Natural Homemade Baby Toiletries

Babies and young children have soft, sensitive skin, and some skin care products can irritate their delicate skin. You can make toiletry items for your baby in your kitchen with inexpensive, natural and easy-to-use ingredients. Contact your local health store for some of the ingredients you need if you lack sufficient knowledge about harvesting wild herbs. Alternatively, you can grow many of the herbs yourself.

Diaper Rash Ointment

• Almost every baby develops a diaper rash or skin irritation. Combine 1 tablespoon each of chickweed, marshmallow root and comfrey root with 1/8 teaspoon powdered goldenseal in a cast-iron skillet and fry the herbs in 1 cup sweet almond oil. Stir the herbs as you cook. When the mixture is hot, add 1/4 cup of beeswax and cook for about 20 minutes. Strain the mix through cheesecloth into a small glass jar with a secure lid. Cool the mixture in the refrigerator until it solidifies, then store near your changing table. Rub the ointment on the baby’s diaper area when needed. Discard any remaining ointment after two months.

Cradle Cap Rinse

• Many babies develop a mild case of cradle cap, a form of infant dandruff. Comfrey rinse can remove the excess dandruff and reduce the itch that comes with cradle cap. Place 2 ounces of cut-and-dried comfrey root inside a clean nylon knee-high stocking and add it to 1 quart of boiling water. Simmer the root for 20 minutes. Pour the liquid syrup into a class container and allow it to cool to skin temperature before using. Dip a cloth into the rinse and pat it on the baby’s head. Allow the baby's head to air-dry. Store any remaining portion in the refrigerator. To reuse, sit the container in very warm water until it warms to body temperature. Discard any remaining rinse after four days.

Homemade Baby Wipes

• Mix 1 part aloe vera gel to 3 parts warm water, 3 drops of lavender essential oil and 1 small drop of pure lanolin soap in a small container with a tight seal. Stir the liquid together until the gel dissolves in the water. Drop six to eight 8-inch square cotton or terry cloth wipes into the container and seal it. Use the cloths as needed, then wash them before reusing. If you make your own cloths, overlock the edges to keep the cloths from fraying and leaving loose strings behind.

Oatmeal Baby Bath

• Drop 1 cup of oatmeal into a blender or food processor and blend on high until the oatmeal is powdered. Pour the oatmeal in a clean sock and add 1/4 teaspoon of lavender flowers to the sock. Tie the sock onto the faucet so the warm water flows through the sock and fills the baby bathtub. Bathe the baby and rinse with clean water. Discard the oatmeal and lavender after the bath.