A lot of commercial baby bath washes contain an array of toxins, be very careful when buying and make sure you go over labels with a fine-toothed comb. One of the most popular commercial washes is Head to Toe Wash by Nivea; here are a few of the ingredients that I wouldn’t like to bath in myself let alone put on baby:

Cocamidopropyl Betaine (associated with irritation and allergic contact dermatitis), Sodium Myreth Sulfate (detergent and surfactant), Parfum (could be any number of chemicals, who knows which ones), Sodium Benzoate (preservative E211), Polyquaternium-7 (synthetic polymer), PEG-90 Glyceryl Isostearate (surfactant and cleansing agent), Laureth-2 (polyethylene glycol ether of Lauryl Alcohol; emulsifying agent).

Making your own products or purchasing from a reputable company that sells natural products that are actually natural will help put your mind at ease.

This recipe for Natural Baby Bath Wash has only six ingredients and is gentle and safe for babies. If your little one is under six months old it’s safest to leave out the Lavender Essential Oil. This soap will not bubble but it cleans and moisturises baby’s skin beautifully.

Depending on the soap you use, this may cool into a gel or remain quite liquid. Using a grated bar soap like Dr Bronners Baby Mild Bar Soap will produce a thicker end result whilst using a softer bar soap like Be Natural Be Relaxed Bar Soap will make your baby wash a little thinner.

DIY Natural Baby Bath Wash

400 ml filtered water

80 ml rosewater

4 Tbs grated 100 per cent natural vegetable oil soap such as Be Natural Lavender

4 Tbs Green Goddess Hemp & Coconut Liquid Castile Soap

20 ml glycerine (look for an organic, plant based, non palm oil option, like this one from Go Native)

10 drops lavender essential oil. (Do not add this for babies under three months old.)

Bring the water to the boil in a small saucepan and then add the grated soap. Stir until all the soap is melted, then take off the heat and allow to cool a little, until just warm.

Add the rest of the ingredients, mix well to combine and pour into a squeegee bottle. If this becomes a bit thick give it a good shake and add a little warm water.

Photo credits Lubomirkin and Alex Pasarelu

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