So like I mentioned in this
post, I made a bath mix to use once we bring Pip home. It is a simple combination of oatmeal, herbs and essential oil. I have started to use only hand made natural soaps, they are so much gentler on my sensitive skin. I would be alright to use these soaps on our little Pip, but I don't even think s/he will need that much in the way of cleanliness.
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| Clockwise from top left: Oatmeal, Calendula, Chamomile, Lavender |
When you are making bath and body care products for babies you have to be careful what and how much you use
(please see disclaimer below). I can't take credit for this bath mix, I learned about aromatherapy, essential oils and herbs from a wonderful lady who makes a body care line called Beebalm and Basil. She is a certified aromatherapist and owns a store in Ottawa called
Planet Botanix. I bought her bath mix for a few friends previously when they had little ones, and because she encrouages people to make their own body care products I figured I could make one for Pip myself. I sourced all my ingredients (except oatmeal) from her store, and just mixed what I thought would work.
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| Roman Chamomile |
So to start out I added a few drops of Chamomile Oil to the oatmeal. You don't need very many, but it depends on how much of the oatmeal and herbs you are mixing. But with essential oils less is always more (they are very strong), and you can always add more later if need be.
Then I layered each of the ingredients in a large jar. I made sure to add a lot of oatmeal and chamomile and made the amount of my lavender and calendula smaller. After placing the lid on the bottle, I shook the contents until they were thoroughly mixed. Then I transferred the bath mix to a smaller jar, and placed it in the cupboard ready and waiting for little Pip.
To use the mix: Spoon a teaspoon into a muslin bag and add to the warm bathwater. Leave for 10-20 minutes to allow the herbs and oil to infuse with the water.
Normally when making bath and body products yourself (i.e. no preservatives) you should store them in a dark glass or tin container. You can also use plastic, but plastic will absorb scent and particles from what it is in it, so glass or tin is better. And ideally the containers are sterile, and have
not contained food. Sun and leftover food particles will degrade the oils and hand made products faster and take away some of the beneficial qualities - which are the reason you are using them in the first place.
In my case I sterilized the jars and bowls, used for the recipe, with boiling water; and because I only made a small amount, and I will be using it regularly I think I will use it up before it loses it's 'goodness'. Also, I will be storing it in the cupboard, away from the sunlight to help lengthen the shelf-life.
xox
Disclaimer:
I am not a certified aromatherapist, or a doctor. I cannot tell you what to use when making body care products. If you are interested in making something similar please educate yourself on the uses, benefits and dangers of both herbs and essentials oils.
Generally herbs are gentler, and therefore a better choice when dealing with babies. Because of their size babies are much more sensitive to essential oils than adults, and there are some that shouldn't be used at all with small children.
While speaking with a friend about this recipe she mentioned she'd heard that lavender isn't safe to use with baby boys, because of hormone imbalances. After doing a little research I found that it is the lavender essential oil that has been linked to some problems, and like it says above the herbs are much gentler. I also made sure not to add too much lavender, and from my research everything else I used is safe for babies. but please do your own research, and make informed decisions when creating your own body care products!
