Metanium Everyday Barrier Ointment 40g

Metanium Everyday Barrier Ointment 40g – a fragrance-free protective ointment that helps prevent nappy rash. Suitable from birth.

  • Forms a water-repellent barrier against urine and stool
  • Apply at every nappy change, from birth
  • No fragrance, essential oils or alcohol; vegan suitable
  • Preventative barrier – not a treatment for existing nappy rash
  • Supplied by a GPhC-registered UK pharmacy
Awaiting product image

Metanium Everyday Barrier Ointment 40g is a fragrance-free protective ointment that shields a baby’s skin from the wetness and irritants inside a nappy. It is suitable from birth and designed to be applied at every nappy change to help prevent nappy rash developing.

Important: this is the Everyday Barrier ointment, not the old yellow Metanium

Many parents searching for Metanium are looking for the original Metanium Nappy Rash Ointment — the thick yellow ointment containing titanium salts, which was a licensed medicine for treating nappy rash. That product was discontinued in November 2024 and is no longer manufactured.

The product supplied today under the Metanium name is Metanium Everyday Barrier Ointment. It is a skin protectant, not a medicine, and it is not a treatment for existing nappy rash. It is a preventative barrier used at every change to stop the rash starting. If your baby already has sore, broken or inflamed skin, see the section below on what to use instead.

What is Metanium Everyday Barrier Ointment?

It is a simple occlusive barrier ointment. The formulation is deliberately short:

  • Titanium dioxide — a mineral that gives the ointment its opaque, physically protective layer
  • Petrolatum (white soft paraffin) — the main occlusive that seals the skin surface
  • Paraffinum liquidum (liquid paraffin) — softens the ointment so it spreads without dragging on delicate skin
  • Dimethicone — a silicone that repels moisture

There is no fragrance, no essential oil and no alcohol, and it is suitable for vegans. Because it contains no active medicine, it is classed as a cosmetic skin protectant rather than a licensed medicinal product.

What is Metanium Everyday Barrier Ointment used for?

  • Protecting a baby’s bottom from urine and stool during nappy wear
  • Everyday prevention of nappy rash, from birth onwards
  • Keeping skin protected during teething, weaning and nappy-off periods when the skin is more easily irritated

It is not licensed to treat nappy rash, thrush, eczema or infected skin, and it will not clear a rash that has already developed.

How does a barrier ointment work?

Nappy rash begins when skin sits in contact with moisture: urine and stool break down the skin’s natural barrier, and the enzymes in stool then irritate it directly. A barrier ointment forms a water-repellent film over the skin so that moisture and irritants cannot reach it. It does not heal anything on its own — it buys the skin the dry conditions it needs to stay intact.

How to use Metanium Everyday Barrier Ointment

  • Clean the nappy area gently and dry it thoroughly — applying ointment over damp skin traps the moisture underneath.
  • Apply a thin, even layer over the whole nappy area at every nappy change.
  • You do not need a thick coat; a visible film is enough. A 40g tube used around six times a day lasts roughly a month.
  • Suitable from birth. For external use on the nappy area only.
  • Change nappies promptly and allow some nappy-free time each day — it works far better alongside those habits than on its own.

What to use if your baby already has nappy rash

If the skin is already red, sore or broken, a preventative barrier is not the right product. An antiseptic healing cream such as Sudocrem Antiseptic Healing Cream or a barrier-plus-healing ointment such as Bepanthen Nappy Care Ointment is the usual next step for mild rash.

Speak to a pharmacist or GP if the rash is not improving after a few days, if the skin is broken, blistered or weeping, if there are satellite spots spreading beyond the nappy area (which can suggest a thrush infection needing an antifungal cream), or if your baby is unwell or feverish.

Metanium or Sudocrem or Bepanthen?

All three sit in the nappy-care aisle but do different jobs. Metanium Everyday Barrier is a pure preventative barrier — the plainest formulation of the three, and a good choice for daily use on skin that is fine. Bepanthen adds dexpanthenol and is aimed at skin that needs a little support to recover as well as protection. Sudocrem contains an antiseptic plus zinc oxide and is aimed at a rash that is already there. Browse the full range of baby and children’s healthcare products.

Buy Metanium online

Bury Healthcare Online is a GPhC-registered UK pharmacy (registration 1126145). Our pharmacy team can advise on nappy rash prevention and on when a rash needs treatment rather than a barrier.

Always read the instructions for use before applying. For external use only. If the rash does not improve or your baby is unwell, speak to your pharmacist or doctor.

Medically reviewed by Hassan Khan, MPharm, Independent Prescriber — Superintendent Pharmacist, Bury Healthcare Online (GPhC-registered pharmacy 1126145). Last reviewed: July 2026.

Metanium FAQs

Why was Metanium discontinued?
The original Metanium Nappy Rash Ointment – the yellow ointment containing titanium salts – was discontinued by the manufacturer in November 2024. The withdrawal was a supply and commercial decision, not a safety recall: no safety concern was raised about the product. Metanium Everyday Barrier Ointment is the product now sold under the Metanium name, and it is a preventative barrier rather than a treatment.
Is Metanium Everyday Barrier Ointment the same as the old Metanium?
No. The old Metanium Nappy Rash Ointment was a licensed medicine for treating nappy rash. Metanium Everyday Barrier Ointment is a cosmetic skin protectant containing titanium dioxide, petrolatum, liquid paraffin and dimethicone. It prevents nappy rash by forming a barrier; it does not treat a rash that is already there.
Does Metanium treat nappy rash?
Metanium Everyday Barrier Ointment is not a treatment for nappy rash – the manufacturer states this directly. It is used at every nappy change to help stop rash developing. If your baby already has a rash, an antiseptic healing cream or a nappy-care ointment is more appropriate, and a pharmacist can advise.
What age can you use Metanium Everyday Barrier Ointment from?
It is suitable from birth. Apply a thin layer to clean, dry skin at every nappy change.
What are the ingredients in Metanium Everyday Barrier Ointment?
Titanium dioxide, petrolatum (white soft paraffin), paraffinum liquidum (liquid paraffin) and dimethicone. It contains no fragrance, no essential oils and no alcohol, and is suitable for vegans.
How often should you apply Metanium?
At every nappy change. A thin, even layer over the whole nappy area is enough – a thick coat is not more protective. A 40g tube used around six times a day lasts roughly a month.
Can Metanium be used on eczema or other rashes?
No. It is intended for the nappy area as a barrier against urine and stool. It is not licensed for eczema, thrush or infected skin. If a rash is spreading, blistering or not settling, speak to your pharmacist or GP.
What can I use instead of the old Metanium ointment?
For preventing nappy rash, Metanium Everyday Barrier Ointment or Bepanthen Nappy Care Ointment. For a rash that has already appeared, Sudocrem Antiseptic Healing Cream is a common choice. If the skin is broken or there are spots spreading beyond the nappy area, ask a pharmacist – that can indicate thrush, which needs an antifungal cream.
Should the skin be dry before applying a barrier ointment?
Yes, and this matters more than people expect. Applying an occlusive ointment over damp skin seals moisture in against the skin, which is exactly what causes nappy rash. Pat the area completely dry first.
Is Metanium Everyday Barrier Ointment a medicine?
No. It contains no active medicinal ingredient and is classed as a cosmetic skin protectant, so it carries instructions for use rather than a patient information leaflet.

Related products