Healthy Body Care #4: Make it Yourself

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Christopher Gavigan

Sunday, October 05, 2008

This fourth blog in the series I wrote for Dr. Alan Greene's Perspectives, is all about how to make your own personal care products at home.

With a growing awareness of the questionable chemical concoctions manufacturers are allowed to sell to unassuming consumers, kitchen cosmetics are increasingly in vogue. While there are certain things that don’t translate well to homemade, there are plenty that you might find superior to their store bought counterparts.

Instead of relying upon synthetic chemicals to clean or soothe the skin, you can use natural ingredients that have been relied on for centuries. Things like extra virgin olive oil which attracts external moisture without clogging pores or compromising skin function, calendula which is an extremely gentle way to treat skin irritations and minor infections, and chamomile which is a useful anti-inflammatory and antibacterial agent.

Here are a few simple recipes to get you started.

Baby wipes:

1 1/2 - 2 cups distilled water,
1/4 cup Aloe Vera gel,
1 Tbsp. Calendula oil,
2 tsp. organic liquid soap,
2-3 drops tea tree oil,
2-3 drops lavender oil,
roll of paper towels (cut in half to make short rolls),
and 1 plastic container that the roll fits in
- Cut roll in half and remove center cardboard.
- In plastic container, mix liquid ingredients, and place half of roll in container (cut side down).
- Put on lid and tip upside down until paper towels are fully saturated. To use, pull out from center.

Rash Soother: Protect skin and prevent rashes by rubbing a little olive oil on your baby’s bum after each changing. At the first signs of redness, bathe your baby in warm water with a little baking soda or apply a small amount of aloe vera gel.

Oatmeal Baby Bath: 1 cup whole oats. Whirl in blender or food processor until they become powder. Mix as desired into bath water. The oatmeal softens the water and your baby’s skin (you may be tempted to try it yourself!)

Baby Oil: Almond oil, olive oil, apricot oil, or calendula oil.

As with any product, the first time you use something on your child, watch closely for any type of reaction. For more recipes and tips pick up a copy of Healthy Child Healthy World: Creating a Cleaner, Greener, Safer Home or visit HealthyChild.org.

Posted by trina on 10/26/2008 at 10:26 PM

Natural Handmade soaps are bliss in otherwise polluted life. I have been using Lass Cosmetics - Radianta - Almond & saffron goat milk soap with almonds since last 6 months and I must tell you all that it has brighten my skin tone and radiance. Give it a try! These guys have so many other soaps ... & they are all natural and handmade!!!

Posted by kare Anderson on 10/07/2008 at 03:24 PM

We are fans of your site, blog and book and wrote about them here
http://healthyairathome.blogspot.com/2008/10/many-chemicals-in-our-homes-have-not.html

Posted by MamaBird/SurelyYouNest on 10/07/2008 at 08:38 AM

Thanks, Janelle! I am so pleased to add lemon grass and thyme oil to my list of antibacterial essential oils. Great info - so appreciate your response.

Posted by Janelle Sorensen on 10/07/2008 at 08:26 AM

MamaBird, I know of the studies on lavendar oil and can understand your concern, but from what I understand, the effects disappeared as soon as the exposures stopped, there were no permanent effects, and not all people respond to lavendar oil this way. It almost seems like an allergy.

The lavendar issue is the same as the soy issue. They are both natural endocrine disruptors. Boys can be more susceptible to the effects of lavendar and girls can be more susceptible to soy.

Simply because something is natural does not mean it is safe - natural materials are just usually safe for the general populace. With any product whether it is organic or homemade, always do a small skin patch test and watch for any reactions. Also watch your child for any more general reactions like sniffles or irritability after trying a new product. Everyone reacts differently.

If you are not comfortable with using lavendar oil on your son, you can also try lemongrass oil or tyhme oil, both of which have proven antibacterial qualities. Also, feel free to skip the essential oils altogether.

http://jac.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/47/5/565

Thanks for the comment and for bringing this issue to our readers’ attention!

Posted by MamaBird/SurelyYouNest on 10/06/2008 at 06:06 PM

I understand that you want an oil with natural antiseptic properties and I understand that the sample was very small in studies showing a health risk. But tea tree and lavender oil were linked with endocrine disruption/breast growth in boys bz of topical application. I would never recommend to use those 2 oils on a baby’s bottom.
http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/jan2007/niehs-31.htm
Can you recommend an alternative oil that might have the same properties?

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