I decided to put lip balm making on hold because a more pressing need presented itself: diaper rash cream! My little girl gets very few diaper area irritations, but when she does we have limited options for treating them because we use cloth diapers. Cloth diapers don't mix well with Desitin or Petrolium products such as A&D Ointment becuase these products interfere with the cloth's absorbency and lead to leaks. I had a few samples of natural, cloth-friendly creams but when they ran out I decided to try my hand at making my own; how much harder could it be than lip balm? The ingredients I chose were coconut oil (natural anti-fungal, therefore anti-yeast), avocado oil (emollient, so helps the skin absorb the product), vitamin E (antioxidant), olive oil (natural antibacterial), and candelilla wax (vegan thickener - for consistency). I chose unrefined coconut oil because it adds a mild fragrance of coconut giving my baby a slightly tropical-smelling bum! The finished product is smooth and creamy, relieves her diaper area irritations within 2 uses and seems to have no negative interactions with our cloth diapers!
I start with a double boiler. A small amount of water is in the pot and the metal bowl sits on top.
In go the ingredients (I didn't get a picture of the olive oil, but it went in!)
Heat slowly until all ingredients are completely melted and the mixture is a clear amber color.
Cool slowly while mixing with a hand blender (this step is only necessary if you want it to be creamy; if you skip this step, it will be a soft, pliable solid).
Spoon into airtight container, and keep at the changing table!
No comments:
Post a Comment