Essential Oils (EOs) have become
increasingly popular for their use in conjunction with cloth
diapers and related accessories. Do you know what essential oils
are? Basically they are pure plant distillates and extracts
derived from the flowers, leaves, stems, berries, rinds, resins,
or roots of plants. These oils are the essence of the plant's
smell. Essential oils have long been used in folk medicine and
aromatherapy for their many healing qualities.
So how
can they be used in diapering?
In the Wash...
If your diapers smell even after
cleaning try adding vinegar to your rinse water and an additional
hot rinse. Also add a few drops of tea tree oil to the rinse to
disinfectant and enjoy the pleasant aroma your diapers will now be
left with. Just be careful as some natural oils can cause build-up
if used too much.
Baby Wipes
There are many ways you can
incorporate sweet smelling and often disinfectant essential oils
into your diaper wipes by making your own solution. You can find
several recipes here that
are meant o be used in conjunction with cloth wipes. One such recipe
is below:
Anti-Fungal Baby Wipes
-
1 cup water
-
1 tablespoon vinegar
-
1/4 cup Aloe Vera Gel
-
1 tablespoon Calendula Oil
-
2 drops Lavender or Chamomile Oil
-
2 drops Tea Tree Oil
or Grape Seed Extract
-
Mix
in a jar and then pour over wipes. Store extra solution in the
fridge.
Diaper Rash Cream
There are many diaper rash creams on
the market that use the sweet and soothing qualities of essential
oils. Chamomile, Lavender, and Ylang Ylang are oils that come to
mind. Many WAHMs are also making home-made creations so be sure to
look for them. If you want a more mass produced brand, try
Kissaluvs' Diaper Lotion Potion or Weleda.
The Diaper Pail
Clean your diaper pail with highly
disinfectant grape seed extract and it will remove all trace of
odors. During use you can spray a washcloth with tea tree oil or
lavender and place at the bottom of the pail to control odors.
Essential oils are remarkably effective in eliminating odors.
**Remember
essential oils are very potent and you will want to research them
thoroughly before experimenting. Also be sure to check
out www.aromaweb.com for
information on essential oils you will want to avoid and a wealth of
other EO information.**
