When I was pregnant with my first child, I was given literally 11 bottles of baby lotion by friends and relatives. The smell reminded me of my own childhood and I loved that it was a lotion specially formulated for baby. I figured all of the ingredients must be natural and safe since it was for babies after all… and then I actually read the ingredients.
What’s in Baby Lotion?
I wondered why things like Propylene glycol, parabens, artificial fragrances, synthetic waxes and petroleum based oils were considered safe for children. Turns out, they aren’t considered safe for children and the products I’d been given had a hazard rating of 5-6 on the EWG website and had “moderate risk of allergies and immunotoxicity as well as reproductive and developmental toxins.
I definitely wasn’t going to put that on my baby, so I started looking for natural options. I found some great ones, but also found out that most of them were pretty expensive.
Baby Balm Skin Cream Recipe
I decided to try to make my own from all natural, food safe ingredients and this ended up being less expensive for me anyway since I had many of these ingredients on hand for my homemade lotion bars and other homemade beauty products.
Choosing Natural Ingredients
Instead of propylene glycol, parabens and synthetic ingredients, I wanted to find all-natural ingredients to put on my baby’s skin and I wanted them to even be safe enough to eat!
I decided to use:
- Cocoa Butter because it is naturally high in antioxidants and fatty acids that are moisturizing to the skin. (I ordered it in bulk here)
- Shea Butter – Natural source of Vitamin A and other nutrients, shea butter is highly nourishing to the skin. (I used this raw, unrefined one)
- Olive Oil– Moisturizing and skin protecting.
- Castor Oil– Optional but high in ricinoleic acid and skin protective. (this is the one I use)
- Essential Oils: I used Frankincense, Myrhh, Chamomile and Rose and the scent was incredible. The Chamomile I used was blue chamomile, thus the blue/green tint in the picture above.
I loved that this recipe is completely oil-based with shelf stable ingredients. Since no liquid is added, it has an indefinite shelf life and will last for months or years. It takes a few minutes to absorb in to skin and only a tiny bit is needed. I’ve had friends say that this was incredibly helpful for eczema and skin problems as well.
Baby Balm Ingredients
- 1/4 cup cocoa butter (or 32 cocoa butter wafers)
- 1/4 cup shea butter
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon castor oil
- Essential oils of choice. I used 15 drops each of Frankincense, Myrrh, Chamomile and Rose.
Baby Balm Instructions
- Heat all ingredients (except essential oils) in a double boiler or in a glass jar or bowl over a small pan of boiling water.
- Stir carefully until melted.
- Remove from heat and add essential oils if using.
- Pour in to a glass jar for storage.
- Use a small amount as needed for baby’s skin (or adult skin)
What did you use on your little ones? Ever made your own? Share below!
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