DIY: Simple, Natural Recipes for Babies and Children

NOTE: This article has multiple DIY: Simple, Natural Recipes for Babies and Children. To make it easier to navigate, use the Table of Contents button to your right!

How to Make a Healing Salve for Baby

• 1 part St. John’s Wort
• 2 part Calendula
• 1 part Comfrey leaf
• 1 part Comfrey root
• 1 part Plantain
• Olive Oil
• Beeswax
• Tincture of Benzoin or Vitamin E

Make herbal infusions from each herb – instructions on how to make an herbal infusion are here.

Instructions for making an herbal oil infused salve are here.

Calendula Baby Oil Recipe

• 8 ounces of oil (olive, Almond, Apricot, or Sunflower)
• 1 ounce Calendula flowers

Place the oil and Calendula flowers in a crock pot on low temperature for about 4 hours to extract the beneficial properties of the Calendula into the oil. Check very carefully that your oil is not getting to hot! Allow the oil to cool and then strain it using cheese cloth or a gauze diaper.

You can add a few drops of essential oils if you like. Try 5-10 drops each of Orange and Lavender or Chamomile. For the ultimate luxury use rose essential oil. Calendula is healing and soothing to the skin. It is excellent for massaging your babies! Calendula oil is also good for helping prevent the over-growth of yeast in the diaper area.

Nighty Night Baby Oil Recipe

• 4 oz Olive Oil
• 3 drops Lavender Essential Oil

Pour ingredients into a bottle for easy application. Shake well before use. Olive Oil soaks into the skin well, and is quite gentle. Lavender EO is known to be relaxing – a massage with this is great for a bedtime routine.

Homemade Baby Oil Recipe

• Lavender 5 drops
• Flaxseed Oil 2 tablespoons (30 ml)

Apply an ample amount of baby oil on the baby’s skin, and store the remaining oil for the next application.

Easy Shea Baby Butter

• 1 oz mango butter
• 1 oz shea butter
• 2 oz aloe butter
• 1 oz beeswax

Heat all ingredients in a glass measuring cup and pour into sterilized containers. You can increase or decrease the Beeswax to the consistency you prefer. You may leave this unscented or add a few drops of Lavender essential oil.

DIY Classic Baby Wipes

• 1/2 roll of paper towels (cut in half to make short rolls)
• 1/8-1/4 c. natural baby shampoo
• 1/8-1/4 c. carrier oil (apricot or sunflower)
• 2 cups lukewarm water
• 1 plastic container the rolls will fit in

Favorite paper towels are Viva, Bounty, or Scott shop towels. Remove the cardboard from the center of the roll. I use a little bit less that what it calls for. Mix the liquid ingredients together.

Put one half roll of paper towels in a container and pour liquid mixture over it. Wipes will easily dispense from the center of roll. I found that a old Diaparene container will (just barely) fit a roll of Scott shop towels.

The liquid should be reduced to about 1.5 cups for these smaller rolls. These are a fantastic alternative to the chemical-laden commercial baby wipes!

How to Make Anti-Fungal Baby Wipes

• 1/2 c. distilled water
• 1 tbls. vinegar
• 1/4 c. aloe vera gel
• 1 TBS. calendula oil
• 1 drop lavender essential
• 1 drop tea tree essential oil

I made these wipes because I wanted something to gently discourage yeast diaper rashes. The vinegar and essential oils discourage yeast growth which means you shouldn’t have too much trouble with these wipes getting moldy.

To prepare, use a glass jar with a tight fitting lid. Pour all your ingredients in, cover the jar and shake to blend the ingredients. Place your wipes in a container and pour on enough solution to moisten them. Store any extra solution in the fridge. It should stay fresh for a long time especially if you used distilled water.

If a baby had a really red, raw diaper rash you might not want to use these wipes as vinegar may cause a burning sensation. So far I’ve had no problems.

DIY Soap for Baby

• Canola oil 25 oz
• Olive oil 20 oz
• Palm Oil 20 oz
• Coconut Oil 10 oz
• Palm Kernel 5 oz
• Silk about a 1″ square
• Calendula petals – I used about 4 Tbsps.
• Lye 10.9 oz
• Water 30 oz

This soap is superfatted at 6 percent. Mix lye with water. Add silk and dissolve. Let cool to 150 degrees. Mix oils and heat to 150 degrees. Add lye/water to oils slowly. Stir to trace, add calendula petals. Pour into mold. Unmold and cut when set.

Safe, Natural Help for Diaper Rash

Diaper Rash is caused by a skin reaction to irritating diapers and prolonged contact with stool, urine, Perspiration, soaps, detergents or creams.

Typically, the rash affects the groin around the genitals and buttocks; it is red and scaly with tiny bumps, blisters or cracks. When areas outside the diaper region appear, it is important to rule out Yeast Infections, Eczema, Psoriasis, and other problems. Fever, pus, and digestive symptoms are not caused by simple Diaper Rash, and should prompt evaluation for other problems.

In her excellent book, Natural Child Care, Maribeth Riggs suggests a well formulated ointment. I am quoting her directions for DiaperRash Skin Ointment partly because they are good, but also as an example of how such useful information can be presented for home use.

This ointment is made from ingredients that will help keep the surface of an infant’s skin dry, nourish the skin, and fight bacteria. Comfrey Root, Chickweed, and Marshmallow Root all have one thing in common:they contain large amounts of calcium, which can help stimulate tissue growth.Comfrey Root, in particular, is noted for its healing powers, sporting common folk names like knitbone and bruisewort.

These three herbs combined with Goldenseal powder, which serves as a topical antiseptic, are an excellent combination for combating Diaper Rash. Beeswax and sweet Almond oil both have skin nourishing and soothing qualities. This ointment is also good for mild Abrasions, sunburns and hives.

• 1 Tbl. Chickweed
• 1 Tbl. Marshmallow Root
• 1 Tbl. Comfrey Root
• 1/8 tsp. Golden Seal Root powder
• 1 cup sweet Almond oil
• 1/4 cup beeswax

Combine the Chickweed, Marshmallow Root, Comfrey Root and Goldenseal Root powder in a cast-iron frying pan with the sweet Almond oil. Gently fry the mixture for 5 to 10 minutes. Be careful not to let the herbs burn. When the mixture is hot, add the Beeswax and melt it down. When the Beeswax is completely melted, strain the mixture through a cheese cloth into a small, labeled jar with a tight-fitting lid.

Refrigerate the ointment until it solidifies. The final ointment is an opaque tan color and smells of Beeswax and Comfrey Root. Keep the ointment in a convenient place near the infant’s changing table, away from heat. Discard any used portion after 2 months.

Application:

• Apply the ointment by gently rubbing it on the diaper area each time the diaper is changed. This ointment is very soothing to a rashy infant.
• Three or four applications are usually enough to get rid of Diaper Rash. If the infant’s Diaper Rash does not respond to this treatment, or if it keeps reappearing, investigate factors such as the proper disinfection of diapers, changes in diet, or other skin disorders.

Herbs will not usually be enough to clear this problem, unless used in the context of appropriate care being taken with such issues as:

• Change wet diapers promptly and frequently. Switch types of diapers disposable to cloth or reverse. Use protective ointment (Bees Wax, zincoxide, Calendula, Diaper Rash Skin Ointment).
• Avoid or reduce the use of occlusive rubber pants over the diaper.
• Allow baby to go without diaper, and air and sun dry the area.
• Do not use talcum powder or corn starch. If you must powder, use a Clay product.

Get your dried, organic herbs, organic essential oils, bulk spices, loose leaf organic teas and aromatherapy supplies at the place where we shop – StarWest Botanicals!

Children’s Migraine Formula

• Roman Chamomile 5 drops
• Grapefruit 10 drops
• Peppermint 5 drops
• Rosemary 3 drops

Children under seven: Diluted in 4 ounces vegetable oil. Children over seven: Diluted in 2 ounces of vegetable oil.

DIY Baby Teething Gel

• 1 ounce pure vegetable glycerin
• 2 drops essential oil of clove

Add one drop of Clove to your Glycerin and shake it until it is well blended. Test it on yourself to make sure it is not too strong before adding another drop. For a young baby I use 2 drops. You could use vegetable oil instead of Glycerin if you want. Glycerin is very sweet so it makes the remedy a bit more appealing.

How to Make a Healing Neck Wrap for Children

The following formula may be used for swollen tonsils, mumps and other lymphatic swelling in the neck area:

• 2 cups warm water
• 8 drops Lavender essential oil

Mix the water with the essential oil. While the water is still warm, soak a soft cloth, preferably flannel, in the water and wring it out. Wrap the cloth around the neck. Cover with a towel to hold in the heat. Remove before it gets cold. Repeat as many times as you wish. You can also use other essential oils based upon your child’s symptoms and illness. Just be certain the oils are safe for use with kids!

Home Medicine for Chicken Pox – Aromatherapy Wash

• 1 drop Peppermint
• 1 litre of water

Add drop to water, cap and shake. Pour off half the contents. Refill with water. Cap and shake. Pour away half the contents. Refill with water. You are now left with 1/4 drop oil to 1 liter water. Apply solution to spots using cotton wool to provide relief from the itching. Lavender may be used instead of Peppermint.

Get your dried, organic herbs, organic essential oils, bulk spices, loose leaf organic teas and aromatherapy supplies at the place where we shop – StarWest Botanicals!

No More Tears Colic Blend

• 4 oz Jojoba or Sweet Almond Oil
• 6 drops of Roman Chamomile essential oil
• 10 drops of Tangerine essential oil

Blend together and use to massage baby during fretful times.

Children’s Calming Tea

• 1/2 part oatstraw
• 1/2 part Comfrey leaf
• 1/2 part catnip
• 1/2 part passion flower
• 1 part licorice
• 1 part slippery elm
• 1 part rose petals
• 2 parts chamomile
• 2 parts Spearmint or peppermint

Simmer for 10 minutes, cover and let sit for 10 mins. Strain and give 1/3rd every 4-6 hours as needed.

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