Today I wanted to quickly share with you my combination toxin-free of ingredients I use to make baby wash for my son. The ingredients in this baby wash are simple to find and are gentle on his skin. It is important to me to make his baby wash because I want to know what is in the wash and I want toxin-free, safe ingredients to use on his skin.
Why Should I Make My Own Baby Products?
If you read my post on why I give my son herbal baths instead of bubble baths, you know that I have found that most baby bath time and cosmetic products are unsafe or filled with unnecessary chemicals.
The shelves of the supermarket or Target are home to some of the most toxic chemicals and they can be found in our cosmetics. This includes baby products. I know, right? How does that even make sense? Something for a baby should NEVER EVER be in the same sentence as “toxic chemicals”, but it is.
Johnson and Johnson Bedtime wash contains perfume or “fragrance,” which can contain as many as 200 undisclosed chemicals. Those chemicals have been linked to cancer, infertility, and allergies. Allergies like eczema, redness, and dry skin for babies. Bedtime lotion has Phenoxyethanol which has been said by the FDA to depress the central nervous system.
Our skin is the largest organ we have as humans, absorbing most of what we put in on it. Imagine these toxic chemicals going in to your little one’s immature organ system. 🙁 It isn’t just bedtime bath products either. You can download the Think Dirty App to search what rating your favorite baby products (and your products) are earning in terms of toxicity.
Is Soap or Baby Wash Okay For Babies?
In my post about why I give my son herbal baths instead of bubble baths and how they help him sleep, I covered why I don’t always use soap on my son.
I only bathe our son once or twice a week following The American Academy of Pediatrics’ official recommendation.Your infant doesn’t need much bathing if you wash the diaper area thoroughly during diaper changes.
Generally, everything that a newborn or infant comes into contact is water soluble. This means that water is all that’s required to clean the skin. In fact, unless there is visible greasy soiling of the skin, or the child has reached the age where their armpits/groin/feet have started to smell, there is no reason to wash the skin with anything other than water.
Our babies skin is so delicate and most soaps and excessive washing will strip that delicate skin of much needed moisture. Use soap only on areas that are caked with secretions, (such as oil or sweat) which are not easily removed with plain water. Soap time should also be limited to less than 5 minutes on baby’s skin, this is why bubble baths aren’t best for skin as it strips the skin of moisture.
Stripping moisture and natural oils from the skin through bathing can lead to redness, dry skin, or eczema.
So I only use baby wash around his bottom areas, his head or other areas, if I feel like he needs it. I just follow my Momma-Gut, which has never steered me wrong. If we have been around people who have been snuggling up on him passing off germs, cosmetics, makeup, or perfumes, I will use a little soap on him. Hey, it happens and I just use a mild soap to clean the areas I think are in need of a little extra cleansing.
Toxin-Free Baby Wash Recipe
I choose to make our own baby wash because it is so simple and I can control everything that is being put on my little one’s skin. It is so simple to make and you can make several batches of baby wash with the products you buy. While the initial investment is more when you gather the products, each bottle of baby wash costs MUCH LESS than the traditional store-bought, toxin filled products.
I shared this recipe on my Instagram several weeks ago and received this message from a Momma that used the wash for her baby. Isn’t amazing what a few simple ingredients can do for our little one?
Here’s what I use…
- 1/2 cup Dr. Bronners Unscented Castile Soap
- 1/2 cup purified/filtered water
- 1 Tablespoon Apricot Oil
- 2 Tablespoons Sweet Almond Oil
Mix all of the ingredients in a glass bottle or container. A little goes a long way, too! You will need to gently shake or stir the bottle each time you use it as the ingredients separate when they settle.
You can choose to add 2-4 drops of essential oils to your wash, but before you do please research all essential oils and their safety with babies. Not all essential oils are safe for children and babies.
If you want a scented wash, you can infuse your almond or apricot oil with dried lavender or other herbs for a couple days before mixing the ingredients together. You can also do an herbal bath for your little one! Not only will it help your little one sleep better, but the herbs can be healing.
Toxin-Free Baby Bath Products
I am a huge advocate for non-toxic cosmetics and baby products. If you follow me on Instagram, you know that I post daily about the harmful chemicals in our society and simple ways to avoid them.
So while I understand you might see the ingredients listed above as “costing more” than the bottle of “eco marketed” baby products at Target, I want to offer some tips.
First, beware of eco marketed or green washed products on the store shelves. All natural doesn’t mean safe and eco-friendly doesn’t mean non-toxic or toxin-free. Do your research and use apps like EWG and Think Dirty App before buying ANYTHING, for yourself included.
Dr. Bronners Unscented Castile soap can be used as a body wash for you, also. You can also use it as a produce wash or a toxin-free way to clean your surfaces. Each bottle has an outlined recipe for how to make other products. One bottle has so many different uses.
Apricot Oil and Sweet Almond Oil are my go to moisturizers for my son before bed and after a bath. The oil locks in moisture, is toxin-free, and soaks in to the skin fairly quickly.
Herbs are good for bath time or even a cup of tea. If you purchase herbs, know that they have multiple uses for both baby and the rest of the family.
I hope you found this post inspiring to make something for your baby! If we are not friends yet on Instagram, you can follow me for daily posts about safe, non-toxic products for you and your family!
