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{Note from Jessica: Today’s post is shared by my sweet friend Mindy. Mindy is a whole food lover with a passion for sharing natural and safe alternatives to conventional beauty products. Transitioning to a healthier lifestyle can seem overwhelming. So at her blog, Simple Pure Beauty, she likes to keep things simple by sharing safe, natural beauty product recipes and remedies using very few ingredients. Stop by Mindy’s blog to learn about natural remedies, simple whole food cooking and creating safe, healthy environments for our families.}
You can’t blink these days without hearing about coconut oil and the benefits that come from using it – internally and externally. People use coconut oil to help with everything from diabetes to head lice. If you’re new to coconut oil, make sure you read about the health benefits here.
Which brings us to the question, what benefits does coconut oil offer for your baby?
There are a number of studies that indicate giving premature babies a daily massage with coconut oil helps them gain weight more quickly. Many babies sleep more soundly after such a massage. Additionally, there are a few simple recipes you can make at home that will keep your baby’s skin healthy and glowing. You might even find yourself using them as well.
1. Natural Baby Wipes
Stop buying expensive, chemical-laden commercial baby wipes. The recipe below takes minutes to put together and will offer you a first line of defense against diaper rash.
Coconut oil’s fatty acids form a barrier of protection from wetness and stickiness. After a few uses, you’ll notice how much easier diaper changes are for you and for your baby.
Natural Baby Wipes Recipe and Tutorial
2. Natural Baby Lotion
Conventional baby lotion, although it smells good, is filled with loads of questionable ingredients including fragrance, which you definitely want to avoid. Here’s Why.
So why not just make your own baby lotion using coconut oil?
- One, you’ll have peace of mind because you know every ingredient in the lotion. You can even pronounce them!
- Two, coconut oil offers a low incidence of an allergic reaction.
- Three, coconut oil is not only highly moisturizing, but it’s also edible!
Baby can chew his toes, fingers, and arms without you having to worry about what he’s ingesting.
Natural Baby Lotion Recipe
3. Natural Baby Oil
Coconut oil is high in lauric acid. Lauric acid, also found in breast milk, has antimicrobial properties which makes using it as a baby oil a no-brainer! Use it on any areas that become dry or otherwise irritated.
If your coconut oil is in a solid-state, warm it between your hands and use as you would regular baby oil.
4. Natural Cradle Cap Treatment
Many babies experience a condition known as cradle cap. While it’s not harmful, it can be distressing to new parents. Cradle cap is a scaly, sometimes waxy, scalp rash. I personally couldn’t leave it alone when my kids had it. Coconut oil can be very helpful in treating and eliminating cradle cap.
- Warm your coconut oil between your hands and then gently massage into baby scalp.
- Leave on as long as possible. (I used to rub it on my son’s scalp and then put a little hat on his head and let him play.)
- Wash the coconut oil out and brush the baby’s scalp with a soft brush to remove flakes. (I may or may not have used a comb or my finger to *gently* scrape off the stubborn patches ;))
5. Natural Diaper Rash Cream
Few things are more miserable than dealing with a baby who has a nasty diaper rash. Over-the-counter diaper rash creams frequently contain unnecessary or questionable ingredients that do little to relieve the discomfort.
This coconut oil diaper rash cream only uses 3 ingredients. It will address the rash while also soothing your baby’s sore bottom. The lauric acid offers antimicrobial properties while the capric and caprylic acids form a moisturizing barrier.
Natural Diaper Rash Cream Recipe
6. Natural Baby Soap
Here again, simple is best. Knowing what’s in anything you use for your baby is important. When you must use soap for your baby, coconut oil soap is a terrific choice. It won’t dry out his skin and it’s unlikely to cause an allergic reaction.
This natural foaming baby soap/wash recipe is simple and pure:
Natural Baby Soap Recipe
Coconut oil really is all that and more. It is a must-have for your sweet baby’s sensitive skin.
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