Baby powder has long been a popular cosmetic product for both infants and adults. Whether you like sprinkling baby powder on your little one during a diaper change or using it to freshen up the interior of your shoes, making your own baby powder is far preferable to buying it in-store.
Not only does DIY baby powder give you total control over its ingredients, but it can also help you avoid some pretty serious illnesses. Read on to discover how to use safe, all-natural ingredients to make a baby powder that boasts an array of comforting, soothing capabilities.
Why Making Your Own Baby Powder Is an Absolute Must
Although it was trusted in the construction industry for decades, few people aren’t alarmed when hearing that asbestos has found its way into their cosmetic products. That’s because the dangers of asbestos have been known for years.
As this all-natural mineral dries out and degrades, it releases tiny particulates into the air that can get breathed into the lungs and wreak havoc on their airways. Asbestos is associated with mesothelioma and many other fatal lung and stomach cancers.
Surprisingly, however, asbestos isn’t just found in old, outdated siding, ceilings, and other building materials. It’s also found in:
- Loose cosmetic powders
- Perfumed body powders
- Blush
- Eyeshadow
- Baby powder
In fact, mesothelioma cancer is caused by asbestos exposure. It has been found in nearly every type of cosmetic that contains talc. That’s because talc is a naturally occurring mineral just like asbestos. More importantly, these two minerals always form side by side. When harvested, each will invariably contain some amount of the other. When companies manufacture their products with talc or talcum powder, the resulting goods usually contain a fair measure of asbestos.
With talc being used in many feminine hygiene products and a large number of body powders, asbestos-containing talc has even been associated with ovarian cancer. As such, creating your own baby powder at home is the surest way to avoid ever having to file a talcum powder lawsuit.
What You’ll Need
The first and most important ingredient in baby powder is a suitable talc replacement. This will give the resulting product the soft, powdery feel that babies love, and that helps keep normally moist skin comfortable and dry. Some of the best all-natural alternatives to talc include:
- Arrowroot powder
- Cornstarch
- Bentonite clay (finely ground)
- Brown rice flour (finely milled)
If you’ve got sufficient time and money for experimenting, you may want to try formulating different powders using each of these base ingredients. This will allow you to determine which option has the best moisture-wicking capabilities for your needs, and which works best in your intended applications.
You’ll also want to have a few drops of your favorite essential oils on hand. These will give the powder a fresh, natural fragrance. The right essential oils can also have calming, soothing, or even healing benefits. For instance, you can try adding:
- Lavender essential oil to dry out and heal skin rashes
- Chamomile essential oil to soothe irritated skin
- Rosewood essential oil to alleviate inflammation and hydrate the skin
If you plan on using your powder on yourself, rather than on an infant, you can also experiment with options like jasmine oil, ylang-ylang, or lemon oil. Keep in mind that essential oils are incredibly strong. Due to this fact, adding too much essential oil to your base can leave you with red, irritated skin.
You’ll find that just a few small drops of any quality essential oil will add more than enough fragrance to your powder, and without putting you or your baby at risk of essential oil burns.
Putting It All Together
Add about one cup of your chosen base ingredient to your food processor. Then add a few drops of a therapeutic-grade essential oil. Four drops should be plenty. Next, turn the food processor on and mix it all together. After just a few quick pulses, you should have a nicely scented powder that contains a number of large chunks.
Continue processing until the oil has been well-distributed. Finally, use a sifter to remove all remaining clumps and then store your homemade baby powder in a dry, airtight container.
With minimal effort, you can create your own baby powder using all-natural ingredients. This can be used for dusting your youngster’s bottom to prevent diaper rash, in place of a heavily perfumed body or feminine hygiene powder, or as a natural shoe freshener for constantly amazing-smelling feet. Best of all, you’ll never have to worry about exposing yourself or your loved ones to asbestos-containing talcum powder again.
