Skin problems for babies can range from a little bit of baby acne to full-blown, painful cases of eczema. At the very least, you want to keep baby’s skin clean and moisturized with something that isn’t toxic. Babies normally have sensitive skin, and some will react to almost anything with fragrance or synthetic preservative in it. Babies also tend to get dry skin very quickly, sometimes with chapping and flaking. Using care in how you bathe and moisturize baby’s skin can help a lot, both in keeping sensitive skin happy and in easing dry skin. And there are herbs which can help relieve skin problems like diaper rash, eczema, itchiness, and baby acne.
Bath Time for Baby
I recommend bathing with a very gentle bar soap, preferably one that’s all-natural. I like Burt’s Bees baby products, and I use the soap for body and hair. If baby’s skin is very sensitive, just cut out the soap altogether and simply bathe baby in warm water. Sometimes less is more. I haven’t tried making my own soap yet, but it’s on my list. In the meantime, if that’s something you want to try, you can find great instructions here and here and here.
Moisturizing the Skin
You have a few options. You can go standard baby lotion route. You can pay a lot more for organic/all-natural baby lotion. Or you can make your own very simple and effective moisturizing balm, which is (obviously) what I recommend. Second best to making your own is buying something like Burt’s Bees Apricot Oil, but even that contains fragrance so for babies with very sensitive skin it might be too strong.
To make your own moisturizing balm for baby, purchase coconut oil (which you can find in the baking/oil section of any major grocery store for around $5; it’s food-grade, which is as good or better than cosmetic grade; or you can find a source of organic coconut oil) and a bottle of another good oil such as extra virgin olive oil, or jojoba, or wheat germ. Then buy a little bottle of Vitamin E oil, which you can find in most pharmacies.
Now you can either make a very simple balm out of these three oils, or you can infuse it with herbs. If you don’t use herbs, your oil will have a slightly coconut-y smell. Light. If you do use herbs, it will take on some of their fragrance.
To make a simple balm without herbs, simple melt the coconut oil over a double boiler or in a sauce pan or even in a glass bowl in the microwave or float it (closed in the container) in very hot water until it liquifies. Mix the liquid coconut oil with the other two oils – the olive or jojoba or whatever you got and the Vitamin E – and then pour into containers with tight-fitting lids.
Use one container at a time, and keep the others in a dark, cool place (like the back of a cabinet in the pantry). Rub the moisturizing balm on baby’s skin after every bath, rub on his bottom while changing diapers, apply to dry patches as frequently as you think of it. It’s gentle and with no additives, very unlikely to irritate sensitive skin. The only possibility is that of an allergy to the coconut oil or the other oil you use. If you’re concerned about this, use the balm on a small patch of baby’s skin and watch for a reaction. Allergic reactions usually don’t take long to show up. If baby’s skin is fine after a few hours, put on a little more and then check it the next day.
To make a simple balm infused with herbs, choose the ones you want to use. Find an organic source, if at all possible. Use a large saucepan or double boiler and melt the coconut oil, then pour in the other oil you purchased (leave the Vitamin E out for now). Keep the oil at a very low simmer, and put in your herbs: about 2 tablespoons each of fresh or 2 teaspoons each of dry. Simmer the herbs in the oil for 15 to 20 minutes, then strain the herbs out through cheesecloth, add the Vitamin E to the oil, pour it into containers and let it cool.
Herbs for Skin
General skin health: Lavender is a great all-around herb for skin health, plus it smells great and induces calmmmmmness, which any baby could use a bit of.
Dryness: Really, for dryness it’s not herbs you need as much as that good oily moisturizing balm. Avocado oil is another good one to use. Drinking lots of water is also good to help the body moisturize itself from the inside out; if you’re nursing, be sure you are drinking lots of water. If baby is eating solid foods, you might start giving a bottle or sippy cup of water every time you offer the solid foods.
Eczema: Castleman reports that topical application of borage oil has been shown to help reduce skin welts from eczema (page 113). (Borage oil should not be used internally for children.) You can buy borage or borage seed oil from an herbal or natural health food store and apply it directly or mix it into your moisturizing balm. Chamomile and echinacea are two other herbs to try for eczema. Both have skin soothing, anti-inflammatory properties which may help in clearing up eczema. Read also about aloe vera, below.
Itchy skin, insect bites, stings: Calendula is antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory, so it’s great for using on minor scrapes and sores and insect bites. It will help things heal up sooner. I’d use a cotton ball soaked in straight witch hazel (buy at any pharmacy for about $1) to ease the itching. Witch hazel is very cooling and soothing to irritated skin. See also aloe vera, below.
Baby acne: Aloe vera gel or juice is a super treatment for any skin problem. Grow a plant in a pot by a window and use it straight up on itchy spots, rashes, red areas, or minor burns, cuts, and scrapes. You can also buy aloe vera gel or juice at any pharmacy; just read the ingredients on the gel label to be sure you’re not getting a lot of synthetic additives with the aloe. Aloe helps fight infection, which is nice if baby scratches open a little acne spot. Dot a little fresh aloe gel on any acne spots, sores, or rashes, let dry, then cover with a moisturizing balm.
Dealing with Cradle Cap
Cradle cap doesn’t require herbs so much as it just requires a little time. Cradle cap is caused by baby’s over-productive glands on the head, spurting out a little more oil than is necessary and then caking things up, with the resulting flakiness and scabs. First things first: you want to be really gentle. I don’t know a Mommy who can resist picking off those little flakes, but be gentle. If you pull off the wrong one, or are just a little rough, you can easily create an open sore that can get infected. Not so good.
To deal with cradle cap, I’ve had some success with the following method:
- Bathe baby in nice warm water.
- Soap up the scalp and rinse thoroughly, then apply one of the following: your moisturizing balm, Burt’s Bees Apricot Oil, straight Vitamin E oil, or straight olive oil.
- Massage the oil into the scalp, making sure you cover all the areas of cradle cap, and, of course, being gentle.
- Let it sit on there for ten minutes, or for as long as you can keep baby entertained.
- Dab off the excess oil, then use a fine-tooth comb all over baby’s head.
- Rinse, comb again if baby will let you, then rinse and pat dry.
- Follow up with a light coat of moisturizing balm or lotion or oil, to soothe any irritated spots.
I found that the oil really softened up all those little scabby, flaky spots and I got a lot of the cradle cap off this way. It’s time consuming, and it’s best if you have somebody else to hold wet-slippery-bath-baby while you do the combing.
Frankly, my common way of dealing with cradle cap was pick at it whenever I nursed, then pop on one of those cute baby hats whenever we went out until enough hair grew in to cover things up. Cradle cap will clear up on its own as baby’s body develops and grows.
Disclaimer:
I am not a medical professional or a certified herbalist. The information provided on this website and all related publications, whether print or digital, whether implied or explicit, are not intended to be taken as medical advice; it is for informational purposes. I assume no liability for what you choose to do with this information. You should always be cautious and use common sense, do research and consult professionals when it comes to medicine, both herbal and otherwise. Consult your medical care provider for persistent symptoms, illnesses, and injuries.
Sources
Avila, Juan R. and Charles W. Fetrow. The Complete Guide to Herbal Medicines. Springhouse, PA: Springhouse Corporation, 2000.
Castleman, Michael. The New Healing Herbs. Rodale, 2009.
Duke, James A., Ph.D. The Green Pharmacy. New York: Rodale, 1997.
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