Diaper cream is one of those things that a new mom can’t live without. It’s something we apply to our little one’s bum several times a day. It is for this reason that I wanted to use something that has natural, food-grade ingredients to avoid all the harmful chemicals in the conventional creams. With the desire to go the natural route, I also wanted something that is effective because diaper rash is no fun.
My daughter started developing a bit of a rash at around 4 months old, and I tried pretty much every natural diaper rash cream I could find. Not a single one handled the minor diaper rash that she was suffering from, which made me wonder what I would do if she developed a serious diaper rash. Is the only option a conventional cream with questionable ingredients?
I needed something to block moisture like petroleum jelly, but produced from food-grade ingredients. After scouring the web, I came across a great recipe for a natural Vaseline alternative. To really make this recipe work as a diaper cream, I made some tweaks to punch up the moisture blocking factor.
Making your own diaper cream may sound like quite the endeavor, but surprisingly you can craft your very own. There are a lot of great recipes out there that I have tried. The most effective has been one that mimics Vaseline.
One thing to keep in mind when making your own diaper cream — simpler is better. There are some recipes that call for essential oils like lavender oil and tea tree oil. Based on my research, there are concerns that these oils can act as endocrine disrupters, throwing your child’s hormones out of whack. As a result, I would recommend against using essential oils and stick to simple, food-grade ingredients.
Below are a few of the recipes I have found most helpful. I experimented with the ratios to meet my needs, and you should do so you too, but these are great bases to start from.
- DIY Vaseline – Jenni Raincloud
- Homemade Non-petroleum Jelly – One Good Thing
- DIY: Natural Alternative to Vaseline (3 Simple Ingredients)
~ Kim