We all know that a baby’s skin is much thinner and more delicate than an adult’s. As a result, it can absorb anything applied to it at a much faster rate. Babies scratch themselves more easily, they are more prone to irritations and rashes, and even a loose cloth tag left inside a onesie can leave scary red wounds that look worse than they are and heal by the next morning. Babies are soft, helpless, vulnerable human beings, and their skin cannot yet protect them from the dangers of the outside world.
Despite this obvious, commonsense information, virtually all conventional baby products you find on grocery and drugstore shelves are filled to the brim with ingredients that are anything but safe for a baby’s health. Fragrances, penetration enhancers, sulfate detergents, preservatives, and synthetic dyes are not safe for babies. Neither are they for any adult. Yet these ingredients are contained in baby products at high concentrations. I know this may sound harsh, but the truth about baby products is that they are often worse for human health than adult ones. Ninety-nine percent of products marketed for delicate, fragile skin are nothing but bottled irritations, chapping, diaper rash, and watery eyes.
Baby Oatmeal Bath Pouches
2 cups organic oatmeal.2 cups organic milk powder.
1/2 cup organic lavender flowers.
1/2 cup dried calendula or chamomile flowers
2 drops chamomile essential oil.
Yield
4 ounces
You can use muslin or pieces of organic cotton to make reusable bath pouches. Cut 4-inch by 8-inch fabric rectangles and sew three sides together. Use fabric ribbons to tie the top. This recipe makes enough for twenty pouches.Blend all the ingredients thoroughly and fill the prepared pouches. To use, immerse one pouch in the bathwater and rub it over the baby’s skin like a washcloth.
Skin-Clearing Herbal Bath
4 cups of purified water.1/2 cup dried birch leaves.
1/2 cup marigold flowers.
1/2 cup dried sage leaves.
Yield
4 ounces
This is a traditional Russian recipe that we used to soothe redness and mild rash in our baby when she was one week old.1. Boil all ingredients for fifteen minutes in 4 cups of purified water.
2. Strain and discard the herbs and flowers.
3. Use two cups for one bath and store the remaining two cups of the infusion in the refrigerator. It must be used within two days.
Soothing Milk Bath
7/8 cup organic milk powder.5 drops chamomile essential oil.
2 drops rose essential oil.
Yield
4 ounces
This blend was inspired by the popular (and quite expensive) Burt’s Bees Baby Bee Buttermilk Bath Soak, but we skipped an unknown “fragrance ” and used well-diluted chamomile oil instead.1. Mix the essential oils with three tablespoons of milk powder and blend thoroughly so that the oil completely disappears into the powder. Mix this in with the remaining milk powder.
2. To use, dissolve two to three tablespoons in a warm bath. Let your baby relax in the milky water for ten minutes.
Want to add more color to your baby’s bath?
Steep some herbal tea with berries, such as strawberries or raspberries for at least 10 minutes and pour it into the bath—believe me, everyone will be happier.To bathe a newborn, you don’t really need anything other than warm water. Many doctors recommend bathing babies in plain water until they are six months old. We tried it, and our baby came out clean and good smelling. Newborns do not get sweaty or dirty except in the diaper area or if they spit up. You will need a foaming cleanser or a mild soap for cleaning the diaper area, though organic baby oil or organic virgin olive oil usually work just fine. If the water in your area is particularly hard, you can alternate water-only baths with foam or herbal baths. And use a mild cleanser to wash soiled cloth diapers.
You can quickly create a baby herbal bath blend or bath oil using just a few basic ingredients. Please note that any essential oil may pose the threat of irritation to your baby’s skin. Always perform a patch test if you are concerned about allergic reactions, especially if you have a family history of skin allergies. Dilute a drop of the essential oil in two tablespoons of virgin olive oil and apply a dot on the back of your baby’s arm (the oil won’t end up in her mouth). Leave the oil on overnight and check for any signs of redness in the morning. If no reaction occurs, the oil is likely to be well-tolerated. If you see any kind of redness, do not use the oil on your baby. You may use the scented batch of oil to massage your skin, though. Always use half the amount of essential oil that you would use in an adult product.
Although many baby products are formulated with lavender, I prefer to err on the side of caution with this aromatic herb. Suspected endocrine-disrupting abilities of lavender are currently being researched. However, lavender has been used in traditional medicine for centuries, and its ability to promote sleep is well-proven. Remember, it’s easy to go overboard with lavender. When used in excessive amounts, this fragrant flower can stimulate instead of promote sleep.
Irritating plant extracts and essential oils. These include peppermint, eucalyptus, ylang-ylang, sage, bergamot, and citrus oils. You may use eucalyptus in a vaporizer during colds, though.
Make Your Own Baby Wipes
1 cup purified water.1/2 cup witch hazel.
5 drops calendula extract.
5 drops aloe vera extract.
3 drops tea tree essential oil.
5,000 IU vitamin E (as a preservative).
Yield
4 ounces
Some DIY fans prefer to make baby wipes from a roll of paper towels cut in half but I found that any really worn-out cotton T-shirt cut in squares works just fine. Start with twenty squares (a day’s supply) and see how it goes. If you decide to modify the formulation, you won’t waste too much fabric. Added bonus: fabric wipes are super-eco-friendly, as you can wash them with the rest of baby’s laundry or diapers.1. Blend all the ingredients in a bottle. Shake well to dissolve vitamin E.
2. Place paper or fabric squares measuring approximately 4x4 inches in airtight, waterproof container and pour the solution over them. The fabric should be completely saturated, and some fluid should remain at the bottom. You can use an empty box from refillable baby wipes such as Tushies (when you have used up the wipes). Alternatively, any ceramic, glass, or polypropylene (plastic #5) food storage container would be suitable, too. You can find such containers in most discount stores and online.
3. Put the lid back on the box and turn it upside down so the solution is absorbed.
Baby Massage
You can easily perform a baby massage at home without attending courses or buying instructional videos. Choose a moment when your baby is content and relaxed, ideally after a bath but before the evening feeding. Put the baby on a clean receiving blanket and pour some massage oil on your hands. Rub them to warm the oil.A baby massage flows from the head to the toes. Work with soft and gentle touches on the head, face, shoulders, arms, chest, stomach, and legs. Learn how much pressure you can use by closing your eyes and pressing on your eyelids. That’s it! Unlike adult massages that penetrate to the muscles, baby massages shouldn’t go any deeper than the skin. Use your fingertips to massage hands, feet, and face, and use the palm of your hand to massage the stomach area, legs, and arms. There is not one “right” way to massage your baby. Listen to your heart and be gentle. Don’t worry: baby will love whatever you do!
Among some things to avoid are the following:Make sure not to massage the genital areas; do not put any pressure on the baby’s knees or elbows; do not massage baby’s face with any massage oils that contain essential oils; do not press too hard on the baby’s neck or stomach. Do not force your baby to lie on her stomach; if she wants to turn over, use this opportunity to massage her back. Keep the massage oil away from your baby.
Here’s a soothing, nourishing baby oil blend that you can also use to moisturize dry areas and for general cleanups after poops or spit-ups.
Virtually any unscented organic plant oil can be used to moisturize a baby’s skin. Avocado, grape seed, and virgin olive oils are among the best. Just pour the necessary amount into a pretty glass bottle with a pump top and use as needed. I know that glass bottles may break when dropped, but this is still a better option than contaminating the baby product with chemicals leaching from plastic bottles.
Soothing Baby Massage Oil
1/2 cup grape seed oil.1/2 cup wheat germ oil.
Optional:
3 drops lavender essential oil or,
2 drops rose essential oil or,
3 drops calendula herbal oil.
Yield
4 ounces
Combine all ingredients in a glass bottle with a flip-top cap. Shake well to allow oils to blend uniformly.Here is a quick checklist of things you should by all means avoid in your baby products:
Mineral oil. Also known as liquid petrolatum, mineral oil is praised for its lubricating action and low price. Mineral oil is a byproduct of petroleum distillation, and its production is quite toxic, involving sulfuric acid, absorbents, solvents, and alkalis. It only takes a drop of synthetic fragrance to transform mineral oil into baby oil. In baby products, mineral oil is also used in lotions, diaper rash creams, and baby wipes. While it’s considered to be nongenotoxic and generally non irritating, mineral oil forms an airtight film on the skin’s surface, preventing it from normal functioning.
Triethanolamine (TEA) is a popular emollient and acidity adjuster. We have already learned that this irritating chemical may be contaminated with the potent carcinogen 1,4-Dioxane. Why take chances? There are lots of green baby lotions and creams that do not contain triethanolamine or any member of the TEA/DEA/MEA family.
Parabert and other preservatives. A baby’s hormonal system is not yet mature, and hormone disruptors can cause irreparable damage to the developing endocrine system There have been no studies confirming the safety of paraben preservatives for babies. Why should your little bundle of joy participate in this gigantic experiment with an unknown outcome?
Fragrance. Conventional baby products are usually highly fragranced. These powdery scents are more appealing to moms than to babies, and manufacturers are in no hurry to remove the scents, simply because fragranced products usually sell better than unscented ones. Any synthetic fragrance, as we already know, is nothing but an irritation.
Synthetic color. Most baby products have a cute pink or yellow tint in them Babies do not care about the color of their diaper cream or baby wash! All they want is zero irritation. More often than not, the color in baby baths, washes, and lotions is achieved by adding synthetic colorants, such as D&C Yellow 10 (Quinoline Yellow) or D&C Orange 4 (Acid Orange 7), considered to be potentially genotoxic substances.
It’s vitally important to avoid all baby products that contain any of the above ingredients. Just a quick glance at the ingredients list will provide you with more information than any cute packaging or adorable scent. Which is more important to you—the cute little baby on the label or your own little pink darling who depends on your ability to discern between safe and unsafe products?
Natural Diaper Area Care
Almost all babies develop at least one bout of diaper rash before they are potty-trained. There’s no way around it. Frequent diaper changes, water rinsing instead of baby wipes when practical, a regular application of lightweight baby oils, and use of all-natural baby wipes can help control, if not completely prevent, diaper rash.Sometimes diaper rash can be caused by the very diapers you use. Cloth diapers are more prone to cause skin irritations, perhaps because the moisture is not quickly wiped off the skin, as it is by disposable diapers.
To soothe a baby’s diaper rash, always wash the diaper area with water instead of cleaning with wipes, even if you’ve made your own completely natural ones. Pat the area dry and apply a barrier cream with zinc oxide, calendula, aloe, or chamomile.
Happy Bum Flower Balm
1/2 cup shea butter (if possible, organic).1/2 cup coconut butter (if possible, organic).
1 teaspoon zinc oxide.
5 drops rose essential oil.
2 drops sage essential oil.
2,000 IU vitamin E.
5 drops colloidal silver.
Yield
4 ounces
When your baby is teething, you may want to use the cream more frequently, as babies are prone to diaper rash before their new teeth sprout.1. Heat the shea butter and coconut oil in a shallow pan, but do not boil.
2. Gradually add the rest of the ingredients. Add zinc oxide while the mixture is still liquid. Remove from heat and stir until the mixture starts to cool, about 3 minutes. Add the essential oils after the mixture cools a bit so that their properties don’t disperse in the heat as quickly. Gradually add vitamin E and the colloidal silver. Stir well.
3. Transfer into a glass jar and use as often as necessary when you notice redness in the diaper area.
Baby Powder
1/2 cup baking soda.1/2 cup kaolin (white clay).
1 tablespoon zinc oxide.
5 drops chamomile essential oil.
5 drops rose essential oil
Yield
5 ounces
Sometimes it’s unclear whether your baby has diaper rash or a yeast infection. Cornstarch, a popular ingredient in natural baby powders, can worsen yeast rash by forming yeast-feeding wet clumps in skin folds. This powder avoids cornstarch.1. Combine baking soda, kaolin, and zinc oxide in a sifter.
2. Add oils one drop at a time while sifting. Sift a second time to mix the oil thoroughly.
3. Make a paper funnel and pour mixture into a shaker bottle. If your baby develops redness that doesn’t go away after treatment with diaper rash cream, change the tactic and use the powder for one day instead.The green beauty guide
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