I know that many people who are interested in diapers but have never worn them, as well as many people giving advice to those people, believe diapers require accessories such as powders, creams, wipes, inserts, and plastic pants.
I’d like to shatter this myth. While there are some diaper accessories I would recommend, none are necessary.
For anyone reading this who has never tried a diaper but wants to, I’d advise you to just buy diapers at first. That’s what I did. I’d imagined diapers as being great, but I wanted to buy some to make sure. And if I’d bought accessories and not liked the diapers, the accessories would’ve meant more money lost on top of the money I’d spent on the diapers.
That advice aside, here is a list of some accessories and my thoughts on them:
Wipes:
Recommendation: I highly recommend wipes. I recommend them higher than any other accessory. They are super convenient for cleanup if you’ve messed your diaper. You can easily and quickly wipe your butt thoroughly clean with them and wrap them inside your used diaper to dispose of them. They’re also useful if you ever want to quickly clean the skin a wet diaper has been covering. I would recommend thicker wipes over thinner ones and a larger surface area over a smaller surface area.
Necessary? Even though I recommend wipes so highly, they are avoidable. Personally, I rarely use them. One way to avoid wipes when you’ve messed your diaper is to use toilet paper for as much of the cleaning as you can, then get in the shower to do the rest of the work. Also, you probably won’t desire to intermittently wipe clean the skin a wet diaper has been covering as long as you take a shower at least once a day. If you do desire it, you can use a wet washcloth.
Baby Powder:
Recommendation: I recommend baby powder. I’ve never used it, but I plan to in the future. Can I recommend it even though I’ve never used it? I think so. It seems like a fun, nice-smelling, and slightly-beneficial accessory. Granted, I’m not endorsing it nearly as much as I’m endorsing wipes. I’m recommending it if you want a bit more fun. Wipes are much more practical.
Necessary? Baby powder isn’t necessary. Otherwise, how could I get by without it?
Cream:
Recommendation: I don’t know much about cream, but I probably would recommend it in situations where diapers irritate your skin or give you a rash. I’ve never had a diaper give my skin any issues, so I’ve never tried it. It’s definitely not something I would recommend for constant use. I’d say to get it if you have an issue or get a small bottle just in case you ever need it.
Necessary? This one comes close to being necessary, if only in certain situations, but it’s still not. There are other ways to get rid of rashes (if you can’t prevent them). Your body has natural healing abilities that are sure to fix your rash eventually, especially if you make efforts such as taking a break from diapers, changing more often, cleaning yourself more thoroughly, etc.
Inserts:
Recommendation: I don’t recommend inserts for consistent use. As I see them now, they’re not worth the money you’ll spend on them or the time you’ll spend messing with them. However, they might be a fun addition to your diaper experience every once and a while. Personally, I’ve tried them once and never gone back.
Necessary? They’re definitely not necessary. They’re something extra by definition.
Plastic pants:
Recommendation: I would recommend getting a pair of these. You can use them in situations where you really want to prevent leaks–or when your diaper doesn’t have leak guards and you want something to do a similar job. Personally, I don’t have a pair, but I plan on getting one soon for these purposes.
Necessary? Plastic pants aren’t necessary. I don’t have any, and I find other ways of preventing leaks and dealing with them when they inevitably happen.
Of course, those aren’t all the accessories people might think are necessary. Just a lot of them. Now, I’m not going to pretend like I’m an expert here; I haven’t tried some of these things, so take my recommendations on those ones with a grain of salt. However, I think it’s pretty safe to say that none of the items I’ve looked at here are necessary.
If you can think of any items you believe are necessary that I haven’t covered or you disagree with my conclusions on any of the items on the list, please leave me a comment below to let me know.
Diaper Demigod 