Homemade Baby Wipes - The Calendula Solution
I've done a couple entries in the past on homemade diaper wipes and diaper ointments. I'm always testing out new things, but I've been sticking with the same solution for some time now, so I figured it's time to share!
A friend of mine turned me on to calendula flowers, which are part of the marigold family. These flowers can be very soothing for irritated skin, and they also aid in healing. I learned to make my own calendula ointment, which I add to water for my baby's diaper wipes. Here's what I do:
Take about a cup of dried calendula. (Make sure it's truly calendula and not ordinary marigolds. I get mine from the health food store.) Place it in a clean jar, and cover it with olive oil. Cap the jar tightly. Every day for at least a week, turn the jar over a few times to help mix. After at least a week has passed, strain the oil through cheesecloth.
I add a couple tablespoons of this oil to about two cups of water. This water I keep by the changing table. On the changing table shelf is a basket full of those tiny baby washcloths. I just dunk one of those in my solution, and voila! A healthy baby butt, no chemicals!
Be careful - no double dipping. Besides, if you don't double dip, this solution is great for other wipe-ups as well. You know, that glob of dried sweet potato you find stuck to your baby's thigh. Or maybe a little patch of dry skin that could use some help. Okay, I admit - I've even used it as a sort of furniture polish to dust my baby's room. Totally nontoxic, and the olive oil is nice on the wood.
I've also been keeping an aloe plant on the dresser near the changing table. If my son's bottom does start showing a little more distress than usual, there's aid right there. Break off a little tip of the aloe leaf, squeeze out the jelly, and apply it to the irritated skin.
So there you have it - another option for taking care of your baby's backside! If you have any other natural remedies for rashes, or you make your own wipes, share here. I'd love to hear what other natural moms are doing.
11 comments:
You are a plethora of information. I love reading your blog. I'm way past the mommy age but I love to store up information for my grandma babysitting days. Well, I don't mean babysitting grandma, I mean being a grandma who's babysitting! Thanks.
Absolutely gorgeous photograph and interesting information to boot :) Found you through Opal.
Hey, any idea if this is okay to use w/ cloth diapers? Would the oil build up on the cloth? We cloth diaper and sometimes get rashes and have to either let the wee ones run around bare naked a bit (risking accidents) or switch to a disposable for cream action. :)
Girlfriend, you have the greatest ideas! I bet your house smells wonderful!
Excellent Photograph and I love the suggestions. very Good! Tea Tree is also effective. It's also antibacterial.
Laura,
Yes the oil can build up on the cloth. You could put the solution in water. You would have a water based tincture. I used cloth diapers.
For heavily soiled diapers I would add 2-4 drops each of the essential oils tea tree and lavender to a pail, fill with water and let them soak. Then I would wash them.
Wow, that's a great tip! I've made homemade baby wipes using paper towel rolls cut in half, but I like this method even better.
Laura, my experience with the oil is that as long as it's mixed in the water, it's pretty lightweight. Soaking the diapers in vinegar water is good too, but I like the idea "the raw and the cooked" gives because that's got to smell nice too! I think that would probably work well on the cloths I use for wipes as well - I'll give it a try!
Jennifer, I started out using the paper towel idea too. But it got to be a pain cutting all those rolls in half! It's worked really well - I'm saving on money and waste. Let me know how you like it!
Oh, and I forgot to mention, Laura - you can use this oil in bathwater too, and it does seem to soothe diaper rash. I just put a glop of it in there, like you would any other bath oil.
Wow! I collect baby wipe recipes at The Diaper Jungle. I will add this link...its great. Thanks :)
What a cool idea Diane. I will have to see if I can get Calendula here. I'm a bad Mom and use the store bought wipes, but this sounds like such a great alternative both environmentally and safer for babs! Thanks for sharing!!!
While I know this post is to be useful for babies, I just wanted to say that picture is gorgeous!
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