Many of the commercial baby wipe solutions out there today are full of nasty chemicals. Common ingredients like alcohol, perfume/fragrance and chlorine can be irritating to anyone’s skin, and even more so to the delicate soft skin tissue of a baby. Many mainstream wipes also contain parabens such as methylparabens. Talk about the hazards of parabens has been increasing lately with more and more studies showing that they mimic hormones like estrogen and disrupt our natural hormonal functions. When multiple wipes each day are being used on baby skin, which is thinner than adult skin, there are more of these chemicals being absorbed into the skin and then the bloodstream.
So, what about natural baby wipes? There are some great products out there, and we’ve tried many brands. A few of my favourites are Gaia Natural Bamboo Baby Wipes, Seventh Generation Baby Wipes (in Canada, Superstore carries these), and Aleva Naturals Bamboo Baby Wipes. Aleva are definitely the least expensive of these and you can buy them in bulk at Babies R Us (although they often sell out quickly!) However, buying wipes adds up quickly, especially in that first year when you are constantly changing diapers. Not to mention the environmental impact involved in disposing of thousands of wipes. Some of the above natural options are biodegradable, which is awesome, but they still take time to degrade. Our family’s remedy for this? We make our own baby wipe solution! We create a completely safe, hypo-allergenic and natural alternative, keep all of those wipes out of the landfills AND save money. Win, win, win. I purchased a mixture of reusable bamboo and hemp baby wipes as well as baby washcloths, but you could even make your own reusable wipes by cutting up material of your own or re-using baby washcloths. We keep our homemade baby wipe solution in a spray bottle and just spray a new wipe for each use. I do have to add though, that once my son started solids as a baby, we normally kept a package of the Aleva baby wipes for those super messy #2’s. Getting poop off those tiny wipes prior to washing is not a fun job for anyone. For all other instances though, we stuck with our tried and true natural homemade baby wipe solution! It’s also great and super easy for travelling with.
Natural, homemade baby wipe solution
Homemade Baby Wipe Solution
- 2 Cups Water – Use distilled water or boil it first to prevent any bacteria from growing in the water
- 5-10 Drops Tea Tree Oil
- 10 Drops Lavender Oil
- 1 tbsp Liquid Castille Soap OR Natural Baby Wash *See Note
Combine all of the above ingredients in a reusable spray bottle or glass jar with lid and shake to mix. Spray as much solution as needed onto wipe before using.
*Note: You can substitute the soap or wash for 1 tsp of white vinegar. I will often use vinegar if the skin is looking irritated at all or we’re trying to get rid of any fungus like yeast. It also just helps to keep bacteria at bay before it even begins.
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