DIY: Herbal Baby Powder

With all of the positive feedback from the last Baby's Bath Herbs post and requests for more herbal related babycare info, I couldn't help myself but to share an easy DIY herbal recipe with you all!

We have been fortunate with my daughter in that she has had very few experiences with diaper rash, likely because she is in cloth diapers most of the time. However, when we travel we tend to switch over to disposables which can cause some irritation for my daughter's sensitive skin. In preparing for an upcoming trip, I knew that I needed something to help with any possible irritation. So, I decided to make an herbal baby powder using ingredients that I already had lying around. I was pleasantly surprised with how lovely it turned out and how well it has been working!

Here is how I made it...

Herbal Baby Powder

1 tablespoon organic lavender flowers

1 tablespoon organic rose hips

1 tablespoon organic calendula flowers

1 tablespoon organic oat tops

1 cup arrowroot powder

2 tablespoons cosmetic clay

6-8 drops essential oil (I used lavender EO)

2 4-oz mason jars

1 piece of needlepoint plastic canvas (can be purchased at your local craft store)

* all herbs, arrowroot powder, cosmetic clay, and essential oils can be found at Mountain Rose Herbs. You can also substitute the whole herbs for herbal powders.

1) Begin by measuring out all ingredients. (You can also purchase these herbs in powder form, which eliminates a few steps.)

2) Using a small food processer or coffee grinder, grind the lavender flowers, rose hips, calendula flowers, and oat tops into a fine powder.

3) Add the arrowroot powder and the clay to the mixture and blend until combined. There are many types of cosmetic clays available. White clay is probably the most popular in DIY cosmetic uses and is one of the less expensive options. I had some french rose/rhassoul clay handy so I ended up using that for this project (where the light pink color comes from).

4) If you are using essential oils (optional), add 6-8 drops to the powder.

5) Remove the lid of the mason jar and cut a circular piece of the needlepoint canvas (the circle should be the same size as the flat metal lid). Repeat for the second mason jar.

6) Fill each mason jar with the baby powder. Place the plastic canvas on top of the jar and secure with the screw-on metal ring. When not in use, you can place the flat metal lid below the plastic canvas so as to prevent spilling.

The powder has been working wonderfully for us! It keeps the diaper area dry and leaves my daughter's skin incredibly smooth. I love the subtle scent of this powder, as well! There are many uses for this powder outside of just baby's skin. I have found it especially helpful in removing sand from the skin after a day at the beach (the powder absorbs some of the moisture making it easier to dust off the sand). It acts as a great deodorizer in shoes and makes a fantastic dry shampoo for you or your pet. You can definitely play around with the types of herbs that you use (I also love using comfrey and marshmallow root), as well as the type of essential oil. I chose these particular herbs because they are some of my favorite ones for babycare and skincare products and are ones that I already had at home. If you have any questions about making this yourself or any substitutions, please do not hesitate to contact me!

#baby #herbal #DIY