skin-soothing active; helps comfort, soften and protect dry or irritated-feeling skin)

Phase B 

4% Olivem 2090 (W/O emulsifier; creates a rich, protective barrier cream)

2% Olivem VS Feel (co-emulsifier and texture enhancer; adds body and a soft, velvety skin feel)

1.5% Cetyl Alcohol (thickener and stabiliser; improves structure, slip and creaminess)

3% Mango Butter (nourishing emollient; softens skin and reinforces the protective lipid barrier)

4% Zinc Oxide (protective mineral powder; helps form a physical barrier on the skin)

6% Calendula Oil (soothing botanical oil; ideal for dry and irritated-feeling skin)

5% Sunflower Oil (lightweight, linoleic-rich emollient; nourishes and supports the skin barrier)

Cool Down Phase 

1% Geogard 221 (broad-spectrum preservative; helps protect the water-containing formula against microbial growth)

2% Liquorice Root Extract (botanical soothing active; helps calm and reduce the appearance of redness)

1% Vitamin E Oil (antioxidant; protects the oils from oxidation while conditioning the skin)

0.5% Alpha-Bisabolol (oil-soluble soothing active; helps calm the appearance of redness and irritation)

Method

1. Prepare Phase A: Combine the distilled water or hydrosol, Betaine and Floraesters K-20W Jojoba. Reserve a portion of the water, heat it and dissolve the allantoin thoroughly before returning it to Phase A. Heat to 70–75°C using a double-boiler, stirring until everything is well dissolved and evenly dispersed.
2. Prepare and heat Phase B: Combine Olivem 2090, Olivem VS Feel, cetyl alcohol, mango butter, calendula oil and sunflower oil. Pre-disperse the zinc oxide in a small portion of the calendula/sunflower oil, mixing until you have a smooth, lump-free paste. Add this dispersion back to the oil phase. Heat to 70–75°C, stirring until fully melted and uniform.
3. Now that both phases have been heated separately, create the W/O emulsion. While mixing the oil phase, add the water phase very slowly into the oil phase in small portions. Continue mixing as each portion becomes incorporated before adding more water.
4. Once all the water has been incorporated, continue homogenising/mixing until you have a smooth, uniform emulsion. Avoid excessive aeration.
5. Now remove the mixture from the heat and begin cooling while stirring gently. Once the emulsion has started cooling to around 40°C, add the Vitamin E and Alpha-Bisabolol and mix until evenly incorporated. Adding these after the high-heat stage helps minimise unnecessary heat exposure.
6. Add the Liquorice Root Extract and Geogard 221. Mix thoroughly after each addition to ensure the preservative and active are distributed throughout the emulsion.
7. Check the final pH once completely cooled. Aim for approximately pH 5–5.5. 
8. Allow the cream to stand and fully develop its final viscosity before evaluating the texture. Package into a glass jar or reusable container.

Equipment:

• Beakers
• Thermometer
• pH test strips or pH meter
• Spatula
• Glass jar