For the past couple of months I've been making my own nappy balm for our baby. When William was first born I had no idea that you could make your own - I was just another consumer doing what consumers do, and buying the best we could find. I didn't like it, but it's just what you do, right? Anyway it wasn't long until I realised that you could make your own perfectly well, then another month or so of the idea floating around in my head until it actually happened. And you know what? It is so, so easy, I can't believe I put it off as long as I did. It takes about 10 minutes. It is that easy.
There are lots of recipes for homemade nappy balm out there, this is just a simple one that has been working well for us. If you make it another way or with other ingredients, please do share, as I'd love to know. Whilst I am happy with this balm, I am always on the lookout for ways to tweak and perfect our homemade products.
Ingredients:
1/4 cup coconut oil
2 tsp beeswax
2 tsp almond oil
5 drops lavender essential oil
5 drops tea tree essential oil
storage container
Method:
Over low heat, mix together the coconut oil and beeswax in a small saucepan. Add the almond oil and blend. Remove from heat, add the essential oils and stir well. Pour into your container. Allow it to cool before using it [it will solidify somewhat].
Done! How easy is that? Now there's a couple of things about this recipe. I vary ever so slightly the quantities of coconut oil [a touch less usually], beeswax and almond oil [a touch more usually] based what I want the consistency to be. Coconut oil is solid at room temperature, and liquifies as it gets warm, so in warmer weather I would use slightly more coconut oil and slightly less almond oil. And vice versa in cooler temperatures. The original recipe I used didn't have almond oil but I found the balm became too solid, so I added the almond oil just to keep it a bit softer.
This makes up enough to keep us going for about 8 days. I'm pretty happy with how this balm works on William's skin. When some nappy rash does flare up, I tend to rub the balm in a bit more, the coconut oil seems to help heal and sooth. And it is fine to use with cloth nappies.
So tell me, what else would you/do you add? Or have you never tried making your own?
When my kids were little I made balm for them using herb infusions.
ReplyDeleteTo prevent nappy rash I used chickweed (a winter annual weed from the garden) and to heal rash I used calendula (a popular winter growing, spring flowering annual).
To make an infusion;
Take a glass jar with a plastic lid and fill it with the herb (petals for calendula and the whole plant, washed, for chickweed).
Pour in enough sunflower oil to cover the herbs, do not leave and plant above the oil (it will rot).
Place the jar on a north facing window sill and shake daily for about two weeks.
Strain the herbs out of he oil and use the infusion as you would another oil in your ointment.
Your basic recipe is brilliantly simple and you can add stuff to it easily.
Oh, and you can use the soaked herb in a batch of soap to add colour and a little bit of medicinal quality, just be sure to blend it well in the mix.
I'm very keen to try these herbal infusions. Did you use the plant/flowers fresh or dried? I would like to try it with both of those plants. Using the herbs in soap is also a brilliant idea. Thank you!
DeleteI used both herbs fresh from the garden (but with no moisture on them). But I have used dried calendula petals in a pinch. The infusion will last for a few months if you store it in dark glass in a dark, cool cupboard (after it has been separated from he herb.
DeleteI use a mix of olive oil, coconut oil and Shea butter with some bees wax. Every batch different as I, ahem, never measured or wrote down lol! I've used calendula infused oil too. I used fresh petals just off the flowers. It goes even more golden than olive oil already is. I find it so nice to use and I agree, it's fine to use with cloth nappies all the time so super soft baby skin :)
ReplyDeleteI've not used Shea butter in anything yet but I definitely need to get some and start incorporating it in. Yes all my batches are slightly different, but that's part of the fun of homemade isn't it! Super soft baby skin, absolutely. I really noticed the difference when I switched over to using this :)
DeleteI just posted about my first batch of calendula balm, which is very very basic - infused calendula oil (extra virgin olive oil, though I would like to know whether sunflower oil would be any better, if anyone knows) and organic beeswax. I want to add frankincese in the future and see how it goes. So simple, I'll never buy anything else :)
ReplyDeleteIt's true, once you make your own and see how nice it is, you really can't go back can you. The balm looks great :)
DeleteI have to try. A coconut oil didn't good for my son.I think that the skin breathe enough. But such a mixture can be good.
ReplyDeleteThat's interesting, I guess it is different for all different skin types and sensitivities. It might be worth playing around with different ingredients.
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