The Best Baby-Care Products Pictures Slideshow

WebMD Experts' Choice reflects the opinions of the editors or experts only, not of WebMD. WebMD does not endorse any specific product, service, or treatment.

Buy, Buy Baby

Lost in the pastel-hued wilderness of baby care products? Every item on the shelf seems to claim it is fragrance-free, unscented, organic, natural -- the words make your head spin. We turned to the pros for help. Our panel of experts, two pediatric dermatologists, Sharon Glick, MD, and Colette Lieber, MD, and health and wellness expert Keri Glassman, MS, RD, CDN, judged dozens of baby care products on five criteria: scientifically sound; brand promise; price; look, smell, and feel; and overall excellence.

Winner: Best Diaper Rash Product

Boudreaux's Butt Paste ($4.99) beat its old-standby competitors by a landslide, in part because it's a paste, which is more effective than a cream and provides a better barrier against urine and other irritants. It is also fragrance-free and has an especially high concentration of zinc oxide, which helps speed healing. To offset the cost (the only downside our experts noted), use it only to clear up a rash and opt for a less-expensive product for everyday use. "All my patients love it," Glick says, "because it works."

Honorable Mention: Best Diaper Rash Product

Our experts chose Method Squeaky Green Diaper Cream ($6.99) for everyday use. "I like that it comes in a pump, which is sterile and easier to use," says Glick, who also praised its ingredients, which include sunflower seed oil and rice, and its naturalness (95%).

Winner: Best Body Lotion

Aveeno Baby Daily Moisture Lotion ($6.29) was our experts' pick, which bested the other brands because it spreads easily and is fragrance-free and economical. Glick applauds Aveeno's nongreasy feel as well as the pump container. In addition, it protects the skin more than other lotions, because unlike most petroleum-based products, it contains allantoin, which is soothing to the skin. It also lacks the stickiness of a cream.

Winner: Best Sunscreen

California Baby SPF 30+ Sunscreen Lotion ($19.99) impressed our experts with its UVA and UVB protection and because it is a physical block. "You never want to put a chemical block on a baby," Lieber says. A chemical block protects by absorbing UV radiation, takes 20 minutes to work, and could cause contact dermatitis, explains Glick, while a physical block reflects sunlight, and will not cause dermatitis. Although it's a little thick, it's ideal for babies 12 months and under.

Honorable Mention: Best Sunscreen

Earth's Best Chemical Free SPF 30+ Baby Sunblock ($10.99) wowed our judges, who found it not as sticky and easier to apply than our winner, but it lost points for having less zinc oxide. "It's chemical-free, which is so important for babies," Glick says. "That's why it's definitely necessary to read labels."

Winner: Best Body Wash/Shampoo

Until the age of 1 or 2, your little (and likely bald) one doesn't need a separate shampoo and body wash. And, surprisingly, the two-in-one product you use "doesn't have to say 'baby' on it," Lieber says. "That's just marketing." Because Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser ($7.63) was created specifically for sensitive skin, it's the ideal wash for a newborn. "Cetaphil is as gentle as water," Glick says, "and it's what I use myself and what I recommend to all my patients" Both Glick and Lieber also used it on their children.

Honorable Mention: Best Body Wash/Shampoo

Method Baby Squeaky Green Hair and Body Wash ($6.99) scored major points for its "adorable packaging," which includes a lid that doubles as a cup to rinse your baby's head. "What a genius idea," Glassman says. "I'm always looking for a cup." The product contains fragrance, which disappointed our panel. "But I do like that it has olive oil," says Glassman. "It's very soothing and moisturizing for the skin."

Winner: Best Wipes

Parents use these handy cloths for more than just wiping baby's bottom, says Glassman, who finds them especially useful for cleaning her kids' hands and faces after playtime at the park. And for derrieres and hands and faces, Earth's Best Tender Care Chlorine-Free Baby Wipes ($3.79) was the panel's top pick. They're hypoallergenic, unscented, and alcohol-free, and contain aloe vera and vitamin E. They are also the sturdiest and cleanest of the bunch. "I like the texture, and they feel solid and strong," Glick says.

Honorable Mention: Best Wipes

"I like the smell and the feel," says Lieber of Pampers Sensitive Baby Wipes ($2.99). "Plus, it doesn't rip easily." The only major brand with wipes made of soft cotton, Pampers is fragrance-free, making it ideal for the most sensitive of bottoms.

How Our Experts' Choices Were Made

To select our WebMD the Magazine Experts' Choice Best Baby Care Products winners, our three experts considered hundreds of items. Their mission? To help parents read labels, understand ingredients, and choose the best washes, creams, and wipes.

About our experts:

Keri Glassman, MS, RD, CDN, nutritionist and president, Keri Glassman, A Nutritious Life, New York.

Sharon Glick, MD, director, Pediatric Dermatology; associate professor of dermatology and pediatrics, SUNY Health Science Center at Brooklyn.

Colette Lieber, MD, in private practice and pediatric dermatology consultant, New Jersey.

Watch for more Experts' Choice winners in future issues of WebMD the Magazine.

Note: WebMD Experts' Choice reflect the opinions of the editors or experts only, not of WebMD. WebMD does not endorse any specific product, service, or treatment.

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