As a new mom, I was looking into all the ingredients in all the products I was using on my baby. And boy was I surprised that store bought baby powder has some risky ingredients including talc and synthetic fragrance.
Luckily, it's super cheap and easy to make a safe baby powder that works and your baby's skin will love! This 2 ingredient homemade baby powder is gentle & soothing without harsh ingredients.
Why Should I Use a Talc-Free Baby Powder?
- Talcum powder is the main ingredient in most store bought baby powders.
- Talc is an irritant, causes respiratory problems, and has been linked to cancer, including ovarian and lung cancer.
- Talcum powder is a mined mineral that naturally occurs with asbestos frequently. Asbestos and talc have similar molecular properties.
- Talcum powder is harsh and rough on sensitive skin.
- Baby powder companies have been sued including this lawsuit where a popular baby powder company was sued and ordered to pay over $70 million due to the link to ovarian cancer.
- Side note: Talc is a common ingredient used as a filler in heroin to cut & bulk up the weight. Who knew?!?!
Why Should I Use a Fragrance Free Baby Powder?
The ingredient "fragrance" is protected by law to keep trade-secret recipes and formulas a secret. It's a loophole that allows companies to hide ingredients they don't want to disclose under the umbrella of "fragrance."
There are over 3,000 ingredients & chemicals allowed to be included in fragrance. These ingredients are linked to:
- Asthma
- Eczema
- Rashes
- Cancer
- Reproductive Toxicity
- Hormone Disruption
- Lung Irritation
- Birth Defects
When to Use Baby Powder
Diaper rashes and chafing are two of the main reasons why parents use baby powder during diaper changes. My son chaffed when he was learning to walk. Here is my little walker!
When the chafing started, I initially tried coconut oil (because it seems like 90% of the time, coconut oil fixes whatever problem I have), but it just made it worse. The oil lubricated everything and made it rub more against his skin. In hindsight, it makes sense that the coconut oil made the chafing worse. I needed something to reduce the friction, not lubricate it and make it rub more.
So I made a talc & fragrance free baby powder.
DIY Talc-Free Baby Powder Recipe:
So what's a mama to do?? There are some great talc & fragrance free baby powders available. I like this one.
Or you can easily make your own! It's simple and inexpensive!
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup Bentonite Clay
- 2 tablespoons Arrowroot
- Optional: 10 drops of baby friendly essential oils (I like Calm and Gentle Baby)
Instructions:
- Mix all the ingredients
- Store in a shaker jar like this one
- Use as needed
Bonus! Bentonite clay and arrowroot are staples in my natural hair care routine & diy personal care products!
So you can repurpose these supplies and use them in multiple ways. Check it out here:
Speaking of parenting...
I am a mom of two. My son is adopted and my daughter was born 7 weeks early & a banana truck exploded the day we brought her home from NICU (real story!). Read about the day I brought my kids home here:
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