My 4 month old baby looked like most of his body had been burnt. I took him to the doctor before it got to this point, and did everything he prescribed. The inflamed skin would look slightly better for a few days and then flare right back up worst than before.
And, I am grateful. Because of that terrible rash, I desperately tried everything. I thought really hard about what was causing him to be so inflamed. He was breastfed so I eliminated everything I thought could possibly be causing him issues. This was the first time I had to really think hard about what I was putting in my body. Because of this rash I became aware of things like what fabrics our clothes are made of, and cleaning products we wash them in. I learnt about ingredients in our skin care products. I learnt about medications. I practiced elimination communication so he could be naked and allow his skin to heal.
(4-month-old Wren)
This terrible rash is really where our “natural” lifestyle began. This rash healed us. And if the recipes that follow can be useful to you as well, then I have the rash to thank for that, too.
That is why I call this cream HEALING. After all of that, this healing salve is what made a dramatic difference. I tried many many different recipes but there was two ingredients that were NOT to be messed with. They were so powerful, I could visibly see a difference within an hour after applying.
BEES WAX and TEA TREE essential oil.
I’m a big fan of essential oils, but I was a little nervous to use anything other than lavender on my little tiny baby. I thought tea tree might burn. But it was KEY. This healing salve recipe worked better than antibiotics and steroid creams and weird stuff from the pharmacy I was supposed to bathe him in.
The ingredients are simple, safe and powerful.
Wren is three and a half years old now and his skin is perfect. I wish I could spend all day with my face smooshed again his soft little toddler cheeks. (sniff, sigh)
(3-year-old Wren)
I still don’t know exactly what it was that caused the rash. But my gut feeling is that he was just a brand new baby with delicate skin in a very harsh climate during the driest months. Any little dry crack of skin could easily become inflamed if not moisturized and protected. I was a first time mom, and I didn’t know anything about infant skin care. I was freaked out by all the baby products in the stores and I didn’t know of an alternative. I bathed him every day or two, but our water is very “hard”, which probably didn’t help.
Fast forward three years. Exactly three years ( I gave birth to Beau on the bathroom floor the day before Wren turned three…unassisted…it was awesome…you should try it). Same harsh climate, same ole driest time of year, same delicate newborn baby skin. I slathered Beau up in this salve from day one. Except, I left out the essential oils because he didn’t need healing. He was so chapped and dry, and I would reapply often. But we did it. His skin didn't become inflamed and is perfect now.
(6-month-old Beauregard)
So, there’s my testimony.
I’d like to offer a few other ways to use this salve.
Omit or switch up the the essential oils if you don’t need the intense healing of tea tree oil. Lavender or cedarwood essential oils are my favourites for general skin care maintenance.
I used this salve throughout my pregnancy on my growing belly. I used it on my tender behind after I gave birth. I used it on my poor breastfeeding nipples.
It’s great for eczema. You know, after you eat a whole wheel of cheese at snack time and then suddenly your skin is like AAAHHHHHHHH WTF!!!
It soothes a sun burn. It softens cracked hands and heels while you sleep. And If you omit the olive oil, it’s THE BEST LIP BALM.
I have to say…at first, Jon was all like, “omg eww it’s cream and I’m a man and I don’t want to be greasy and shiny and smell like I’ve used a skin care product and my hand won't fit in the jar.” ...ok, I may have mis-quoted him there. Eventually he needed to use it for one reason or another, and it worked. And now I see him digging in on the regular.
If I haven’t convinced you to try it yet, then, well, I guess some people just can’t be helped.
HA!
HEALING SALVE RECIPE
3 cups Shea Butter
1 cup Olive Oil
1/3 cup Beeswax (grated or pellets)
<50 drops Tea Tree essential oil
Add the shea butter, olive oil and beeswax to a large bowl and melt using a double boiler method. Once everything is melted, pour into a 1-quart jar. Add essential oils, stir and let cool.
Some extra notes:
I just skip the bowl and add everything to a jar. Then I put the jar in a large pot with an inch or so of water in it. It’s a double boiler-ish method. I’ve also substituted the olive oil for coconut, and avocado. They both work just fine and are great for the skin. Keep in mind, it changes the smell. Here's some additional info about the ingredients in this recipe.
Shea butter is all the antis. Anti-fungal, antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory. It softens and soothes. Olive oil is also an antioxidant and rich in vitamins. Beeswax seals, protects and moisturizes. Tea tree oil is ALL the antis. Analgesic, antibacterial, anti-fungal, anti-infectious, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-parasitic, antiseptic, antiviral, and more. Do your best to choose clean quality ingredients. I recommend Young Living Essential Oils.
Here's a link to my friends Young Living website.
Moving on!
THE OTHER DIY BABY PRODUCT
Baby powder. I didn’t use any powders with Wren. Then, when I had Beau, I was gifted a little shaker of homemade powder from my friend 
Once again, the ingredients are simple, safe, and effective.
BABY POWDER RECIPE
1 cup Arrowroot Powder
1 cup Tapioca Starch
10 tbsp Kaoline Clay
20 drops Tea Tree Essential Oil
Add the powders to a bowl and mix well. Transfer to a shaker for every day use. Store the extra in another jar for refilling. Add the essential oils to a cotton pad and put it in the jar. Shake it up and leave it in.
Some extra notes:
Again, feel free to switch up the essential oils. The original recipe uses Lavender, which would be lovely. I’m all out of Lavender. Which depresses me greatly.
I like to make these products in big batches. Feel free to scale the recipes up or down to suit your needs.
I bathe my boys almost every night, but I will only use soap on rare occasions when he they are truly dirty.
To conclude this article, I will leave you with three brief reasons WHY these are the only two baby products I use.
- Soap reacts with our hard water and builds up on the skin, leaving it dry and irritated. Washing with a cloth and hot water is all that is needed. We do however, use soap to wash our hands as needed.
- These products have simple, safe, and effective ingredients. Most ingredients in conventional products are...F'd up.
- The microbiome is a delicate thing. I know that's not very educational, and it deserves more. So, I'll leave that for another time.
For more, check out my Youtube video!
Thank you for reading. I hope you found these recipes as healing and helpful as we have!
-Emily