A Step-by-Step Guide On How To Make Baby Wipes
Baby wipes are all over the marketplace, and many consumers purchase them because of the convenience they provide particularly when on the go. But do you know that most baby wipes have ingredients that trigger allergies for infants with sensitive skin?
I wasn’t too fussy about baby wipes until I witnessed how my friend’s baby developed rashes on his face and bum due to the strong ingredients present on the wipes. It was devastating to see her baby experiencing extreme discomfort. Unable to bear her baby’s crying, my friend knew she had to do something.
She started to find answers why baby wipes caused the rashes and how to make baby wipes that are safe and suitable for the baby’s sensitive skin. In this article, I will share with you all the steps she did on how to make baby wipes that suited her baby’s skin perfectly.
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Baby Wipes and Allergic Outbreaks
When my friend started using baby wipes on her little one, she didn’t notice any adverse reactions at all. Around two to three weeks later, she began seeing small red patches on her baby’s genitals and buttocks.
Not knowing the problem was triggered by an allergic response to baby wipes, she continued doing her usual thing. She used the baby wipes to clean the face, hands, fingers, genitals, and buttocks of her little one. Weeks went by, and she’s now seeing her baby’s skin completely irritated. Red, itchy, and blistery appearance became visible all over the areas where she’d regularly use the baby wipes on.
The seriousness of the allergy pushed my friend to seek the advice of her sister who happens to be a dermatologist. What the dermatologist revealed left my friend in total astonishment.
Here’s why. According to the skin expert, most baby wipes have a chemical preservative known as methylisothiazolinone that gives rise to itchy and painful rashes. Methylisothiazolinone or MI is also present in water-based goods such as hair products, liquid soaps, laundry products, cosmetics, cleaners, and sunscreen.
Why Use Homemade Baby Wipes
There are two primary reasons why you should use homemade baby wipes. First, homemade baby wipes are cheaper compared to store bought wipes. Second, homemade baby wipes are safer.
Cost
The last time I purchased a box of baby wipes under the brand name Huggies, I paid around $3.00. There were 64 baby wipes in a box. Hence, each wipe costs approximately $0.05.
If each time I change my baby’s diaper I use three baby wipes, that is equivalent to $450 spending for baby wipes alone in one year. So, to save some cash, I followed my friend’s strategy, that is, making my own disposable or reusable wipes.
By making my disposable baby wipes, I get to choose the ingredients to use. Once done, the estimated spending is only around $58 for one year. On the other hand, if I make reusable wipes, I would only be spending around $21 or less.
Safety
When you purchase baby wipes, do you check the ingredients of the product? I never did before. But when I saw my friend’s baby with those unbearable and discomforting rashes, I became more cautious of the products I buy.
Most baby wipes contain ingredients that are even difficult to pronounce. Other products claim to be naturally refreshing. But the truth behind such claim is horrifying.
Store bought baby wipes have ingredients that are linked to organ dysfunction, allergies, cancer, development problems, and more. One thing is certain, our baby deserves complete care, and by care, it means using products that are genuinely natural and free from toxic chemicals.
How to Make Baby Wipes
Making baby wipes doesn’t cost much. With the right ingredients and procedures, you can make baby wipes that can last for one year. Below is a step-by-step easy-to-follow guide.
1. Decide what type of baby wipes you wish to make
Before heading to the store or online to purchase your ingredients and materials, know what type of baby wipes you wish to make. Do you want it disposable, reusable, or organic? The ingredients used in each type of baby wipes differ. In my case, I prefer making the reusable baby wipes because they are cheaper and more gentle on my baby’s skin compared to disposable baby wipes.
2. Conduct some research or read forums
I always believe in the importance of information, whether it is something you learned firsthand or information you obtained from different sources. When my friend first told me she was making her own baby wipes, I was skeptical of the idea.
Is it practical? Is it safe? What are the needed materials? Where are these materials bought? Reading blogs and forums helped in getting all ideas about making baby wipes clearer and easier to apply.
3. Prepare the basic cleansing solution to use
Whatever type of homemade baby wipes you plan to make, the first basic step is to prepare the cleansing solution to use. You may use oil, soap, essential oil, or water. Oil does not only help in keeping your little one’s skin smooth but will additionally enable the reusable baby wipe to slide freely across your baby’s buttocks.
Cleansing soap aids in cleaning your little ones’ buttocks by shifting poop and urine. Alternatively, contingent upon the essential oil used, several benefits could be combined with the baby wipe mixture.
Tea tree oil provides anti-bacterial qualities while lavender offers aromatherapy effects. Water facilitates the dilution of other substances and helps make the mixture easy to distribute. Below are some recipes you can use in making your basic cleansing solution.
Recipe #1: Basic Solution
Ingredients
Directions
- Using a clean saucepan, boil two cups of water.
- Once water starts to boil, remove the saucepan from the heat.
- Add oil and baby wash while the water is still hot.
- Mix the solution and let it cool.
- Pour the mixture onto the wipes. (Alternative: Put the mixture in a spray bottle and spray it on a cloth or your little one’s bottom.)
Recipe #2: Solution to Soothe Irritated or Dry Skin
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons shampoo (Alternatives: wash or baby bath)
- 2 cups of warm water
- 1/4 cup calendula oil
Directions
- Same as recipe #1
Recipe #3: Solution to Soothe Yeast Diaper Rash
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 cup of cold water
- 2 tablespoons aloe vera gel
- 4 to 5 drops of tea tree oil
Directions
- Same as recipe #1.
Recipe #4: Solution to Non-fungal Diaper Rash
Ingredients
- 1 cup of cold water
- 1/4 cup of fresh aloe vera gel
Directions
- Use a blend, mix all the ingredients and refrigerate the solution.
Recipe #5: Alternative Solution to Non-fungal Rash
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons shampoo (Alternatives: wash or baby bath)
- 2 cups of warm water
- 2 tablespoons of baking soda
- 2 tablespoons of mineral or olive oil
Directions
- Same as recipe #1.
Recipe #6: Solution for babies with Sensitive Skin
Ingredients
- 2 cups of warm water
- 4 tablespoons of mineral oil
Directions
- Same as recipe #1.
4. Follow the procedures carefully
The secret to making anything is to follow the step-by-step process carefully. In this guide, I will be sharing with you how to make disposable and reusable baby wipes.
Paper Towel or Disposable Baby Wipes
Paper towel or disposable baby wipes are cheap substitutes to baby wipes bought from stores. Depending on the kind of ingredients incorporated, you can spend little with homemade paper towel or disposable baby wipes.
However, when making homemade baby wipes, stay from cheap quality paper towels because they tend to break into pieces when sprayed with the solution. Use Bounty paper towel if you wish to make baby wipes without encountering any problems.
Ingredients
- Bounty paper towel
- Rubber container
- 1 cup of boiled water
- 1/2 cup of witch hazel
- 1/2 cup of aloe vera juice
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 2 tablespoons of liquid soap
- Essential oil for fragrance (optional)
Directions
- Cut the paper towel into two equal parts using a sharp knife or a miter saw.
- Put half of the paper towel inside the container.
- In another container, preferably a bowl, mix all the ingredients and stir until a solution is created.
- Empty the solution onto the paper towel.
- Let the towel absorb the solution for ten minutes.
- Flip the bowl upside down and let the towel absorb the solution for 10 minutes.
- Bring the container to an upright position and remove the cardboard roll. Pull up the inner section of the wipe.
- Utilize each disposable baby wipe as your regular baby wipe.
Note*
Add more water to the solution to make sure the paper towel is absorbing them.
If your baby has sensitive skin, refrain from adding essential oils to the solution.
Here is a video that demonstrates how to make baby wipes:
Cloth Wipes or Reusable Baby Wipes
I am really excited to share with you how to make reusable baby wipes. Compared to disposable baby wipes, cloth wipes or reusable baby wipes are cheaper. What is great about reusable or cloth wipes is the fact that we aren’t wasting any papers.
Rather, we simply repurpose things that we are already using. The procedures in this guide were generously shared by my friend. I added some twist to it to achieve the best reusable baby wipes. Cloth wipes or reusable baby wipes can be made in different ways.
Step 1: Find a cloth to use
You may use washcloths, a flannel cloth that needs just little bit of sewing, or any soft materials that will not fray. Where can you find flannel cloths? Flannel cloths are usually those that are used in receiving blankets or pajamas.
Step 2: Prepare your wipe solution
Just like paper towel baby wipes, you will also need a wipe solution for your cloth wipes or reusable baby wipes. The recipes for a cloth wipe solution includes an oil, a soap, essential oils, as well as a natural preservative. These products are used for cleansing, nourishing, and ensuring that the wipes don’t turn musty.
Step 3: Determine the essential oil you want to use for your cloth wipes
Not all essential oils are safe for children and babies. Nonetheless, there are two essential oils that are safe to use for babies as long as they are diluted. These two essential oils are the chamomile and lavender. Both oils are effective in soothing skin problems brought on by diaper rash.
Chamomile is an essential oil that is perfect for the sensitive skin of your baby. This oil promotes skin regeneration, and contains anti-inflammatory properties that aid in relieving rashes. On the other hand, lavender oil is considered as an essential oil with the greatest versatility in terms of therapeutic essence.
It is soothing and gentle for your little one. Lavender oil contains antiseptic properties and is beneficial for inflamed or irritated skin as well as skin rashes.
Step 4: Make your reusable wipes
Making cloth wipes or reusable baby wipes is as simple as making disposable baby wipes.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil or grapeseed or almond oil
- 1 tablespoon of castile soap preferably the liquid one
- 1 cup of filtered or distilled water
- 2 drops of chamomile oil
- 3 drops of lavender oil
- 1/4 teaspoon of a natural preservative Vitamin E oil
Directions
- On a one cup filtered or distilled water, combine all the ingredients.
- Mix well and avoid producing lots of bubbles.
- Pour the solution on your cloth wipes.
Put your cloth wipes in a container. You may use a repurposed container of a baby wipe you had previously. Pour the mixed solution onto your wipes. Make sure the cloth is moist but not soaking wet. In some cases, there will be left over solution.
Pour the solution into the spray bottle. Always shake the solution before using. Spray your solution on reusable baby wipes or you may spray it straight onto the diaper area of your baby.
Pour the solution into the squirt bottle. Shake the solution before using. To use the solution, simply squirt it straight onto the reusable baby wipes.
Since baby wipe solutions spoil faster compared to solutions used in store brought baby wipes, make wipes in batches to avoid spoilage. The solution must be used for a minimum of one week and a maximum of two weeks.
Organic Baby Wipes
Organic baby wipes are best for your baby particularly if he has sensitive skin. The procedures in making organic baby wipes are similar to disposable and reusable baby wipes except for the additional ingredients.
Step 1: Choose any brand of organic paper towel
The organic paper towel will act as your wipe. Unlike non-organic paper towels, organic paper towels do not contain dye, bleach, or chemicals that are utilized in the manufacture of paper products.
Step 2: Decide on the water to use
In making solutions, you may use tap water or filtered or distilled water. What’s the difference? Tap water has chlorine in it. So, when you use tap water for your wipe solution, your organic baby wipes can only last for a week or less. If you want your baby wipes to last longer, consider using distilled or boiled water to prevent molds.
Step 3: Buy your organic extracts
Organic extracts come in the form of aloe vera, witch hazel, and oils, including essential oils and coconut oil. The aloe vera extract has a soothing effect and can be purchased from organic and health food stores.
The witch hazel has an antibacterial effect and dries the skin, which is particularly advantageous in cases of diaper rash. Coconut oil also has an antibacterial effect and serves as a skin moisturizer. Essential oils including chamomile and lavender are also excellent extracts to use for organic baby wipes.
Note*
There are three things that you can take into account for variation purposes.
Try expanding whatever ingredients you have and look for the recipe that will work best on your baby’s skin.
Adjust the ingredients in your solution to fit the quality of paper or cloth you use for your baby wipes.
Make the baby wipes of your choice by simply following the processes in this guide. Never be afraid to experiment.
Final Words
The processes on how to make baby wipes are similar but not the same. They vary depending on the kind of baby wipes you wish to make - disposable, reusable, or organic.
While all ingredients are safe, they may have some effects on babies with sensitive skin. In addition, oils and other extracts have different healing effects. So, choose the one that will remedy your baby’s skin problem.
What kind of baby wipes have you tried making at home? Share your ideas with us. Did you find this article helpful? Kindly share to everyone you know.
References:
http://www.parents.com/health/rashes/can-baby-wipes-cause-allergies/ https://parent.guide/how-to-make-your-own-natural-homemade-baby-wipes/#why http://www.thefrugalbaby.com/baby-wipe-solution-recipes/