There are many different baby bum creams on the market, but many are expensive and contain harmful ingredients. When using cloth nappies, we often don’t even need to use bum cream, but if you feel the need to or baby has very sensitive skin, it’s best to keep it natural. Natural ingredients will be safe for your cloth nappies and better for baby’s skin.

When my little girl was about 7 months old, she developed a severe rash. We tried everything, including temporarily switching to disposable diapers. We endured many doctor’s visits and after months of trial and error, the only thing that worked was cortisone cream. This cream seemed to work a miracle on her skin, but left us with unwanted side effects and the rashes returned as soon as we stopped using the cream. So I did what any crunchy mom would do, and started researching natural remedies that could have the same effect as cortisone cream, but without the side effects.

The magic ingredient I found was German Chamomile essential oil. Not to be confused with Roman Chamomile. Although the two are closely related, German Chamomile is unique because of its azulen content. This compound gives the oil a beautiful deep blue colour and provides powerful antifungal, anti-inflammatory and antiseptic action. It is such a powerful skin anti-inflammatory, that studies suggest it is just as effective as a mild cortisone cream. And as a bonus, it is one of the few essential oils considered safe for babies from about 3 months old.

So here are my go-to recipes for natural bum cream that you can do on the cheap!

1. If your baby does not have a rash or very sensitive/rash prone skin, I suggest using raw, unscented shea butter just as is. You can buy it in bulk and a little goes a long way. It creates a very good moisture barrier and can also be used as a moisturizer on the rest of baby’s body. Shea butter is solid at room temperature but will melt as you rub it between your hands. It doesn’t get any simpler than that!
2. If your baby struggles with nappy rashes or yeast infections, this is the recipe I have been using. Use essential oils on your baby with extreme caution. Prolonged use of essential oils can cause sensitization and therefore I only recommend this cream when there is an existing problem.

You will need;

• 3 Tbsp raw, unscented shea butter
• 4 drops Organic German Chamomile essential oil
• 4 drops Organic Lavender essential oil

Melt the shea butter by putting the jar in warm water until it reaches a liquid consistency. Measure 3 tbsp into a jar that you will be storing your bum cream in. Add the essential oils and stir gently until it is mixed well. Be careful not to over heat the shea butter. Seal the jar and put it in the fridge until it reaches a more solid consistency again. Thereafter it can be kept at room temperature.

I add lavender essential oil to my recipe as inflamed skin is vulnerable to yeast infections, especially in the nappy area, and lavender is a powerful anti-fungal that will help prevent any fungal infections.

We have seen amazing results using this cream whenever my daughter’s skin begins to flare up. We are able to avoid the use of cortisone cream for the vast majority of time, and this after we were told by her doctor that her skin would need ongoing treatment. Yet again, mother nature wins!

*Disclaimer: The recommendations on this post is from information I have accumulated myself. This is a simple recipe that has worked for us but may not necessarily work for your child. Use extreme caution when using essential oils on your baby. Prolonged use of essential oils is not recommended and can cause skin sensitization if used incorrectly. Always test on a small area of skin before using essential oils on your baby in case of allergies.