Worthwhile Wednesday- Make your own diaper cream

A month or so ago my youngest who is still in diapers broke out in a diaper rash.  I immediately thought maybe it was my cloth diapers...only once we got it cleared up not two days later she broke out again while wearing disposables.

Helping mommy with diaper laundry

We haven't nailed down the exact reason she's broken out, but our theory is high citrus.  You see after she had her first lemonade not more than a day or two later she had a very acidic bowel movement and broke out.  We didn't notice the link until it happened again and while on the phone with the doctor we pinpointed it out as a possible target.

Since we've eliminated lemonade and orange juice, she hasn't broken out like before.  This is also the same time we introduced an all natural cloth diaper safe diaper rash cream.  We started using Earth Mama Angel Baby Balm. I would highly recommend it.  A great diaper cream for less than some of the other cloth diaper creams. 

But after using the balm for awhile, I started to wonder about making my own. The ingredients seemed simple and unlike the balm I was using I wanted to add coconut oil which has anti-yeast properties.

So after some research I decided to give it a whirl, here's the ingredients I wanted to use.

Olive Oil – Antibacterial, Antioxidant, Light Weight, Cloth diaper Safe

Plus it is easy to obtain olive oil and while not cheap, we buy ours in bulk to make it cheaper.

Coconut Oil – Antiviral, Antifungal, Anti-yeast, Light Weight, Cloth Diaper Safe

I LOVE coconut oil.  In fact, I have switched several of my recipes to coconut oil.  We are in the process of eliminating all vegetable oil from our house, so it was easy for me to use this as we had already purchased it in bulk.  I can't say enough about how great it is for you skin, but add to the fact that you can actually lose weight on this oil...and you reach amazing territory.  I'll write more on this later.

Tea Tree Oil – Antiseptic, Antifungal, Antibacterial, Anti-inflammatory, Cooling, Light Weight, Cloth Diaper Safe

Now this is important, many people are afraid to use this as you can have allergic reactions to this oil if you have sensitive skin.  However, I like to add it as it is a great way to have more antiseptic properties. But if you use it in your diaper cream, use it sparingly.

Lavender Oil – Pain Relief, Cell Rejuvenation, Aromatic, Calming, Soothing, Light Weight, Cloth Diaper Safe

I love lavender scent and even more so the healing properties of lavender.  There's a reason so many baby products are made with lavender.  I use it in almost everything!!

My diaper station

Now the recipe:

1. Melt 3 parts of coconut oil on low and include one part of olive oil in the mixture. I did a total of four tablespoons of oils...because a little goes a LONG way.

2. Once melted and oils mixed, add your essential oils.  I like to go very sparingly on the tea tree oil, so two drops was my limit in four tablespoons of oil.  I might go with one drop next time. As for lavender, I went with three drops. You could add more based on your preferences, though I would recommend being conservative to avoid any allergic reactions.

3. Pour into your container and place into fridge.  Leave the cream in the fridge until it solidifies.  Then remove and keep at room temperature.

You will notice that under HOT conditions (like the ones my state in under now) olive oil will melt back to a liquid.  No problem, just pop it back in the fridge or use it anyway.

Simple and easy, right!  Apply it like any cream and enjoy your savings, not to mention the knowledge that you are using non-toxic items to soothe your baby's skin.

Now I consider this a maintenence balm.  I use it all the time to provide a barrier between her skin and the waste.  And guess what??  Her skin has never looked better!  Soft and clear. 

Got to love that!

This post is part of Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways #34.