Toxic goo in the baby bubble bath? WTH?! It drives me CRAZY to learn that our baby body wash has bad stuff in it. When I searched the Internet for recipes to make my own homemade baby soap, I was disturbed by the suggested ingredients. Lye?! No thank you. In fact, I believe that when in doubt, water is better than all the chemicals.
Now crafty, cheapo, and organic moms can come together on this activity; it is easier than you think to make to make your own natural baby wash. I found two different recipes that are good enough to eat, which is super important considering that babies slurp their own feet:
Oatmeal baby bath from Pennie Mills for Momtastic
1 cup of whole oats
Whirl oats in a blender or food processor until they are reduced to powder. To use, sprinkle powder into the bath and swirl.
You will be amazed at the softness of the water and of your baby’s skin.
And if you have a little more time…
Baby Bath Milk from Jessica at MomFuse.com.
1 cup powdered milk
¼ cup corn starch
¼ cup finely ground oats
2-3 drops lavender, rose, or chamomile essential oilsMix ingredients together and put in a shaker style bottle. To use, sprinkle a small amount in warm bath water.
Jessica has eight-month-old twins, so if she can find time to make them non-toxic, gentle baby wash, so can we. She also gives instructions for making your own wipes solution, baby powder, and baby oil in her article about making your own natural baby products.
Related Links:
- The rest of our Makin’ It series of DIY projects for parents
- 9 better lotions and potions you can make in minutes from Healthychild.org
This is great… however… I’ll have to see if there is a substitution for the corn starch. My Punkin is allergic to corn! It’s nearly impossible to find bath products that don’t include some type of corn (or that doesn’t contain toxic goo).
Doesn’t sound like it will stay good for very long, what with the milk and all that. Do I have to make a new batch for every bath?
I’ve been using Dr. Bronner’s soap, and while I’m sure it doesn’t contain toxic goo, it does irritate my (super-duper hyper-sensitive) skin, so I’ll have to find an alternative.
Did she mean powdered milk?? Otherwise I don’t think it would work very well. . . .
For Sonja:
We use Dr. Bronner’s, too. We discovered that if we dilute it with water, it still works great and doesn’t irritate or dry out our skin. You might want to try that with your daughter.
Great recipe! So easy and so safe. Little confused though, to find a Swiffer ad next door to your safe baby bath recipe. WTH? I make my own floor cleaner; it’s water and vinegar. Very simple, very safe, my floors have never been cleaner. Kids and pets can walk/crawl on it right away. By the way…for those allergic to cornstarch, try arrowroot powder.
Does this require refrigeration? Or, do you suggest powdered milk?
Powdered milk is what was used for this recipe.
I also suggest the milk bath be stored in a glass or plastic container in a cool, dry place.
Essential oils are super-powerful and must NEVER come into contact with baby’s skin, even indirectly. The EO must be blended with a carrier oil such as coconut, olive, etc. due to the potential for skin burns.
I know that you probably just posted a picture of Quaker Oats because it is a well know brand, but I’ve actually heard that Quaker Oats use GMO oats. Not sure if this is true, but I would definitely be careful about the type of oats I used in these recipes. No sense making your own bath soap or soak with nasty GM foods!
This blog was very informative… Will definitely make this at home for my next little one!
@Genelle, You’re totally right… I struggled with finding the right picture that was obviously oatmeal but also organic. The next thing you know I was looking at pictures of steel cut and thought, “Well THAT looks too hard to blend into a powder” and just stuck with the Quaker.
I love the simplicity and safeness of the recipe! My concern, what is going to kill any bacteria on my babies’ precious skin?
Thanks for supporting organic baby products!
Thanks for this idea! I hope to try this out soon…and maybe even blog about it. I will give you credit if I do. 🙂
A study has been done that shows repeated use of both lavender and tea tree oils can cause gynecosmatia in boys. Not sure why this ingredient is even listed!
I would just use the oats myself. Or plain water. There I said it.