How to Make Baby Oil
Baby oil helps keep your child's sensitive skin moisturized and protected, but many parents don't realize that some commercially prepared baby oils may actually be toxic to babies if they're ingested, reports Australia's "Today Tonight" news channel. For example, although mineral oil is a common ingredient in baby oil products, it may provoke an allergic reaction in some, according to the Environmental Working Group, and is dangerous if swallowed. As an alternative, try making your own nontoxic baby oil at home, but talk to your pediatrician first to make sure this is the right choice for your baby.
Things You'll Need
- Food-safe, sealable glass container
- Stove-ready pot
- Coconut oil, almond oil or olive oil
- Chamomile flowers
- Vitamin E capsules
Instructions
Sterilize any food-safe, sealable glass container, such as a glass Mason jar, by placing the jar in a pot full of boiling water for 15 minutes. After boiling, turn off the stove's heat but let the jar sit in the hot water for an additional hour. Remove the jar from the water once the water has fully cooled and allow the jar to air-dry. Choose a type of base oil to use. Common options for homemade baby oil include coconut oil, almond oil and olive oil, suggests OrganicAuthority.com. Each oil has specific strengths. Almond oil is recommended for its antimicrobial properties and pleasant scent; coconut oil for its tendency to thicken into a soft texture, thus making it easier to handle when you're applying it to your baby; and olive oil for its antioxidants. Toss an ounce of chamomile flowers into the jar. Chamomile has long been used to soothe irritated skin, reports the NYU Langone Medical Center, and can help to soothe diaper rashes and other skin irritations your baby may experience. Add 1 cup of the base oil of your choosing. Cover the jar and set it aside for two weeks to allow the chamomile flowers to infuse into the oil. Shake the jar once a day to help the infusion process. Scoop out the chamomile flowers from the oil after two weeks. Cut open three vitamin E gel capsules and squeeze the contents of the capsules into your chamomile-infused baby oil. Vitamin E adds further moisturizing properties to the oil while also making it more soothing and healing to your baby's skin, according to HealthyChild.org. Set the jar of oil out of baby's reach and use it in place of commercially prepared baby oil.
