This is a compensated review by BlogHer and Aquaphor.
In October of 2004 I filed for divorce, drove to Chicago, ran my first marathon, and promptly got diaper rash.
Okay, so it wasn’t technically diaper rash, but it was the next closest thing. I had severe chafing on the inside of both of my thighs, under my boobs where my sports bra rubbed for almost five hours, and in the small of my back from the band of my running shorts.
When I got back to the place we were staying for the race, I stepped in the shower, turned on the water, and almost passed out from the pain as the spray hit all of the (essentially) burnt areas on my body. Not being a seasoned long distance runner at this time, I gritted my teeth and endured the agony until the spots eventually healed (well, scabbed and healed, if you want the complete visual).
The next year when I signed up for my second marathon (because it takes about a year for you to forget the agony of torturing your body for 26.2 miles and willingly hand over your credit card for the entrance fee), I flashed back to the chafing and winced. A running buddy suggested I buy a tube of diaper rash cream, to which I laughed at the thought of me, a childless woman at the time who never even got within 100 yards of the infant aisle if she could help it. But then I remembered the pain, so I went to the store, bought a tube and put it with the rest of my running gear.
Sure enough, during my next race I developed yet another lovely rash, this time (sorry, TMI moment) in a rather sensitive area between my legs. No one told me that running long distance races would result in it hurting to pee. Pee, people! What the? I got back to the room we were staying at after the race and thought what the heck, I will apply this gooey stinky crud on my delicates.
So there I was, sitting on the toilet, rubbing paste on my butt, doubled over in pain from stomach cramps (an unfortunate after effect of running for hours and ingesting nothing but those nasty liquid energy gels and gatorade). But the rash? The ointment provided almost instant relief, so much that I was actually able to walk back to my bed without wincing in pain every time skin contacted skin!
After my daughter was born, I got a lot of advice on diaper rash ointment. And you know, there are about a ton of brands out there. Pastes, creams, ointments, sprays, you name it. Friends told me, “don’t try this brand because it doesn’t work.” Which I always found funny, because HOW DID THEY KNOW? I, on the other hand, had the unfortunate experience of knowing first hand what excessive rubbing plus moisture does to one’s skin. And it’s not a pretty thing. From the moment Sophie was born and I changed her first diaper, I knew I never wanted her to have to endure a diaper rash if I could help it.
Sophie will be six months old at the end of November, and we have not had a single episode of diaper rash, period.
I’d like to pat myself on the back for this and chalk it up to unbelievably amazing parenting, but the truth is, it’s not a huge deal. From day one we’ve been religious about applying a dab of ointment – usually a white petroleum jelly – every time we change her diaper. After talking with the labor and delivery nurses during our stay at the hospital and with our pediatrician, I’m convinced of this practice and maintain it to this day. And so far so good.
For the past few weeks we’ve been using Aquaphor’s Advanced Therapy Healing Ointment instead of our no-name petroleum jelly, and it’s doing exactly what I want it to do: protect her skin from rashes. And for the past week, Sophie’s been running a mild fever with a case of a nose that refuses to stop running. The travel size tubes are great for my purse and diaper bag, allowing me to swab a bit of the ointment under her nose to keep her skin from being irritated from the constant wiping away of snot.
With winter knocking at our doorstep, I’m going to try the ointment on myself, too. Our winters can be a little on the harsh side (um, 300 inches of snowfall on the average?). I’m thinking it will work great on exposed skin when I’m out skiing on the trails or snowshoeing on a windy day.
We also tried the Aquaphor Gentle Wash and Shampoo. Since we’ve been taking Sophie to a daycare provider who requests we keep her as fragrance-free as possible, I knew this would be a great product to try. Also, because up to this point I’ve been using the same old scented leading brand baby wash because it smells exactly like the stuff they used to bathe her in the hospital. Hey, can a mom be nostalgic once in awhile? Also, I’m cheap. And lazy.
Anyway, we’ve been using the wash for the last few weeks. I’ll be honest with you: I thought I would miss the scent that I really do love from my old body wash. And I still do. A little. But to make up for it, I’ve noticed Sophie’s skin is markedly softer when she emerges from the bath. This wash is definitely not drying out her skin like the old brand did on occasion. Sophie had also been having flaking on her scalp from the old body wash, which has since completely cleared up since the switch. Even though the product is unscented, somehow she smells awesome. You know, that clean baby smell. The smell that makes you want to devour babies whole.
So there’s my Aquaphor story. What’s yours? What are some the ways you use Aquaphor? I’d love to hear about them in the comments. And to sweeten the deal, you can win a $100 Visa gift card, plus an Aquaphor gift basket, which includes:

- 2-Aquaphor 14oz Baby Jar
- 2-Aquaphor 3 oz tube
- 2-Aquaphor 8 oz Gentle Wash and Shampoo
- 2-Baby to go Aquaphor .35 oz tubes
- 2-Eucerin Hand Crème
- 1-Eucerin Original Lotion 8 oz bottle
- 1-Eucerin Original Crème 16 oz jar
- 1-Eucerin Calming Crème 14oz Tube
- 1-Rubber Ducky
To enter, leave me a comment below and tell me, what are some of your favorite uses for Aquaphor? Or, you may leave a link to your post on your own blog in the comments below. The contest will begin at Monday, November 16th and will end Tuesday, December 15th. Make sure that the e-mail address you leave is correct.
- Rules:
- No duplicate comments.
- You may receive an additional entry by linking on Twitter and leaving a link in the comments.
- You may receive an additional entry by blogging about this contest and leaving a link in the comments.
- This giveaway is open to US residents, aged 18 and over.
- Winners will be selected via random draw, and will notified by e-mail.
- You have 48 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.
- Please see the official rules here: Official rules
Make sure you check out the other BlogHer reviewers’ posts. You’ve got 8 chances to win a $100 Visa gift card, plus an Aquaphor gift basket.
TO SOOTHE, PROTECT AND HELP HEAL, VISIT http://www.AquaphorHealing.com.
Join the conversation and enter to win $1000 from BlogHer.com and Aquaphor!
***UPDATE***
Thanks to everyone who commented! I’ll be drawing a winner tonight and notifying them via email. Good luck!



Oh no! That’s the last thing I’d expect after running a marathon! Fortunately I’ve never experienced *that* but during the winter my skin can get pretty dry, so I’ll use Aquaphor from time to time to super-moisturize!
Tweet: http://twitter.com/atlantagalknows/status/5806308761
I like to use it on my heels & elbows!
I tweeted!
http://twitter.com/calidreamin87/status/5808852799
I like to use Aquaphor on my baby’s skin, since she has a touch of eczema and baby acne right now (she’s 12 weeks old).
I blogged about this:
http://grand-giveaways.blogspot.com/2009/11/visa-100-gift-card-sponsored-by.html
My skin has always been dry, especially in the winter and Aquaphor works miracles!
The baby cream is awesome for relieving my son of diaper rash.
deanenpr at yahoo.com
winter is torture on my skin and Aquaphor keeps my hands and elbows happy!
tweet
http://twitter.com/erunuevo/status/5817552469
This stuff works miracles on dry lips. Mine are permanently dry, and having this stuff everywhere keeps me comfortable!
We use aquaphor to cure cradle cap! Thanks for the contest!
tweet: http://twitter.com/MommyNamedApril/status/5831439590
I love Aquaphor. I use it to heal and protect against thigh and heel chafing when running, hiking, and powerwalking. It’s so effective and very soothing.
Aquaphor is great for my dry skin, especially since I have a thyroid condition! So I like to use Aquaphor on my face, elbows, and feet. It’s gentle and it’s perfect for the whole family!
I tweeted for an extra entry too:
http://twitter.com/lipstickncandy/status/5839844613
My boy has Eczema so I use it on him twice a day to keep him from getting all dry and rashy.
Great for eczema. Love it and use it daily.
I’m a nurse and washing my hands a lot makes them rough, Aquaphor is perfect for this!
I love aquafor! I use it at home for everything from dry hands to chapped feet, an alternative to chapstick and diaper rash cream (all seperate bottles, don’t worry!). It’s GOOD stuff!
This question, it is a little awkward for those of us who have never tried it. I’ll answer in the speculative tense: I would use it for my kids’ chapped faces when the air is so dry and cold in fall/winter.
I use it to heal and soothe chapped hands. After handwashing so often, my girls keep dry cracked hands. Aquaphor wuickly soothes and heals!
I got so excited when I saw a giveaway for Aquaphor! My 3 year old son has horrible eczema and aquaphor is the only thing that works on his skin. No fragrances and it keeps in the moisture. We cover him in aquaphor head to toe twice a day. Needless to say- we go through two of the big jars a week! We love aquaphor!!
I love Aquaphor. It works wonders on my dry skin. I even apply it to my face during the winter months!
I use it on my feet overnight with socks on. It’s a miracle worker!
I’ve never used it, but have heard great things and would love to try it!
I would totally use this on my 6 month old. He has dry skin and a slight case of cradle cap.
Prayers and blessings,
Rebecca
We’ve used this product on my daughter and seen results. It works on dry patches around her wrists and behind her knees.
I would love this for my son’s exzema issues. Thanks!!
Great contest! My 13 month old son gets chapped cheeks in the winter from the cold and dry heat. I would use this product to soothe said cheeks! Thanks for the reccommendation!
mkdaiger@gmail.com
I’ve never used it before, but it sounds like it would be good for my eczema. Plus, I’m having a baby in 3 months and will surely need it then!
I love Aquafor! I use it every winter on my boys dry, chapped cheeks.
I love Aquaphor lotion. It is so gentle and doesn’t irritate my skin.
Awesome giveaway. I have found great results with Aquapohor.
I have very dry elbows and feet, and I can’t use scented products, so I would love to try this. I am, after all, just a big baby!
My son and husband get really horribly chapped hands in the fall and winter. We use aquaphor to help heal the chapped hands. A great trick that works super fast is to slather their hands in aquaphor and then have them put on some light gloves. After about an hour their hands are dramatically improved and feeling better!
lukeysmama at gmail dot com
So when we get one of our triplets out of the tub, everytime I notice her skin is blotchy and red. Before anything else is put on her we reach for our Aquaphor to help relieve her itchy excema! It’s a lifesaver!
we use aquaphor for my kids dry ichy winter skin.
Lori Jones
ajsahm@gmail.com
I use Aquaphor on my dry chapped hands. They always crack and sometimes bleed when the cold weather comes.
Tweet!
http://twitter.com/jerseygirl137/status/5900140693
My pediatrician recommended Aquaphor when my daughter was a baby for drooly chapped skin. Now we both use it on our hands. I love how it’s so moisturizing yet breathable. Awesome product! Love it.
I actually do carry that big tub around
I LOVE AQUAPHOR! I use it on my lips, my babies chapped bum, my hands and nose when the winter weather gets them chapped. A dermatologist recommended it to me years. I LOVE YOU AQUAPHOR!!
Wow; I used to get chafing sometimes after soccer games; I can’t imagine what it would be like after a marathon. Ouch!
I use Eucerin, and sometimes Aquaphor, as a moisturizer, especially in the winter. We don’t get 300 inches of snow, but we get some pretty terrible winds, and they’ll chap your skin right up.
Aquaphor is GREAT for your skin when you’ve gotten a bit too much sun in the summer! Rub it on lightly throughout the day to keep it moisterized and minimize peeling! It doesn’t have a lot of extra “stuff” in it to irritate your skin and it really works to seal in the moisture – especially just after you’ve washed your face! Just a dab will do ya!
I use it to smother on my feet at night and wear little bootie socks to bed. In the morning my feet feel like a queens!
Tweet!
http://twitter.com/heatheranne99/status/5983330716
Blogged!
http://vintagefabulous.blogspot.com/2009/11/no-diaper-rash-yes-we-can-this-northern.html
I use it on chapped lips, cracked hands and dry winter feet!
I love this stuff and use it all the time. I got a burn on my skin once, and this was about the only thing I could find to put on it that didn’t hurt and protected it.
Aquaphor is great for all skin issues, it’s so gentle and not greasy…
I use Aquaphor everywhere, it’s a must have for me. For lips as lip balm, blend into makeups, as hand cream, body cream, it’s the best and I couldn’t live without it for all seasons.
Tweet. http://twitter.com/tcarolinep/status/6063217695
Blogged.http://tcarolinep.blogspot.com/2009/11/giveaway-this-northern-life.html
tweeted http://twitter.com/annedoggett/status/6068997628
what a fabulous giveaway. I would use it on my daughter who has very sensitive and dry skin. Especially right now with this cold wind she is getting bad rashes. Poor girl.
Thanks for the giveaway
A friend at work gave me a tube of Eucerin hand cream. It’s soothing with the repetitive washing my hands are subjected to this flu season.
My son had a horrible time after bathing; every soap I’d buy left his skin dry and irritated. I started using Aquaphor and he finally found some relief. If it was good for him, it was great for me! My poor, cracked elbows were really embarrassing. I wouldn’t wear short-sleeve shirts because they were so dry and felt like sandpaper. I’d put on Aquaphor at night and then cover my elbows with wrist sweatbands to keep them moist while I slept. My elbows were nice and smooth in the morning. We swear by Aquaphor.
shel704 at aol dot com
Blogged:
http://auntiethesis.blogspot.com/2009/11/aquaphor-gives-you-more.html
Tweeted:
http://twitter.com/auntiethesis/status/6198459253
We use Aquaphor with my sons eczema.
I just thought about it, but we also put small tubes of it in our gift bags for over night guests at our wedding too!
We love Aquaphor – use it all year ’round on our girls – skin and lips!
I love using on my dried and cracked elbows. There is nothing better. It is also great on my feet. The winter weather really does a number on my skin and aquaphor really helps.
tweeted http://twitter.com/carogonza/status/6261148913
blogged http://theartofrandomwillynillyness.blogspot.com/2009/12/blogher-and-aquaphor.html
I would love to try for my dry elbows, hands and feet. Lips are pretty dry this winter to might have to go pick up some uecerin.
I haven’t used this product since my oldest was a baby 18 yrs ago, used for cradle cap and it worked excellent.
misty_labean yahoo com
We use it on lips, bottoms, and rashes. The stuff is great.
We use Aquaphor for my son excema on his legs and feet. It works better than any of the prescriptions we have tried for him! Love it!
I like to use it on my hands and feet at night before I go to bed. Then they feel so good the next morning.
I Use Aquaphor to relieve and soothe the inch that comes with eczema.
We use Aquaphor for my daughters eczema (its the only thing she can use). I also love to use it for sore/dry/chapped noses during colds…. and it totally rocks on your feet at night time!
I love Aquaphor as diaper cream and lip balm. Love, love, love!
Aquaphor is great for those winter-chapped hands…very soothing. Grat for cracked heals, too
definitely use it for dry knees and ankles
My two favorite uses for Aquaphor:
** Massage into cuticles and nails to ease dryness and cracking
** Apply a thin layer at hairline when coloring hair to help avoid staining skin
Thanks!
* Tweet *
http://twitter.com/Nelsby/status/6406561755
Thanks!
I’ve heard great things about this product and hope to try it on my very very dry cuticles.
It’s great for eczema and for treating new tattoos while they are healing.
I use it like lip gloss…works wonders!
mjf926 at gmail dot com
I just used this stuff last week on my one month old and it works miracles!
tan_0924@yahoo.com
I use it on my daughter’s face to reduce redness on her cheeks.
I’ve never used this before, but I’d love to try it on my dry hands and face due to the harsh wintertime!
Thanks!
mdmerenghi@gmail.com
my favorite use if for dry skin!
hulahoopingmom(at)yahoo(dot)com
I use Aquaphor on all 3 of my children’s skin & would love to try more of their products!
My favorite uses are to use it on my dry skin, especially my elbows, hands and feet. It works real well if you deal with cracked skin on your feet. Just slather it on before bed, put on socks and in the morning your feet are much better.
It’s great on chapped lips and to help wounds heal
mjharvey26 at yahoo dot com
Eucerin creme is wonderful for your baby’s dry skin rash. It was a godsend for my sweet baby–way back when he was a baby, that is!
It is great on chapped cheeks in the winter!
I slather it on my baby’s face right before bedtime and after bath. Helps protect those sweet cheeks!
This stuff works wonders
My wife loves this stuff
Aquaphor is great on cracked dry skin on your hands from handling chemicals at work! Thanks for the great giveaway!
Dry hands and lips
artisticbaker at gmail dot com
I’ve only recently discovered Aquaphor, but it has worked wonders on our little boy! We use it on rashes or dry patches all the time. We didn’t even know about it when he was still in diapers. But it’s great stuff!
My 2 sons have eczema on their legs and aquaphor TOTALLY helps clear it up. We as a family also use it during the winter in dry skin. It’s great!
Jenny
I have not had a chance to use Aquaphor, but would love to on my 23 month old. Especially since winter is here and my little one’s sweet cheeks are getting so red and peeling. Hope I get picked!!
Oh man – do I need that this week!!!!!!!! My poor (almost) 2 year old has the driest, cracking hands for some reason. It just breaks my heart, but the samples from her peed are getting us by, but almost gone. My lips get super dried out (sometimes up to my nose – NOT cute!) just by turning on the heater in my car, and with a little one, it’s unavoidable in this 6 degree weather! I have been putting Aquaphor all around my mouth and on my lips, on my daughters hands and all her dry spots as much as I can remember. I love that it soaks in quickly and that it is SAFE for my baby!! It has helped her so much and has stopped her hands from cracking and bleeding.
I’m hoping I’ll wake up w/ healed lips as well!!!
it’s great for dry elbows and knee caps!
http://twitter.com/DeeGee13/status/6608337934
tweeted!
blogged!
http://the-prestigiator.xanga.com/718158534/aquaphor-giveaways/
Blogged
http://mindymerenghi.blogspot.com/2009/12/blogher-special-offers.html
mdmerenghi@gmail.com
Love this product and used it for my first son. I have been having problems finding it for my second son. Would love this basket.
I love this product and use it on everything! I recently blogged about how I can’t wait to use it on my son who will be born in March. YAY! Great giveaway!
I use it on dry skin in the winter. It works great on my hands and elbows.
tweeted
http://twitter.com/lunaj1456/status/6676954466
Works on elbows and nose when I have a cold.
tweeted
http://twitter.com/prizepuzzle/status/6681202218
Tweeted!
http://twitter.com/Denise0480/status/6699246883
I love to use it for skin softening, treating the kids raw skin from runny noses, and helping my husbands chapped skin when he has to be outside a lot – he’s in the military and spends a great deal of every month outside.
As a child my mom called me “diaper rash queen”. I’ve been plagued with rashy skin my whole life. When I was in beauty school (washing clients heads repeatedly all day) I also worked in a bakery and had to continually wear gloves and wash my hands, therefore resulting in dry sky and rashes…Aquaphor DEF helped sooth my skin!!! THANKS AQUAPHOR!