There’s a whole lotta reasons to use a homemade baby wipe solution. This recipe takes less than a minute to pull together, it’s gentle on baby’s skin and saves money on disposable wipes. Booh ya. It’s one of the essentials in my diaper bag and unlike other baby wipe recipes, doesn’t use mineral oil or conventional baby soap.
Why Make Homemade Baby Wipes?
Yes, it adds another thing to my to-do list, but honestly this recipe is so simple I don’t even notice it anymore. It uses essential oils that keep my baby’s bottom clean, fresh, and rash free. It’s super simple, and much cheaper than buying natural baby wipes at the store.
Homemade Baby Wipes Without Baby Oil (aka Mineral Oil)
The phrase “baby oil” sounds so harmless, but baby or mineral oil isn’t what it seems. Mineral oil and petroleum jelly are both highly refined by-products of the fossil fuel industry. There’s some research that shows mineral oil is a potential endocrine disruptor may be linked with cancer and ironically may contribute to skin disorders. Baby oil is mineral oil with added fragrance, which has been linked with issues like cancer and brain cell death.
This study concluded:
“Our findings indicate a high potential for endocrine and dioxin-like activity of some PS (Petroleum substances) extracts.”
According to Oxford dictionary dioxins are:
“a highly toxic compound produced as a byproduct in some manufacturing processes… It is a serious and persistent environmental pollutant.”
Some research shows that if mineral oil is refined enough, no harmful chemicals remain in the final product. However, I prefer to stay on the safe side and opt for choices that I can feel good about.
Choosing a Carrier oil for the Homemade Baby Wipes
There are plenty of options here, and really just about any liquid oil would work. I tend to reach for olive oil the most often for this recipe. It’s what’s readily available in my kitchen cupboard so it’s convenient. Grapeseed oil, fractionated coconut oil, avocado oil, and olive oil are all good choices. Virgin coconut oil is solid at room temperature, and while I love it for many things (like this calendula salve for eczema), it doesn’t work for this recipe.
Homemade Baby Wipes for Diaper Rash
I haven’t really needed to use a diaper cream since using this recipe. If the baby sits in his cloth diaper too long though his bottom gets red, so I’ll use some homemade diaper rash cream. 99% of the time though, the soothing oils in this baby wipes solution prevents irritation and redness.
(update: I got lazy and started using store bought wipes. My little one has had several rashes since then so maybe I need to switch back to the homemade wipe solution!)
Easy Baby Wipes Solution with Essential Oils
I usually stick to lavender essential oil to keep the homemade baby wipe solution simple. It’s by far my favorite oil since it’s gentle on skin, baby safe, and soothes almost any skin issue imaginable. Here are some other essential oils that are also good options for a diaper wipe solution.
These are soothing and calming to skin, have antimicrobial properties, and are baby safe when properly diluted.
- Melaleuca (tea tree) – – antifungal (helpful for fighting yeast rashes) get it here
- Lavender – It’s calming to both skin and mind – great for fussy babies! Antibacterial, helps with rashes, cuts, scrapes and itchy skin. get it here
- Chamomile – Anti-inflammatory, helps with sores and wounds, calming. get it here
- Geranium – Used for wounds, eczema, burns and dermatitis. get it here
- Cedarwood – Antiseptic, soothes nervous tension and anxiety. get it here
How to Use Cloth Baby Wipe Solution
I like storing my wipe solution in a small squirt bottle. I use a peri bottle that the hospital gave me after the birth, but any repurposed squirt bottle would also work.
You could also put the solution in a spray bottle, however I found it takes much more effort to get the wipes wet enough this way.
The wipes solution can be poured over a box of cloth wipes and stored in a wipe warmer. This only works if you use all of the wipes within a few days or they get moldy. I don’t want to make wipe solution every day, so I never do it this way.
Prevent Mold on Your Homemade Baby Wipes
The wipe solution lasts about a week before it goes bad. I’ve found that I use it within 3-4 days, so that’s never been a problem. If you’re using it in a wipe warmer though and pre-soaking the cloth wipes, then mold is more of a concern. Using an anti-fungal essential oil, like tea tree offers some mold protection, but its not a preservative.
How to Make Homemade Baby Wipe Solution
The soap cleanses baby’s skin, even stinky messes. The oil moisturizes, protects and allows the wipe to glide smoothly across the skin. The essential oils help soothe and prevent skin issues.
Ingredients:
- ½ tsp castile soap, Dr. Bronner’s and Dr. Woods are my favorite
- 1 tsp liquid carrier oil (olive, avocado, grapeseed, etc.)
- 2-3 drops essential oil (my favorite is lavender)
- Water (filtered or distilled)
- 8 ounce squirt or spray bottle (I use this)
Directions:
- Put the carrier oil and essential oil into your container, then add water until it’s almost full.
- Add the soap, put the lid on, and gently shake to combine. Don’t add the soap first or there will be lots of suds!
- Shake gently before each use. Apply liberally to a cloth wipe and wipe as usual.
Tip to make it even faster: I have a soap dispenser in the bathroom with natural castile soap in it. Instead of measuring the soap out, I just put 1 pump in. I also no longer measure the carrier oil, but I just pour a bit in and estimate 1 tsp. Last, I add a few drops of essential oils.
References
- Tarnow, P., Hutzler, C., Grabiger, S., Schön, K., Tralau, T., Luch, A. (2016). Estrogenic Activity of Mineral Oil Aromatic Hydrocarbons Used in Printing Inks. PLoS One. 11(1): e0147239. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0147239
- Mackerer C, Griffis L, Grabowski, Reitman, F. (2003). Petroleum mineral oil refining and evaluation of cancer hazard. Appl Occup Environ Hyg. 18(11):890-901. DOI: 10.1080/10473220390237467
- Tolbert, P. (1997). Oils and Cancer. Cancer Causes Control. 8(3):386-405.
- Svendsen, K., Hilt, B. (1997). Skin disorders in ship’s engineers exposed to oils and solvents. Contact Dermatitis. 36(4):216-20.