“Take Good Care of My Baby”
Tweenie’s Greenies: Tuesday Edition
A while back (okay maybe just a week ago), I was writing some posts about taking care of your baby “green-style”. I loved making these changes in my home because I know how sensitive babies and children can be to different chemicals in their environment. In my search for alternatives to the chemically friendly store brands, I found a few green items that will aid in skin care for babies and tots. The best part, they are SOOO cheap and many of the ingredients are things that you would already have in your home. Try them, love them, be them.
Cradle Cap Remedy: When your baby as what looks like crusty old earwax stuck all over their head and in their eyebrows, try this idea. Rub olive, almond or jojoba oil into the scalp/hair line. Let it marinade. Use a soft brush or a wash cloth to remove the dead skin. Warning: You may be tempted to pick or scratch at the dead skin because you are a “picker”, try to avoid further irritation to your babies skin and stop immediately. Also, these oils may cause a severe negative reaction in household pets. Upon coming into contact or in proximity to these oils, your pet may begin drooling on and licking your babies head and eyes. Avoid this pet/child interaction by placing pets in a well ventilated area during use, such as the outside or cover the babies head with a protective barrier like a soft cotton hat.
Eczema: Apply natural aloe vera lotion on affected spot several times a day. Again, avoid picking at it with your fingernail. You know you want to pick it (or is that just me?).
Baby Acne: Apply breastmilk to the acne. I have found in the past that accidental face squirtings with breast milk seem to have prevented this acne. If you are a “super milk producer”, this is a good way to use some of that excess breast milk while nursing. The antibacterial properties of breastmilk allow for this great remedy.
Diaper Rash: If your children are anything like mine, you know when they are teething by their butts. Everytime one of my children was cutting teeth, they would develop a horrible diaper rash. Desitin doesn’t have any effect on these babies and often if left unchecked, their poor bottoms would develop a few blisters. Ouch! Poor things! I always dread changing them when this happens. Since the diaper rash that develops while teething is largely due to a high acid content in their poopies, this homemade remedy should help by neutralizing the irritating acid. Mix Aquaphor moisturizer with 3 ounces of Maalox. To do so, melt Aquaphor in the microwave or a double boiler. When the Aquaphor is liquid, pour in Maalox. Transfer the mixture into a heat safe jar. Shake for 10 minutes. Use when cool.
One more thing, if you need to use baby powder to help reduce moisture on babies skin, do NOT use a talc based powder. Talc is very similar to Asbestos and may cause cancer. Use a powder made with cornstarch or slipper elm bark instead.
Let’s keep those babies skin soft and healthy! Don’t worry, your baby won’t turn green by going green and you may have more green in your pocket. (oooh, I couldn’t resist all those green references this time.)
