Chamomile Wipe Solution

We are battling rashes here.  Both of my kids seem to get rashes when they are teething, but Nolan gets the bumpy blistery type.  They’re pretty nasty and hard to heal.  I assumed this rash was just from cutting molars, but recently I have read several articles about rashes that “came to stay” when the little boys turned 1.  I don’t know what that has to do with anything, but the timing lines up in Nolan’s case too.

Last week we went to the beach.  Three hours of salt water cleared Nolan’s rash right up.  His skin was brand new…no diaper rash cream or flushable liners needed.  But then he got some diarrhea and the rash returned with gusto.

I have just started delving into the world of herbal medicine, and I was elated to read an article on the Cheeky Bums Blog describing a chamomile wipe solution.  I thought it was brilliant!  Chamomile has soothing and healing properties.  So rather than use a water base for homemade baby wipe solution, start with chamomile tea to help heal the broken skin.  I decided to give it a try.

I started with chamomile, some calendula, mint, and eucalyptus leaves along with some lavender.

Here are some of the properties of the herbs that I added:

• Chamomile – calming, relaxing, soothing
• Calendula Flowers – Heals wounds by cell repair, antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, keeps infections away
• Peppermint – calming, relaxing scent; cools & relieves pain
• Eucalyptus – kills bacteria and fungi
• Lavender – relaxing and calming, antibacterial, antifungal, and antiseptic, used to treat yeast infections

After the solution steeped, I strained the herbs and added enough water to fill my wipe solution pitched {it’s 1/2 gallon}.  I also added 2 Tablespoons of coconut oil.  We use this at every diaper change to sooth and protect skin, but it hasn’t been enough recently.  I forgot to add some baby soap, but I plan to do so next time, along with some honey.  I eliminated the tea tree oil because it is too strong and my kids have sensitive skin.

I thought the chamomile and calendula were pretty in the water

I love the way this makes my wipes smell!  Nolan hasn’t been quite as fussy at diaper changes either.  We are still clearing up the rash, but I think this was a good step to take.

You could do the same thing by brewing a simple chamomile tea with tea bags {use 2-3 for a stronger infusion} and add some lavender essential oil and tea tree if your kids are not sensitive to the oils.

Here is the Cheeky Bums recipe:

• 2 c. chamomile tea, still warm but not boiling
• 1 Tb. raw honey
• 2 Tb. coconut oil (coconut oil is naturally anti-microbial which also helps fight diaper rash and aids in fast healing of any rash sores)
• 2 Tb. castile soap or baby soap
• 4 drops of tea tree oil